crack_van | Fandom Overview: Sherlock (BBC, 2010)

The Game, Mrs. Hudson, is on!

Introduction

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. Those two names are known the world over as the most famous detective pair in fiction. Sherlock Holmes is also one of the oldest "fandoms" around. There are an incredible amount of fanworks related back to the original characters of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This year (2010), a brand new adaptation has burst onto the scene. Premiering over the summer on BBC, Sherlock is a re-imagining of the concept in a modern day setting.

While you don't necessarily NEED to know about the background canon of this fandom to understand this new adaptation, it's definitely more enjoyable if you do. I highly recommend

laughingacademy's incredibly informative Sherlock Holmes: An Overview if you haven't actually read the original novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (or even if you have and just want a good read as a refresher).

Characters

Doctor John Watson - Played by Martin Freeman, John is the heart of the show. He's the Everyman from whose point-of-view we get to see into the spectacular, thrilling world of Sherlock Holmes. Like in the original canon, John is a military doctor invalided home from Afghanistan who writes about his adventures with Sherlock Holmes (in his blog, rather than in The Strand, but still).

"I'd be lost without my blogger." -Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes - Played by Benedict Cumberbatch, he is a self-described as a high-functioning sociopath, Sherlock is the world's only consulting detective. He isn't exactly socially inept, but rather completely uncaring about the conventions of society and not fully developed in the empathy department. Beyond serial killers and psychopaths, Sherlock's biggest enemy is himself/boredom. He alternates between mania, crushing depression, and intellectual engagement. Arrogant, egotistical, thrill-seeking, handsome, and a proper genius, Sherlock Holmes is an incredibly fascinating character in any incarnation and especially so in this brilliant portrayal.

"Sherlock Holmes is a great man. And I think, one day -- if we're very, very lucky -- he might even be a good one." -Lestrade

Molly Hooper - She's Sherlock's go-to girl when he needs to beat a dead body with a riding crop or examine the tattoos on the feet of dead Tong smugglers. She has a hopeless crush on him, which he ruthlessly manipulates.

Mrs. Hudson - Una Stubbs portrays a new kind of Mrs. Hudson. She is Sherlock and John's landlady ("Not your housekeeper!").

Watson: "Well this is a prime spot. Must be expensive."
Sherlock: "Mrs. Hudson the landlady is giving me a special deal. She owes me a favor. A few years back her husband got himself sentenced to death in Florida. I was able to help her."
Watson: "So you stopped her husband from being executed?"
Sherlock: "Oh, no. I ensured it."

Detective Inspector Lestrade - Played by the amazing Rupert Graves, LI Lestrade is the long-suffering police officer who knows a good consulting detective when he sees one.

Sergeant Sally Donovan - Lestrade's right-hand gal, her usual epitaphs for our favorite detective are "freak" and "psychopath." No love lost between Sally and Sherlock!

Anderson - There is even less love lost between forensic investigator Anderson and Sherlock. When we first meet him, Sherlock makes some rather un-politic observations that his wife was away and Sally slept over. Not something that would endear Sherlock to anyone, let along in the supercilious and arrogant tone Sherlock adopts when dealing with the police.

Moriarty - As in the original canon, Moriarty is Sherlock's ultimate nemesis, his equal and opposite number.

"Anthea" - PA to Sherlock's arch-enemy. She's a blank slate and is perpetually attached to her mobile phone.

London - This series infuses the city of London with just as much character (sometimes, even more!) than the true characters. It's almost impossible to separate the stories of Sherlock Holmes from his natural environment of London and that is especially true in this adaptation. Although the show was filmed partially in Cardiff, the soul of the city of London beats through almost every scene in the show, rich in city-bright colors and textures. The city is most often seen through the windows of the various taxis that Sherlock and John must spend a fortune on using.

Doctor Sarah Sawyer - She hires John to work part-time in her surgery and then starts to date him.

Detective Inspector Dimmock - Lestrade's replacement in episode 2.

Mycroft Holmes - Sherlock's older brother, who occupies a "minor position in the British government."

Sebastian - An acquaintance of Sherlock's from uni, he is a banker who hires Sherlock for a job in episode 2.

The Episodes

Each of the 3 episodes of Series 1 of this show are 90 minutes long, while the unaired pilot is 60 minutes long. Thus, the entire canon of this fandom is (at this time) less than 6 hours in total. Sherlock, however, is good enough to captivate a fandom that is growing faster all the time. Created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, the show has the distinct feel of the original canon with a modern-day ambiance, combining the high-action crime drama with the slower-paced, more intellectual mystery series.

You can get the series on DVD, or you can watch it right now (through December 27) on the PBS website. Also, if you have not seen this show yet, please do watch it before you actually read any fanfics about it. As a mystery series, there are a lot of spoilers in fanfics that might limit your enjoyment of the original shows.

Series 2 is scheduled to start filming next year, although there are rumors of scheduling conflicts for Martin Freeman (due to his being cast as Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming Hobbit film). This overview will have to be updated then -- and I'm really looking forward to it!

Episode 1: A Study In Pink - The meeting of John Watson and Sherlock Holmes. In this episode, DI Lestrade comes to Sherlock for help on a case of serial suicides that are actually murder.

Episode 2: The Blind Banker - Sherlock and John face off against Tong on the behest of an old acquaintance.

Episode 3: The Great Game - Sherlock's been noticed and his boredom ends when Moriarty finally engages him in a game that takes all of his intellect. Lives are at stake as explosions rip through London.

Unaired Pilot: A Study In Pink - Same basic plot as Episode 1, but without a lot of the really fun details and a slightly less polished look.

The Fandom

There are a ton of Sherlock communities, but one of the largest and the one I recommend a new fan start with is

sherlockbbc. It's a general community, not just fanfic, and you'll find a ton of amazing fanart, comics, stories, screencaps, fanvids, fanmixes, etc.

The Pairings

Sherlock/John - Well, it's obvious, yeah?
Sherlock/Lestrade
Lestrade/John
Sherlock/John/Lestrade
Mycroft/John
Lestrade/Mycroft
Sherlock/Mycroft
Sherlock/John/Mycroft
Sherlock/Moriarty
John/Moriarty
Moriarty/spoiler!
Donovan/Anderson

As you can see, yes, the pairings tend towards slash, but there is hope for the upcoming series, as one of the hints dropped about it was the word "Adler." The canon pairing of John Watson/Mary Morstan is not currently extant in either the show or the fandom. The above photo is included because, well, Sherlock/John overshadows every other pairing in this fandom. Look at him loom! ^_^

Fandom Overview: Sherlock (BBC, 2010)

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