Love story

3

Conception and development

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock Holmes fans with experience of adapting or using Victorian literature for television, devised the concept of the series.[10][11] Moffat had previously adapted the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the 2007 series Jekyll,[12] while Gatiss had written the Dickensian Doctor Who episode "The Unquiet Dead".[13] Moffat and Gatiss, both Doctor Who writers, discussed plans for a Holmes adaptation during their numerous train journeys to Cardiff where Doctor Who production is based.[14] While they were in Monte Carlo for an awards ceremony, producer Sue Vertue, who is married to Moffat, encouraged Moffat and Gatiss to develop the project themselves before another creative team had the same idea.[15] Moffat and Gatiss invited Stephen Thompson to write for the series in September 2008.[16]

Gatiss has criticised recent television adaptations of the Conan Doyle stories as "too reverential and too slow", aiming instead to be as irreverent to the canon as the 1930s and 1940s films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, which were mostly set in the then-contemporary interwar era.[10] Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock uses modern technology, such as texting, the internet and GPS to solve crimes.[10] Paul McGuigan, who directed two episodes of Sherlock, says that this is in keeping with Conan Doyle's character, pointing out that "[i]n the books he would use any device possible and he was always in the lab doing experiments. It's just a modern day version of it. He will use the tools that are available to him today in order to find things out."[17]

The update maintains various elements of the original stories, such as the Baker Street address and Holmes's adversary Moriarty.[18] Some of these elements are transposed to the present day: for example, Martin Freeman's Watson has returned from military service in Afghanistan.[19] While discussing the fact that the original Watson was invalided home after serving in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80), Gatiss realised that "[i]t is the same war now, I thought. The same unwinnable war."[10]

Sherlock was announced as a single 60-minute drama production at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in August 2008, with broadcast set for mid- to late 2009.[18] The intention was to produce a series of six 60-minute episodes should the pilot prove to be successful.[15][18] The first version of the pilot—reported by The Guardian to have cost £800,000—led to rumours within the BBC and wider media that Sherlock was a potential disaster.[20][21] The BBC decided not to transmit the pilot, requesting a reshoot and a total of three 90-minute episodes.[20][21] The original pilot was included on the DVD of the first series. During the audio commentary, the creative team said that the BBC were "very happy" with the pilot but asked them to change the format.[15] Critic Mark Lawson observes that the pilot that was on air was "substantially expanded and rewritten, and completely reimagined in look, pace and sound".[21] In July 2009, the BBC drama department announced plans for three 90-minute episodes, to be broadcast in 2010.[22] Moffat had previously announced that if a series of Sherlock was commissioned, Gatiss would take over the duties of executive producer so that he could concentrate on producing Doctor Who.[11]

Conception and development

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock Holmes fans with experience of adapting or using Victorian literature for television, devised the concept of the series.[10][11] Moffat had previously adapted the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the 2007 series Jekyll,[12] while Gatiss had written the Dickensian Doctor Who episode "The Unquiet Dead".[13] Moffat and Gatiss, both Doctor Who writers, discussed plans for a Holmes adaptation during their numerous train journeys to Cardiff where Doctor Who production is based.[14] While they were in Monte Carlo for an awards ceremony, producer Sue Vertue, who is married to Moffat, encouraged Moffat and Gatiss to develop the project themselves before another creative team had the same idea.[15] Moffat and Gatiss invited Stephen Thompson to write for the series in September 2008.[16]

Gatiss has criticised recent television adaptations of the Conan Doyle stories as "too reverential and too slow", aiming instead to be as irreverent to the canon as the 1930s and 1940s films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, which were mostly set in the then-contemporary interwar era.[10] Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock uses modern technology, such as texting, the internet and GPS to solve crimes.[10] Paul McGuigan, who directed two episodes of Sherlock, says that this is in keeping with Conan Doyle's character, pointing out that "[i]n the books he would use any device possible and he was always in the lab doing experiments. It's just a modern day version of it. He will use the tools that are available to him today in order to find things out."[17]

The update maintains various elements of the original stories, such as the Baker Street address and Holmes's adversary Moriarty.[18] Some of these elements are transposed to the present day: for example, Martin Freeman's Watson has returned from military service in Afghanistan.[19] While discussing the fact that the original Watson was invalided home after serving in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80), Gatiss realised that "[i]t is the same war now, I thought. The same unwinnable war."[10]

Sherlock was announced as a single 60-minute drama production at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in August 2008, with broadcast set for mid- to late 2009.[18] The intention was to produce a series of six 60-minute episodes should the pilot prove to be successful.[15][18] The first version of the pilot—reported by The Guardian to have cost £800,000—led to rumours within the BBC and wider media that Sherlock was a potential disaster.[20][21] The BBC decided not to transmit the pilot, requesting a reshoot and a total of three 90-minute episodes.[20][21] The original pilot was included on the DVD of the first series. During the audio commentary, the creative team said that the BBC were "very happy" with the pilot but asked them to change the format.[15] Critic Mark Lawson observes that the pilot that was on air was "substantially expanded and rewritten, and completely reimagined in look, pace and sound".[21] In July 2009, the BBC drama department announced plans for three 90-minute episodes, to be broadcast in 2010.[22] Moffat had previously announced that if a series of Sherlock was commissioned, Gatiss would take over the duties of executive producer so that he could concentrate on producing Doctor Who.[11]

Conception and development

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock Holmes fans with experience of adapting or using Victorian literature for television, devised the concept of the series.[10][11] Moffat had previously adapted the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the 2007 series Jekyll,[12] while Gatiss had written the Dickensian Doctor Who episode "The Unquiet Dead".[13] Moffat and Gatiss, both Doctor Who writers, discussed plans for a Holmes adaptation during their numerous train journeys to Cardiff where Doctor Who production is based.[14] While they were in Monte Carlo for an awards ceremony, producer Sue Vertue, who is married to Moffat, encouraged Moffat and Gatiss to develop the project themselves before another creative team had the same idea.[15] Moffat and Gatiss invited Stephen Thompson to write for the series in September 2008.[16]

Gatiss has criticised recent television adaptations of the Conan Doyle stories as "too reverential and too slow", aiming instead to be as irreverent to the canon as the 1930s and 1940s films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, which were mostly set in the then-contemporary interwar era.[10] Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock uses modern technology, such as texting, the internet and GPS to solve crimes.[10] Paul McGuigan, who directed two episodes of Sherlock, says that this is in keeping with Conan Doyle's character, pointing out that "[i]n the books he would use any device possible and he was always in the lab doing experiments. It's just a modern day version of it. He will use the tools that are available to him today in order to find things out."[17]

The update maintains various elements of the original stories, such as the Baker Street address and Holmes's adversary Moriarty.[18] Some of these elements are transposed to the present day: for example, Martin Freeman's Watson has returned from military service in Afghanistan.[19] While discussing the fact that the original Watson was invalided home after serving in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80), Gatiss realised that "[i]t is the same war now, I thought. The same unwinnable war."[10]

Sherlock was announced as a single 60-minute drama production at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in August 2008, with broadcast set for mid- to late 2009.[18] The intention was to produce a series of six 60-minute episodes should the pilot prove to be successful.[15][18] The first version of the pilot—reported by The Guardian to have cost £800,000—led to rumours within the BBC and wider media that Sherlock was a potential disaster.[20][21] The BBC decided not to transmit the pilot, requesting a reshoot and a total of three 90-minute episodes.[20][21] The original pilot was included on the DVD of the first series. During the audio commentary, the creative team said that the BBC were "very happy" with the pilot but asked them to change the format.[15] Critic Mark Lawson observes that the pilot that was on air was "substantially expanded and rewritten, and completely reimagined in look, pace and sound".[21] In July 2009, the BBC drama department announced plans for three 90-minute episodes, to be broadcast in 2010.[22] Moffat had previously announced that if a series of Sherlock was commissioned, Gatiss would take over the duties of executive producer so that he could concentrate on producing Doctor Who.[11]

Conception and development

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock Holmes fans with experience of adapting or using Victorian literature for television, devised the concept of the series.[10][11] Moffat had previously adapted the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the 2007 series Jekyll,[12] while Gatiss had written the Dickensian Doctor Who episode "The Unquiet Dead".[13] Moffat and Gatiss, both Doctor Who writers, discussed plans for a Holmes adaptation during their numerous train journeys to Cardiff where Doctor Who production is based.[14] While they were in Monte Carlo for an awards ceremony, producer Sue Vertue, who is married to Moffat, encouraged Moffat and Gatiss to develop the project themselves before another creative team had the same idea.[15] Moffat and Gatiss invited Stephen Thompson to write for the series in September 2008.[16]

Gatiss has criticised recent television adaptations of the Conan Doyle stories as "too reverential and too slow", aiming instead to be as irreverent to the canon as the 1930s and 1940s films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, which were mostly set in the then-contemporary interwar era.[10] Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock uses modern technology, such as texting, the internet and GPS to solve crimes.[10] Paul McGuigan, who directed two episodes of Sherlock, says that this is in keeping with Conan Doyle's character, pointing out that "[i]n the books he would use any device possible and he was always in the lab doing experiments. It's just a modern day version of it. He will use the tools that are available to him today in order to find things out."[17]

The update maintains various elements of the original stories, such as the Baker Street address and Holmes's adversary Moriarty.[18] Some of these elements are transposed to the present day: for example, Martin Freeman's Watson has returned from military service in Afghanistan.[19] While discussing the fact that the original Watson was invalided home after serving in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80), Gatiss realised that "[i]t is the same war now, I thought. The same unwinnable war."[10]

Sherlock was announced as a single 60-minute drama production at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in August 2008, with broadcast set for mid- to late 2009.[18] The intention was to produce a series of six 60-minute episodes should the pilot prove to be successful.[15][18] The first version of the pilot—reported by The Guardian to have cost £800,000—led to rumours within the BBC and wider media that Sherlock was a potential disaster.[20][21] The BBC decided not to transmit the pilot, requesting a reshoot and a total of three 90-minute episodes.[20][21] The original pilot was included on the DVD of the first series. During the audio commentary, the creative team said that the BBC were "very happy" with the pilot but asked them to change the format.[15] Critic Mark Lawson observes that the pilot that was on air was "substantially expanded and rewritten, and completely reimagined in look, pace and sound".[21] In July 2009, the BBC drama department announced plans for three 90-minute episodes, to be broadcast in 2010.[22] Moffat had previously announced that if a series of Sherlock was commissioned, Gatiss would take over the duties of executive producer so that he could concentrate on producing Doctor Who.[11]

Conception and development

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock Holmes fans with experience of adapting or using Victorian literature for television, devised the concept of the series.[10][11] Moffat had previously adapted the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the 2007 series Jekyll,[12] while Gatiss had written the Dickensian Doctor Who episode "The Unquiet Dead".[13] Moffat and Gatiss, both Doctor Who writers, discussed plans for a Holmes adaptation during their numerous train journeys to Cardiff where Doctor Who production is based.[14] While they were in Monte Carlo for an awards ceremony, producer Sue Vertue, who is married to Moffat, encouraged Moffat and Gatiss to develop the project themselves before another creative team had the same idea.[15] Moffat and Gatiss invited Stephen Thompson to write for the series in September 2008.[16]

Gatiss has criticised recent television adaptations of the Conan Doyle stories as "too reverential and too slow", aiming instead to be as irreverent to the canon as the 1930s and 1940s films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, which were mostly set in the then-contemporary interwar era.[10] Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock uses modern technology, such as texting, the internet and GPS to solve crimes.[10] Paul McGuigan, who directed two episodes of Sherlock, says that this is in keeping with Conan Doyle's character, pointing out that "[i]n the books he would use any device possible and he was always in the lab doing experiments. It's just a modern day version of it. He will use the tools that are available to him today in order to find things out."[17]

The update maintains various elements of the original stories, such as the Baker Street address and Holmes's adversary Moriarty.[18] Some of these elements are transposed to the present day: for example, Martin Freeman's Watson has returned from military service in Afghanistan.[19] While discussing the fact that the original Watson was invalided home after serving in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80), Gatiss realised that "[i]t is the same war now, I thought. The same unwinnable war."[10]

Sherlock was announced as a single 60-minute drama production at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in August 2008, with broadcast set for mid- to late 2009.[18] The intention was to produce a series of six 60-minute episodes should the pilot prove to be successful.[15][18] The first version of the pilot—reported by The Guardian to have cost £800,000—led to rumours within the BBC and wider media that Sherlock was a potential disaster.[20][21] The BBC decided not to transmit the pilot, requesting a reshoot and a total of three 90-minute episodes.[20][21] The original pilot was included on the DVD of the first series. During the audio commentary, the creative team said that the BBC were "very happy" with the pilot but asked them to change the format.[15] Critic Mark Lawson observes that the pilot that was on air was "substantially expanded and rewritten, and completely reimagined in look, pace and sound".[21] In July 2009, the BBC drama department announced plans for three 90-minute episodes, to be broadcast in 2010.[22] Moffat had previously announced that if a series of Sherlock was commissioned, Gatiss would take over the duties of executive producer so that he could concentrate on producing Doctor Who.[11]

Conception and development

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock Holmes fans with experience of adapting or using Victorian literature for television, devised the concept of the series.[10][11] Moffat had previously adapted the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the 2007 series Jekyll,[12] while Gatiss had written the Dickensian Doctor Who episode "The Unquiet Dead".[13] Moffat and Gatiss, both Doctor Who writers, discussed plans for a Holmes adaptation during their numerous train journeys to Cardiff where Doctor Who production is based.[14] While they were in Monte Carlo for an awards ceremony, producer Sue Vertue, who is married to Moffat, encouraged Moffat and Gatiss to develop the project themselves before another creative team had the same idea.[15] Moffat and Gatiss invited Stephen Thompson to write for the series in September 2008.[16]

Gatiss has criticised recent television adaptations of the Conan Doyle stories as "too reverential and too slow", aiming instead to be as irreverent to the canon as the 1930s and 1940s films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, which were mostly set in the then-contemporary interwar era.[10] Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock uses modern technology, such as texting, the internet and GPS to solve crimes.[10] Paul McGuigan, who directed two episodes of Sherlock, says that this is in keeping with Conan Doyle's character, pointing out that "[i]n the books he would use any device possible and he was always in the lab doing experiments. It's just a modern day version of it. He will use the tools that are available to him today in order to find things out."[17]

The update maintains various elements of the original stories, such as the Baker Street address and Holmes's adversary Moriarty.[18] Some of these elements are transposed to the present day: for example, Martin Freeman's Watson has returned from military service in Afghanistan.[19] While discussing the fact that the original Watson was invalided home after serving in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80), Gatiss realised that "[i]t is the same war now, I thought. The same unwinnable war."[10]

Sherlock was announced as a single 60-minute drama production at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in August 2008, with broadcast set for mid- to late 2009.[18] The intention was to produce a series of six 60-minute episodes should the pilot prove to be successful.[15][18] The first version of the pilot—reported by The Guardian to have cost £800,000—led to rumours within the BBC and wider media that Sherlock was a potential disaster.[20][21] The BBC decided not to transmit the pilot, requesting a reshoot and a total of three 90-minute episodes.[20][21] The original pilot was included on the DVD of the first series. During the audio commentary, the creative team said that the BBC were "very happy" with the pilot but asked them to change the format.[15] Critic Mark Lawson observes that the pilot that was on air was "substantially expanded and rewritten, and completely reimagined in look, pace and sound".[21] In July 2009, the BBC drama department announced plans for three 90-minute episodes, to be broadcast in 2010.[22] Moffat had previously announced that if a series of Sherlock was commissioned, Gatiss would take over the duties of executive producer so that he could concentrate on producing Doctor Who.[11]

Conception and development

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock Holmes fans with experience of adapting or using Victorian literature for television, devised the concept of the series.[10][11] Moffat had previously adapted the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the 2007 series Jekyll,[12] while Gatiss had written the Dickensian Doctor Who episode "The Unquiet Dead".[13] Moffat and Gatiss, both Doctor Who writers, discussed plans for a Holmes adaptation during their numerous train journeys to Cardiff where Doctor Who production is based.[14] While they were in Monte Carlo for an awards ceremony, producer Sue Vertue, who is married to Moffat, encouraged Moffat and Gatiss to develop the project themselves before another creative team had the same idea.[15] Moffat and Gatiss invited Stephen Thompson to write for the series in September 2008.[16]

Gatiss has criticised recent television adaptations of the Conan Doyle stories as "too reverential and too slow", aiming instead to be as irreverent to the canon as the 1930s and 1940s films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, which were mostly set in the then-contemporary interwar era.[10] Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock uses modern technology, such as texting, the internet and GPS to solve crimes.[10] Paul McGuigan, who directed two episodes of Sherlock, says that this is in keeping with Conan Doyle's character, pointing out that "[i]n the books he would use any device possible and he was always in the lab doing experiments. It's just a modern day version of it. He will use the tools that are available to him today in order to find things out."[17]

The update maintains various elements of the original stories, such as the Baker Street address and Holmes's adversary Moriarty.[18] Some of these elements are transposed to the present day: for example, Martin Freeman's Watson has returned from military service in Afghanistan.[19] While discussing the fact that the original Watson was invalided home after serving in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80), Gatiss realised that "[i]t is the same war now, I thought. The same unwinnable war."[10]

Sherlock was announced as a single 60-minute drama production at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in August 2008, with broadcast set for mid- to late 2009.[18] The intention was to produce a series of six 60-minute episodes should the pilot prove to be successful.[15][18] The first version of the pilot—reported by The Guardian to have cost £800,000—led to rumours within the BBC and wider media that Sherlock was a potential disaster.[20][21] The BBC decided not to transmit the pilot, requesting a reshoot and a total of three 90-minute episodes.[20][21] The original pilot was included on the DVD of the first series. During the audio commentary, the creative team said that the BBC were "very happy" with the pilot but asked them to change the format.[15] Critic Mark Lawson observes that the pilot that was on air was "substantially expanded and rewritten, and completely reimagined in look, pace and sound".[21] In July 2009, the BBC drama department announced plans for three 90-minute episodes, to be broadcast in 2010.[22] Moffat had previously announced that if a series of Sherlock was commissioned, Gatiss would take over the duties of executive producer so that he could concentrate on producing Doctor Who.[11]

Conception and development

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock Holmes fans with experience of adapting or using Victorian literature for television, devised the concept of the series.[10][11] Moffat had previously adapted the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the 2007 series Jekyll,[12] while Gatiss had written the Dickensian Doctor Who episode "The Unquiet Dead".[13] Moffat and Gatiss, both Doctor Who writers, discussed plans for a Holmes adaptation during their numerous train journeys to Cardiff where Doctor Who production is based.[14] While they were in Monte Carlo for an awards ceremony, producer Sue Vertue, who is married to Moffat, encouraged Moffat and Gatiss to develop the project themselves before another creative team had the same idea.[15] Moffat and Gatiss invited Stephen Thompson to write for the series in September 2008.[16]

Gatiss has criticised recent television adaptations of the Conan Doyle stories as "too reverential and too slow", aiming instead to be as irreverent to the canon as the 1930s and 1940s films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, which were mostly set in the then-contemporary interwar era.[10] Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock uses modern technology, such as texting, the internet and GPS to solve crimes.[10] Paul McGuigan, who directed two episodes of Sherlock, says that this is in keeping with Conan Doyle's character, pointing out that "[i]n the books he would use any device possible and he was always in the lab doing experiments. It's just a modern day version of it. He will use the tools that are available to him today in order to find things out."[17]

The update maintains various elements of the original stories, such as the Baker Street address and Holmes's adversary Moriarty.[18] Some of these elements are transposed to the present day: for example, Martin Freeman's Watson has returned from military service in Afghanistan.[19] While discussing the fact that the original Watson was invalided home after serving in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80), Gatiss realised that "[i]t is the same war now, I thought. The same unwinnable war."[10]

Sherlock was announced as a single 60-minute drama production at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in August 2008, with broadcast set for mid- to late 2009.[18] The intention was to produce a series of six 60-minute episodes should the pilot prove to be successful.[15][18] The first version of the pilot—reported by The Guardian to have cost £800,000—led to rumours within the BBC and wider media that Sherlock was a potential disaster.[20][21] The BBC decided not to transmit the pilot, requesting a reshoot and a total of three 90-minute episodes.[20][21] The original pilot was included on the DVD of the first series. During the audio commentary, the creative team said that the BBC were "very happy" with the pilot but asked them to change the format.[15] Critic Mark Lawson observes that the pilot that was on air was "substantially expanded and rewritten, and completely reimagined in look, pace and sound".[21] In July 2009, the BBC drama department announced plans for three 90-minute episodes, to be broadcast in 2010.[22] Moffat had previously announced that if a series of Sherlock was commissioned, Gatiss would take over the duties of executive producer so that he could concentrate on producing Doctor Who.[11]