# The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986)

> Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson return in ITV's 1980s Victorian detective series, solving a sequence of classic Conan Doyle cases.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1105063

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 13
- Episode runtime: 52 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: mystery, crime, drama
- Created by: John Hawkesworth
- Network: ITV1
- Cast: Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, Rosalie Williams, Colin Jeavons, Denis Lill, Eric Porter, Patrick Allen, Richard Bebb
- TMDB rating: 8.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090509/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: cerebral, mannered, melancholic, elegant, measured

## What critics say

Critics broadly praise Jeremy Brett's performance and the faithful, atmospheric Victorian adaptations of Conan Doyle's stories.

## Synopsis

The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986-1988) is a British ITV period detective series created by John Hawkesworth for ITV1, produced by Granada Television. Jeremy Brett plays the brilliant, volatile Sherlock Holmes, with Edward Hardwicke as his steady companion Dr John Watson, and Rosalie Williams as the landlady Mrs Hudson. Adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle's stories, the thirteen-episode run is a single series of self-contained cases, each built around a puzzle such as a stain, a twisted lip, a missing schoolboy or a set of plaster busts. The engine of each episode is the detective's habit of reading small physical clues while the police, led by Inspector Lestrade (Colin Jeavons), grope toward the wrong suspects. Set in late nineteenth century London and the English countryside, the show moves through studies, drawing rooms, country houses and foggy streets with a measured, elegant pace. Its tone is cerebral, mannered and quietly melancholic, with a warm bond between the two men at its center. Viewers who enjoy Poirot, Father Brown and Murdoch Mysteries will find a similar appetite for clever, character-driven puzzles and genteel period atmosphere.

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