Why Sherlock is still sleuthing

Why Sherlock is still sleuthing

Obviously written to coincide with the new B.B.C. three-part series Sherlock, which debuted here in Britain on Sunday night, this little study of Sherlock Holmes' enduring popularity is quite interesting. The Holmes stories have captured the public imagination for well over a century and this new series, set in modern-day London, is just one of several recent adaptations which show that there is plenty of life left in the character yet. So many people have attempted to identify just what it is about Sherlock Holmes that has kept him at the forefront of the public consciousness for more than 100 years that I will not even attempt to add my own theories, which pretty much tally with those already expressed anyway.

Suffice to say that with this new series (which I personally found quite enjoyable and thought worked surprisingly well, despite a few irksome aspects - although if I want canonical accuracy and period settings I'll watch the Jeremy Brett series), the recent Downey Jr. film and the various other portrayals that are currently around the future of arguably the world's most famous fictional detective seems assured.