Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Collection [DVD]

As an avid and life long Sherlock Holmes disciple, I well remember as a child spending many many hours of my youth reading through the stories of his exploits whilst neglecting home or house-work, a lot of those hours were spent 'under the blanket' trying to read the fine print with a torch and remain still as my mothers hearing was that of a hawk and many a time 'turn out that light' could be heard from the lounge downstairs, this explains why my eyesight is not exactly 20/20 and NOT for any other reason! I have been very fortunate, thanks to my longevity, in having seen on the big screen, such wonderful and distinguished actors attempt to portray the master detective. Actors such as Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Basil Rathbone, Douglas Wilmer and Ronald Howard have all tried with varying success to bring Holmes to life, there were many more, too many to mention whose portrayal doesn't warrant their naming. However, not one of the above mentioned masters of acting even comes close to Jeremy Bretts portrayal of Sherlock Holmes. To me, he IS, Sherlock Holmes, the master of intrigue, unraveller of mysteries, sword of justice and the shining light in the darkness under the bed or behind the door. I recall reading that Mr Brett not only re-read the entire works to understand the character he was to play but after a while he BELIEVED that he was Sherlock Holmes. That, to me, explains why he stands head and shoulders over everyone else, a truely inspiring actor. There is a point in one episode (The Black Pearl) where Colin Jeavons (Inspector LeStrade) tells Holmes that Scotland Yard is PROUD of Holmes and if you watch Jeremy Bretts face you can see tears in his eyes, as if the compliment was genuinely for him, not just lines spoken by another actor, brilliant. The entire series is so beautifully put together, even if they dont actually follow Conan Doyles written story-lines, that they entrance you and its very difficult to actually stop watching another episode even if getting up for work in the morning is to be a problem. It would be remiss of me to not mention the actors who played the part of Dr J H Watson, David Bruce and Edward Hardwicke. David Bruce, the original Watson, must have read the books prior to filming starting as it is evident in his portrayal. Watson LOVES Holmes, no not in some perverted man-man way, but as a brother or as a father with a wayward son, proud of his accomplishments yet wary of the fine line he treads between genius and insanity. Watson was the 'constant' in Holmes life, not opium, and David Bruce played the part with genuine affection, understanding and reverence. The two, Brett and Bruce, showed the world what Holmes and Watson would have been like in real life, one the spontaneous combustion the other the cooling water. It was such a shame when Mr Bruce decided that he was not to play Watson in the remainder of the series as he wanted more time with his wife (Anna Calder Marshall) in Shakespearean plays, seems odd that she also starred in a later episode (The Eligible Batchelor), but thats by the by, his loss was a loss for the whole series. Then Edward Hardwicke appeared! It is plain where Bruce read and understood Watsons role Hardwicke didn't. Where Bruce was subservient to Holmes (as Doyle describes) Hardwicke tries to take the lead. Its as if his selection for the role of Watson was only based on his moustache! There is NO gelling between the 2 actors, presumably Hardwicke insisted that his role was expanded and more interactive as he was, after all, to have joint billing. When you watch the episodes where he is Watson, you will immediately understand my comments, he isn't Watson and will never be Watson which is a shame as it destroys what is undeniably a brilliant series, it did for me anyway you may be of a different opinion. Bruce sat in the back-ground giving advice or just 'being there' Hardwicke IS the back-ground. Having seen him in other shows my opinion of him doesnt lessen in any way. So be aware that he may grate at your nerves. Apart from that, I cannot recommend this series highly enough. I have 2 copies, both have been watched so often that the discs no longer sit snugly in their cases, they all have slight marks to their surfaces but none of this detracts from the pleasure i get when watching each episode time and again. There will never be another actor who will portray Sherlock Holmes like Jeremy Brett, buy the series and keep his Holmes alive.

There probably isn't much more that can be said about Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes, other to confirm the general consensus that is performance is definitive and is unlikely to be surpassed. There have been some excellent recent translations of Holmes, the recent Guy Richie movie ( Sherlock Holmes [DVD] [2009 ]) and BBC's modern interpretation with Benedict Cumberbatch ( Sherlock [DVD] [2010 ]), but for the Holmes that accurately represents and depicts Doyle's books, this is the one. Some people coming to these for the first time might find them a little slow, and there is a lack of flashy camera angles and "atmospheric" music every 2 seconds. Well, thank goodness for that, because it lets the stories shine and where music is used, it is used to accent rather than overwhelm, the storyline. In The Sign Of The Four, we are treated to John Thaw playing the villain, Jonathan Small, recounting his story almost unaltered from the book, with flashbacks to the past. Boring? Nope. But probably wouldn't be made the same way today. Saying that, the episodes were not made in the same order as Doyle released his books (maybe ITV picked "the best ones" in case they didn't make subsequent series?). Also, rather sadly, A Study In Scarlet is missing - so we don't get to see Holmes and Watson meet - and some of the other stories are absent too (as noted in a previous review). Personally, I want to watch them in "the proper" order, so have compiled a list to help me navigate around the discs: THE SIGN OF FOUR (1890) novel - DISC 7 (Movie) THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1892) * A Scandal in Bohemia - DISC 1 * The Red-Headed League - DISC 3 * The Boscombe Valley Mystery - DISC 10 * The Man With the Twisted Lip - DISC 6 * The Blue Carbuncle - DISC 2 * The Speckled Band - DISC 2 * The Eligible Bachelor - DISC 14 (adaptation of the short story "The Noble Bachelor" from "Adventures") (Movie) * The Copper Beeches - DISC 2 THE MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1894) * Silver Blaze - DISC 8 * The Musgrave Ritual - DISC 5 * A Crooked Man - DISC 2 (originally called "The Crooked Man) * The Resident Patient - DISC 3 * The Greek Interpreter - DISC 3 * The Naval Treaty - DISC 1 * The Final Problem - DISC 4 THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (1902) novel - DISC 9 (movie) THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1905) * The Empty House - DISC 5 * The Norwood Builder- DISC 3 * The Dancing Men - DISC 1 * The Solitary Cyclist - DISC 1 * The Priory School - DISC 5 * The Master Blackmailer - DISC 12 (adaptation of the short story "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton") (Movie) * The Six Napoleons - DISC 6 * The Golden Pince-Nez - DISC 15 * The Abbey Grange - DISC 6 * The Second Stain - DISC 5 HIS LAST BOW (1917) * Wisteria Lodge - DISC 8 * The Cardboard Box - DISC 16 * The Red Circle - DISC 16 * The Bruce-Partington Plans - DISC 8 * The Dying Detective - DISC 15 * The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax - DISC 10 * The Devil's Foot - DISC 8 THE CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1927) * The Illustrious Client - DISC 11 * The Mazarin Stone - DISC 16 * The Three Gables DISC 15 * The Last Vampyre - DISC 13 (adaptation of the "The Sussex Vampyre") (Movie) * The Problem of Thor Bridge - DISC 10 * The Creeping Man - DISC 11 * The Adventure of Shouscombe Old Place - DISC 10 All in all, top entertainment and a fantastic price from Amazon

I have been a Sherlock Holmes enthusiast for decades and have watched dozens of related films and TV series. However, having only viewed a few episodes starring Jeremy Brett many years ago, I decided to buy this 1984 Sherlock Holmes ‘Complete Collection’. The series is set in 19th century Victorian and Edwardian Britain (1880 to 1914). As a qualified historian, I was particularly thrilled at the meticulous attention to details. The lifestyle and culture of the upper class (wealthy), middle class (educated professionals), and working class (the poor) was superbly characterised. The quaint ‘clippety-clop’ of horse-drawn Hansom cabs resonating over cobblestone streets, the bustling open-air street and flower markets, and the silent dense fog descending like a creeping phantom generate the quintessential Victorian environment. Jeremy Brett’s performance as Sherlock Holmes is positively exceptional. I believe he captures the physical, behavioural, and emotional traits of the character as depicted in Arthur Conan Doyle’s books. Brett breathes new life into Holmes; his screen presence is truly captivating! Dr Watson is played by David Burke (1984 to 1985) and Edward Hardwicke (1986 to 1994). They skilfully portray Watson as an intelligent, dignified, brave and loyal friend, as well as a capable medical doctor. The bumbling, dim-witted caricature of former years is no more! This set of DVDs is in its original standard definition 480i and 4:3 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital sound. I have viewed all 41 episodes (16 discs) on a 100-inch projector screen and found the quality to be satisfactory. If this screen size experienced no pixelated, blurry images, then it will most certainly be of a higher quality on TVs 65-inch and less. I consider this 1984 Sherlock Holmes TV series the gold standard of Sherlock Holmes adaptations and I do highly recommend it.

On content this is the DVD collection to rival all DVD collections, on presentation however this set is somewhat lacking, but when the content is Jeremy Brett bringing boundless energy to our protagonist in the unsurpassed crime stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...complaining seems like sacrilege. I bought this set for my parents, long fans of Sherlock Holmes and especially Jeremy Brett's portrayal, but I too am now hooked (for life probably) on this utterly engaging, thrilling and challenging set of stories, which are sometimes sustained solely on the unrivalled performance by an actor who proves himself (in this role alone), as a master of his craft. The minor complaints; (1) Every disc begins with a piracy deterrent, which after 16 discs, despite the clips being under a minute in duration, can get annoying, but not intolerably so, (2) There isn't a scene selection capability in the discs- every episode is split into 4 chapters, but these are without order and are untitled, so if you loose your place it's somewhat difficult to find it again quickly, (3) The set does not come with a booklet summarising the episodes, not even a short description of each episode is supplied, only the titles of the episodes themselves and finally (4) The feature episodes (four in total) are a big let-down, since in all respects they are inferior to the shorter stories, they favour style over substance and Holmes' logic and his ability to be one step ahead of even the craftiest opponent seem inexplicably absent (although 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' proves to be the worthy exception). The quality of all the other episodes, which comprise 'The Adventures of Sherlock Homes', 'The Return of Sherlock Holmes', 'The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes' and 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes', cannot be praised enough, at least not by this ineloquent reviewer short on adjectives. THIS SET IS WORTH THE MONEY because for the first time every episode is present as one set on discs of excellent quality that can be used, enjoyed and treasured for a lifetime.

I only recently discovered the Jeremy Brett version of "Sherlock Holmes" via Netflix. I guess better late than never. I've been a Sherlock Holmes fan since my preteens, even visited 221B Baker St and the SH museum on a once only trip to London. I've watched the Rathbone/Bruce versions and enjoyed to a point but there was a lot of WWII propaganda in some of them and it turned me off. Since I had my computer hooked up to my television (giving me a HUGE monitor), I've been watching streaming video and discovered this version. The absolute best!! I know that all of the episodes are not faithful to the written word, but they come the closest to it more than any of the other productions. I think one of the reasons Doyle's work has lasted is because he tells a good story. Granada did a very good job at depicting the Victorian Era of Doyle's works (not too idealized nor too bleak-although the upper class is depicted more so than the poorer classes). Jeremy Brett does an excellent job of BEING Sherlock Holmes. All of these three elements combine to make a series that can be watched over and over without getting dull. There are no special effects, only great stories brought to life by great actors. Because the series is a period piece-it almost can't be dated as to when it was originally filmed. If you look, you can see some current actors in these past performances-James Purefoy (Rome), Jude Law (ironically playing Dr Watson with Robert Downey Jr in the recent production of 'Sherlock Holmes', & Marina Sirtis (Star Trek Next Generation). What is great about this set is that it has ALL of the episodes and the movies-you don't have to try to find episodes or movies anywhere else. All of them span from first inception to just before Brett's death (sadly, you also watch as JB gets sicker and sicker). What might be considered "bad" about this set is that only those originally filmed with Dolby (TM) sound still retain that, the rest were not remastered with it. I also have full HD and let the television "sense" what to do with the picture. These were filmed before the advent of HD makeup and all of the imperfections show. But also adds to the realism-so I guess it's a mixed blessing. For the product, this is also the best price. I've seen other boxed sets of these DVD's for twice this. Overall-for this price you get a great series at a great price in ONE set.

Well, this will seem blasphemy to the almost unanimous praise of other reviewers, but what is critique without a little open-eyed balance? The films are clean and bright, much better than the old VHS sets, and compactly encased, a blessing for those of us who build libraries still. The episodes are set three or four to a disc, making viewing a lttle easier - at least one only has to sit through the childish "copying movies is stealing!" segment at the beginning of every disc - if only one could erase the garbage ! - but at least there are no previews and sales pitches for other DVDs, and the editing is relatively well done - commercial breaks are not apparent. As a rabid lover of things Poirot, Foyle, Frost, Allen, Marple and Gently, I must say I find the camp over-acting by Jeremy Brett a tad difficult to bear at some points. But the series seems intended as a send-up ayway, and is good for more than a few laughs along the way. These are not suspenseful stories - the solutions are more than a little often far-fetched and completely obscure. Can one really call credulous the supposed use of a poisonous snake trained to come when called after climbing down a braided bell-pull to attack a sleeping victim? One is reminded of "The Perils of Pauline" when watching another episode where Holmes/Watson rush to the rescue of a damsel as she is forced to endure the ignominy of being married under duress to a crazed South African red-head by a drunken and defrocked priest on an open altar. Still, there is lots of fun to be had in watching the series, and the per-episode price is quite a bargain, so belly up to the bar and have a swig of this frothy brew, preferably with a glass of a favorite chaser at hand to soften the hard edges of cynicsm. Just don't try to drink while the action is on-screen, as it could well spatter the carpet when you burst out in a guffaw at some acerbic line or ridiculous pose of one of the protagonists. **** (formerly ***) Having now viewed the entire series, I've become more enamoured of Brett's portrayal - perhaps it's the extra girth of his waistline or the more evident tracks of lines on the face that makes him more robust in the role, Yet - he still manages to flail about on a blanket like a beached amorous porpoise plucking clues from mud or gravel where no mere mortal thought to look ... and amuses us well with his tidbits of knowledge purloined from abstruse sources. I heartily recommend the investment of treasure (not a lot, truth be told) and time - amusement and bemusement vie for supremacy, while laughter fills the room as our intrepid hero divines yet another solution that we mere mortals might never achieve. Infinitely better than Cable News or the American Hyperactive Hokum. You won't be disappointed, promise!

...with this splendid re-release of the classic ITV/Granada television series. I can only agree with the other reviewers that these are the definitive interpretations on TV or film of the Conan A Doyle canon of Sherlock Holmes. Nothing else really touches this, with absolutely faultless acting in all roles, whether large or small. Frankly, to compare these films with the Basil Rathbone movies is ludicrous, they are not even on the same planet (and they are anyway mostly not from Doyle's writings). Of course, the grand acting price goes to Jeremy Brett. He acts, he breaths, yes he IS Sherlock Holmes, and I pity all poor actors who will in the future try to better his performance. However, the rest of the actors also deserve high praise. Both David Burke, as a younger and more vigorous Watson, and Edward Hardwicke who portrays a more mature and solid Watson make stellar performances. They are also helped by intelligent scripts that casts Watson as a valid partner to Holmes (in fact, in some instances it may even be a bit overdone, after all Watson almost never in the short stories or novels take any part in the actual solution of the problems). You will also delight in many other superb performances and have fun recognizing many actors from the British acting elite in larger or smaller roles. As for the technical quality, this is as good as you can possibly expect from transfers of TV-shows that are up to a quarter of a century old. The new transfers have an excellent both picture and sound quality. I have been watching these DVD's on a fairly state of the art 46 inch flat screen TV set and I have no complaints whatsoever of the sharpness of the images. The sound, albeit in mono (although a few of the last episodes are actually in Dolby stereo sound) is also very good. For us non-English viewers it is also very good to have the subtitles. To bad only that you can't get them without that hard-of-hearing feature. But the fun doesn't stop there. You can also keep a lookout for all those small references to other films and work of arts. A few samples: In the episode "The Resident Patient" the beginning is copied from the opening scene of Ingmar Bergman's masterpiece "Wild Strawberries" were Isaac Borg in a nightmare dream sees himself in a coffin. In the "The Hound of the Baskervilles" there is a scene with Holmes disappearing in a cloud of smoke and fog in a railway station which is very similar to the final scene in the Leslie Howard film "Pimpernel Smith". In the episode " "The Musgrave Ritual" the ending scene is modeled from the famous pre-Raphaelite painting "Ophelia" by John Everett Millais. In the episode "The Golden Pince-Nez" there is a shot of the female protagonist, the wife of Prof. Coram, showing her in a melee with Tsarist troops with her glasses cracked. This is an obvious quotation from the famous Odessa stairs scene in Sergei Eisenstein's classic movie "The Battleship Potemkin". So, a very highly recommended viewing then. Do try to obtain a copy of this release, even if it seems to be out of print at the moment. Hopefully it will come back again.

What can I say here? The quality of these dvds are excellent, but the material on them is even better. For those of you who loved Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes, this is a must have. It's only unfortunate that all other Holmes films may be ruined for you once you see Brett in action. He's the perfect Holmes-- his performance is truly unrivaled. Besides Jeremy Brett's Holmes, both Watsons are also wonderful to watch. I got used to Edward Hardwicke's performance of Watson first. However, now I prefer David Burke's more serious take on the role. Either way, both of them play Watson with none of the pomposity or silliness that you may have seen in their predecessors. If you are a fan of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories, rather than just the films, these cannot be beat. Although many prefer Basil Rathbone to Jeremy Brett, only 2 of the Rathbone stories are taken from the Doyle canon. The other films are WWII stories with the Greatest Detective breaking up Nazi spyrings and mobilizing the citizens of England during their greatest fight (well, greatest fight next to the current one going on against Muslim terrorists who are now a fifth column in the UK-- but that's another matter entirely-- maybe we need to see some new Holmes films breaking up terror cells. Oh, but I digress!) And, regardless of your feelings about the Rathbone films, he should be credited with raising Holmes' popularity during this era. In contrast, all of the stories here are taken directly from the Doyle stories. As a matter of fact, when Strand magazine serialized the Holmes' stories, they were accompanied by wonderful illustrations. In every episode of this series, the actors briefly pose and re-enact each illustration! If you're a fan, this is a real treat to see. Actually, everything on these dvds is a real treat to see. The direction is perfect, the sets are luscious, and the costumes are beautiful. Anyways, the four films included in this set are phenomenal. I am not crazy about the Hound of the Baskervilles story, and that one is my least favorite on the set, but it's still a great story. All of the hour-long episodes are lots of fun to watch. Every time I watch one of these episodes I immediately feel like I am getting a big treat and I immediately mourn the fact that there will never be any more. Brett's death was untimely and came all too soon.

Jeremy Brett is the definitive Sherlock Holmes, for me, so the television show is always worth watching, and owning. Don't get me wrong, I like the Cumberbatch/Freeman version as well, with it's modern twist (at least seasons 1, 2 ... the writers lost the plot a bit in season 3, 4) ... but the Jeremy Brett version is the Victorian classic version, and about as close to the Arthur Conan Doyle books as it is possible to get. So, in terms of the story, if you are a Sherlock Holmes fan and you haven't seen Jeremy Brett versions, they are absolutely worth it! I wanted a good quality version, as I had previously had the old green cover Granada DVDs from a long time ago which had some quality issues. This set is great and the blurays are a definite improvement! Do keep in mind that it is a version code that is not compatible with USA/Canada DVD players unless you have a region-free player. The seller reached out to me before he charged/shipped the item to make sure that I was aware of that and to check whether I still wanted the item which was MUCH appreciated! I did want it, and was aware, but I can see how many people might not notice that detail in the description, and so checking before shipping was a really helpful and genuine thing for this seller to do! The item showed up in excellent condition as well. The inserts are beautiful. It is the complete series (The Adventures, The Return, The Casebook, The Memoires, and the Feature Film collection which is combined with a few of these seasons on the disks), it is all there. I was specifically looking for this remastered UK version with PAL coding but you do need to make sure that your bluray player will be able to play this. If it does, this is great picture quality and definitely worth having!

This is a must-have set for anyone who is a fan of Sherlock Holmes

Jeremy Brett is Sherlock Holmes personified. The show is brilliant both in how it brings the stories to life and portrayal of 19th century London, but also in the faithful retelling - no 'improvements' but genuine respect for the original. Overall solid acting. The way Jeremy Brett portrays Sherlock Holmes shows deep insight to the character and is what makes the show exceptional. Frantic action mixed with the boredom between cases, the underlying humanity despite claiming not caring for people, Sherlock's varying interaction with others - especially that quick smile before again sinking into his mind - all this Jeremy Brett captures better than anyone.

Enfin je peux regarder la meilleure série sur Sherlock Holmes. Et joué par le meilleur représentant Jérémy Brett. Belle qualité des images.

Ich möchte hiermit auch meinen Senf zu der Sherlock Holmes Bluray-Box geben. Die Serie wurde zwischen den Jahren 1984 und 1994 produziert und enthält diverse Erzählungen als auch Romane aus Doyles Kanon. Herausragend ist, dass sich die Produktion nicht allzu viele Freiheiten nimmt, und sich (meistens) sehr nahe an die Vorlage hält. Das viktorianische England ist sehr schön nachgezeichnet und die Rollen hervorragend besetzt - vor allem Jeremy Brett als Sherlock Holmes. Es ist eine Freude zu sehen, wie dieser Mann mit seiner Rolle verschmolzen ist. Dr. John Watson wurde gleich von 2 Schauspielern verkörpert - David Burke und Edward Hardwicke. Dies fällt aber - besonders in der deutschen Fassung - kaum auf, da mit der Zweitbesetzung ein ebenbürtiger Ersatz gefunden wurde. Hardwicke wirkt zwar etwas älter und gesetzter als Burke, da aber zwischen dem Wechsel ein Zeitraum von 3 Jahren stattfindet - und er (vorerst) sogar die gleiche deutsche Synchronstimme hat, wurde hier der perfekte Doppelgänger gewählt. Zu Bild und Ton: Es wurde hier in einer Rezension bemängelt, dass die Bluray keine Aufwertung zur DVD-Fassung darstellt. Diesen Eindruck hatte ich zuerst auch - ich habe aber keine Vergleichsmöglichkeit, da ich die DVDs nicht besitze. Allerdings macht die Bildqualität ab Staffel 2 einen deutlichen Sprung, ab dann ist das Bild auf einem schönen HD-Niveau. Ich würde also definitiv die Bluray-Fassung bevorzugen. Das kann ich uneingeschränkt empfehlen, ich habe die Serie auf einem großen 75-Zoll TV geschaut. Zu bemängeln gibt es eigentlich nur die deutsche Vertonung. Leider wechsen die Synchronsprecher sehr oft, besonders bei Sherlock Holmes. Watson hat in der DDR-Synchro der regulären Folgen aber durchweg die gleiche Stimme, und selbst im 1. Langfilm. Ab Staffel 5 wurden die restlichen Folgen nachträglich synchronisiert, man erkennt es deutlich daran, dass viele bekannte deutsche Stimmen bis in kleine Nebenrollen besetzt wurden. Aber ärgerlicherweise wurde wohl Staffel 4 im Zuge dieser Vertonung vergessen, hier liegt keine deutsche Tonspur vor. Dies betrifft allerdings nur 4 Folgen. In den Filmen wechseln die Stimmen dann allerdings auch leider immer wieder. Ich kann dennoch der Serie aufgrund dieses Mankos keine schlechtere Bewertung geben. Es würde der detailverliebten Inszenierung und der Leistung von Jeremy Brett nicht gerecht werden. Daher 5 Sterne von mir, auch wenn der letzte Stern nicht ganz so hell funkelt.