I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

That Mitchell and Webb Look at Sherlock Holmes

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"...doubled himself up" [VALL]</h4>
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For many British comedy fans, <b><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0092s71" target="_blank">That Mitchell and Webb Look</a></b> seemingly demonstrated a definite Sherlockian bent with its pastiche sketches featuring <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f475kI-YPtY" target="_blank">Sir Digby Chicken Caesar</a>, a homeless man who imagines himself and his companion to be a Victorian adventurer. However, this team appears to have a much more thorough understanding of the pair, as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOXnQLiMTpw" target="_blank">this sketch demonstrates</a>: <br />
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It's always enjoyable to see Holmes and Watson - or is that Watson and Holmes? - being put to a little fun.</center>
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That Mitchell and Webb Look at Sherlock Holmes

"...doubled himself up" [VALL] For many British comedy fans, That Mitchell and Webb Look seemingly demonstrated a definite ...

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by Gordon D

New Russian Sherlock Holmes TV Show - A Review

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"He is a Russian. His name I will not tell." [GOLD]</h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Igor Petrenko as Sherlock Holmes</td></tr>
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Though Sherlock Holmes adaptations have never been lacking in this world, there seems to have been a particularly great upsurge of them in the past handful of years.They need hardly be named - Guy Ritchie's <i>Sherlock Holmes</i> films, the BBC's <i>Sherlock</i>, and CBS' <i>Elementary</i> are all of recent and not-so-lamented memory. To be added to that list is a new Russian adaptation, titled quite simply and eponymously <i>Sherlock Holmes</i>. The series <a href="http://russia.tv/video/show/brand_id/17605/episode_id/698444/video_id/698444/" target="_blank">aired recently</a>; I have so far caught the first couple of episodes (both two-parters that run for 90-minutes). There is hardly the space here for a lengthy review, but, with my ability to watch the series in my native Russian language, I feel that I must be the messenger that provides however short a review.<br />
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It is not a surprise to see another adaptation of Holmes in the Russian language: Holmes is a popular figure in Russia and the nations of the former Soviet Union. Along with the characters of Dumas and Stevenson, he is one of those heroic figures whose stories every child has read and whose adventures have been incarnated in excellent film adaptations. Unfortunately, this particular version is below the mark of the greatest adaptations of the Canon, past and present.<br />
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Each episode begins with great fidelity to the Canon, in the form of a recitation by Watson of lengthy paragraphs from the relevant stories. As such, the first episode begins with the  first few paragraphs of <i>A Study in Scarlet, </i>then throws the viewer straight into the action, with a murder - forcing our noble doctor to meet the great detective over a different kind of corpse than the one Holmes was canonically beating when introduced to Watson by Stamford. The first episode adapts "The Adventure of Black Peter," mixed with a much watered-down case of blackmail a la "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" (though unfortunately without the eponymous character). The second appears to be more original, but contains hints of "The Naval Treaty." Both plots are, unfortunately, rather sub-par.In the first, the mystery ranges from too convoluted to be interesting to too exact an adaptation of the canonical mystery to be interesting;  the second is not even a mystery itself but rather a complex political machination of which Holmes is the victim (and in which, to my great disappointment, the great Irene Adler is reduced to a bargaining chip in order to manipulate Holmes).<br />
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Here's a trailer of the series:<br />
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As for the characters themselves: this version of Holmes seems to have taken after the recent trend of shedding Holmes of his austerity, to portray him as young, frenzied, idiosyncratic, and deeply flawed. However, one gets the sense that, in this version, he is perhaps too flawed. One of the great fascinations of Holmes' character has always been his flaws, but in this case, it is difficult to perceive the venerable figure of the detective through those flaws.  He fails to be taken seriously by the police on a number of accounts, gets blackmailed, kidnapped, and buoyed about by political machinations, has no fighting prowess to speak of (one remembers that Holmes is canonically an expert boxer), and requires Watson's constant assistance (and rescue).  Certainly, he also has the deductive and analytical qualities of the great detective, but there the similarity seems to end.<br />
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In sharp contrast to Holmes, this version of Watson is a magnificent portrayal. No longer does he occupy the backstage: rather than being either chronicler or simple foil for Holmes, he is a character in his own right, and perhaps even a more heroic one than Holmes himself. He is a man of many talents: the expert fighter that Holmes is not (allowing him to come to Holmes' aid on numerous occasions), brave, loyal, resourceful, and also  possessing all that worldly skill that Holmes seems to lack. He is the perfect partner to the detective.<br />
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The series also possesses a number of other charms. Mostly, they are in the form of the friendship between Holmes and Watson. It is this warm camaraderie that they share from their earliest days that is perhaps one of the greatest draws of the stories, and here the Russian series does not disappoint. Our two protagonists hit off their friendship quickly, with Watson almost instantly willing to plunge into danger for Holmes' sake and serve as his partner in crime (or the hunting down of crime). There's also a few charming references to previous adaptations,  from Holmes' decision to use Basil Rathbone as a fake name during an investigation, to Holmes and Watson's friendly "boxing match" at the beginning of their acquaintance (an obvious allusion to the Soviet adaptation). There's the portrayal of Mrs. Hudson -  who, rather than an elderly, motherly figure,is a youthful beauty whose relationship with Holmes is more than intriguing. And, finally, there is humor - I often found myself laughing out loud during several well-acted scenes dispersed amid the less-impressive plot.<br />
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I have yet to decide whether I will watch the entire series through to its conclusion: there are certainly pros and cons to this adaptation, and the warm connection between Holmes and Watson is certainly a compelling draw. There are, however, adaptations that are much more clever and fresh with what they do than this one.<br />
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New Russian Sherlock Holmes TV Show - A Review

"He is a Russian. His name I will not tell." [GOLD] Igor Petrenko as Sherlock Holmes Though Sherlock Holmes adaptations ha...

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by Anastasia Klimchynskaya

Tips for Navigating the #BSIWeekend

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With the <b><a href="http://bsiweekend.com/">BSI Weekend</a></b> coming up, we thought it might be helpful to provide a series of tips for the veteran attendees and the newbies alike.</div>
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The Baker Street Irregulars (and Friends) Weekend is happening January 16-19, 2014, and it's usually a pretty big deal if you're taking time out of your life to head into New York City for 3+ days of activities with people you haven't seen in a year (or years!) or those you may only know online. Whether you're making the trip for the first or twenty-first time, you know that the Weekend provides the same level of excitement, anticipation and giddiness as Christmas morning does to a child.<br />
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It's usually during those anxious moments that our brain-attic tends to forget some of the essentials that help make a great trip perfect. And for the uninitiated, it's just a matter of not knowing what you need to survive the Baker Street Irregulars (and Friends) Weekend.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4181746031/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="twis-05 by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="twis-05" height="240" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2549/4181746031_de7435af0b_m.jpg" width="188" /></a>Not being the type to remember everything ourselves (we swear that on every trip, our mind isn't calmed until we can figure out just what it is that we forgot to pack), we reached out to several members of the Baker Street Irregulars - some newer members who might have a less distant memory of their first Weekend, and some who have been at it literally for decades.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6321981775136876837" name="more"></a>We were expecting a smattering of solid advice, but we were quite astonished at the quality and quantity of helpful hints that can make the BSI Weekend an enjoyable and stress-free one for you. And if there are any that we missed, please feel free to add your own as a comment below. Herewith the suggestions:<br />
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Bags </h4>
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<li>Make sure that you have plenty of room to bring home books that you bought.  If you have to bring an extra bag that you can fold up and put in your suitcase, do so. </li>
<li>Some suggest bringing a plastic shopping bag to the BSI dinner, as it makes carrying the dinner packet around a little easier, especially if you plan to go to another venue afterward. </li>
<li>You might also consider bringing a shopping bag to the Vendors Room on Saturday to carry your various purchases. </li>
</ul>
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Meeting Others </h4>
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<li>Bring business cards. You will be meeting a lot of new people, and you will be sharing contact information.  Put as many as you think that you will need in your pack, and then double it. And be sure to include all modes of contacting you, including website, Twitter handle, etc. </li>
<li>If you're in need of a good card, the <a href="http://moo.com/">Moo</a> does a splendid job and <a href="http://vistaprint.com/">VistaPrint</a> has a fast turnaround time. </li>
<li>If you want to make sure you get your table mates to sign your menu, bring a pen to the dinner. </li>
<li>Allow yourself time to shmooze with other Sherlockians.  This is the fastest way to make new friends, who will quickly become old friends. </li>
</ul>
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Comportment </h4>
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<li>DO tell people how good it is to see them again. DO tell them that you miss them in the intervening months between BSI weekends. DO tell them how invaluable they are to you as a Sherlockian comrade-in-arms and friend and how much you value their friendship. </li>
<li>If you're scheduled to speak at an event, be mindful not to overdo the alcohol beforehand. Dutch courage is usually inappropriate in such circumstances. </li>
</ul>
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Attire </h4>
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<li>Bring comfortable shoes.  The weekend inevitably includes a lot of walking. </li>
<li>This one is especially for the ladies:, it's useful to have a change of shoes in your handbag so the stilettos don't murder you by the end of the evening (or vice versa). </li>
<li>Bring warm clothes.  It is winter in New York, and non-Sherlockian New York friends say that know when we are in town because we bring really bad weather. </li>
<li>Dress in layers. Many times the weather can be cold, but there have been instances in New York in January when we could - and did - comfortably walk about the streets without even a jacket on. </li>
</ul>
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Money </h4>
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<li>Bring small bills.  They will come in handy as you share taxis going from place to place, and you’ll find them handy when tipping helpful service employees. </li>
<li>Bring a checkbook to the Vendors Room as not everyone takes credit cards and you may find an item you must have. </li>
<li>If you see something you're interested in at the Vendors Room and you can afford it, don't wait until your second sweep of the room  - it will probably be gone by then.</li>
<li>Estimate, on the top side, what you expect to spend – and double it. That might get you through. </li>
</ul>
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Time </h4>
<ul>
<li>If you have any health conditions, allow yourself time to go back to your hotel room for periodic rests.  Many find these rests invaluable, enabling them to enjoy the weekend despite their condition.Schedule your time. </li>
<li>Know when you need to be places (including when you need to catch the train/plane back home). </li>
<li>Count on it taking some time to get a cab amongst the other Sherlockians on 10th Avenue after the Gillette Luncheon. If the weather is not inclement and you’re fairly healthy, you may find a brisk walk from 19th Street to 45th Street a way to burn off those calories. </li>
</ul>
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Getting Around </h4>
<ul>
<li>Print out a street map of the city with the places you need to be circled or otherwise identified.  Many things are within walking distance, but it is good to know you are starting out in the right direction (or know when to turn). </li>
<li>If you're smartphone-enabled, there are plenty of map apps to choose from. Aside from the standard Google Maps, there's a <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tripadvisor.android.apps.cityguide.newyorkcity">TripAdvisor New York City Guide for Android</a> and iOS has the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/new-york-travel-guide-offline/id319296365?mt=8">New York Travel Guide and Offline Map</a> by Ulmon.</li>
<li>Download and print the <a href="http://www.bsiweekend.com/2013/11/summary-of-weekend-events.html#sthash.xS12f57r.dpbs">Summary of Weekend Events</a> from <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/">bsiweekend.com</a> (and seen below), or bookmark it on your smartphone. </li>
<li>If you want to go to Otto Penzler's Mysterious Bookshop and are staying at The Yale Club or the Roosevelt the easiest, quickest and cheapest way to go is by subway.  From Grand Central take a 4 or 5 express train four stops to City Hall Station it is a very short walk over to Otto's.  Don't take a local (which makes 10 stops). The express is about five minutes. </li>
</ul>
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Logistics </h4>
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<li>Bring your event payment confirmations, just in case of a glitch in the system. </li>
<li>Also, everything is pretty centrally located, but it's a good idea to have a list of your schedule with the addresses of the venues so that you don't suddenly find yourself asking, where the devil am I supposed to be right now? </li>
<li>The heat during the BSI dinner has been uncomfortable in years past in the Yale Club (potentially dangerously uncomfortable 3 years ago) -- if this continues, vests/waistcoats are not advised. Unless you're <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcaric/8379354330/">Mattias Bostrom</a>. </li>
</ul>
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The Unscheduled </h4>
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<li>If possible, make breakfast plans with other Sherlockians (unless you eat breakfast alone) </li>
<li>To some, the secret to enjoying the jam-packed weekend is to find private, unpublicized events for more intimate interactions. How to find these? “You know my methods. Apply them.” </li>
</ul>
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Dining</h4>
What? You’re not getting enough food between events? Thankfully there are gaps that allow a Sherlockian to venture places on his or her own. And of course, there are plenty of restaurants in and near Grand Central Station, which is in great proximity to the Yale Club and the Roosevelt Hotel.  <br />
<ul>
<li>Several Sherlockians like to go to the Oyster Bar for dinner after the Thursday night lecture. </li>
<li>There is a Cosí across the street from the Roosevelt, at 38 East 45th Street, and of course Starbucks in the station and at nearly every corner. </li>
<li>For a more comprehensive listing of eateries, <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/07/where-to-eat-near-grand-central-station-nyc-new-york-city-gcs-midtown-east-manhattan-restaurants.html">Serious Eats has a guide</a> that breaks them down by category and of course <a href="http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=restaurants+near+grand+central&find_loc=New+York%2C+NY%2C+USA">Yelp has many suggestions</a> as well. </li>
</ul>
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Online</h4>
Whether you're in New York for the festivities or sequestered at home, it might be worthwhile to follow along online. Some ways to do that:<br />
<ul>
<li>The official hashtag of the BSI Weekend on Twitter is <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23bsiweekend&src=typd">#BSIWeekend</a>. We have a feed set up on the BSI Weekend website, or you can simply follow along by clicking on the hashtag, or even on <a href="http://tweetdeck.com/">TweetDeck</a>. </li>
<li>We'll be providing occasional updates on these pages, so please follow along. </li>
<li>Of course, we'll also be providing updates via our <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> presence. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetbabes.com/">The Baker Street Babes</a>, who will be out in force during the weekend, will undoubtedly have a unique real-time perspective of the weekend. </li>
<li>We also have a <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock/lists/sherlockians">list of Sherlockians on Twitter</a> whom you might consider following. A number of them will be at the weekend as well. </li>
</ul>
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Here is a handy downloadable and printable guide for the weekend; you may also bookmark it on your smartphone for easy reference (or download the Scribd app [<b><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDkQFjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fscribd-worlds-largest-online%2Fid542557212%3Fmt%3D8&ei=-CbdUJjZGcvkqQHM0IDoDQ&usg=AFQjCNFJrFun262V6ZZVXqQGlmr6dpo80A&sig2=1OSvbhebL4loQDJvzNIoJA&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWM">iOS</a></b> or <b><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CEIQFjAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fplay.google.com%2Fstore%2Fapps%2Fdetails%3Fid%3Dcom.scribd.app.reader0%26hl%3Den&ei=-CbdUJjZGcvkqQHM0IDoDQ&usg=AFQjCNGmLSiZ-MqZs3_glflhk5qz1KmvgQ&sig2=O0KNeNDotXW6UwFloblUBA&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWM">Android</a></b>] to make it easier).<br />
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<div style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/196177561/The-2014-BSI-Friends-Weekend" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View The 2014 BSI & Friends Weekend on Scribd">The 2014 BSI & Friends Weekend</a></div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="undefined" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_19339" scrolling="no" src="//www.scribd.com/embeds/196177561/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe>

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That sums up our list. Do you have tips as well, dear readers? Please leave them in a comment here on our site or drop us a line and let us know what your secrets are so we can all be the beneficiaries.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12972897@N00/8378224065/in/photolist-dLmA84-dLmBqD-dLt6Js-dLmJPp-dLt6dL-dLmTwr-dLmRin-dLm7Ag-dLs8kN-dLmLfF-dLnAKZ-dLmSZa-dLkY7g-dLrCKq-dLsb23-dLrwu7-dLsdkJ-dLto4C-dLthGb-dLtjgG-dLnNEc-dLnwqT-dLnzYR-dLtbVu-dLtaJd-dLmTeZ-dLm6GT-dLt1xq-dLnuxc-dLnG9T-dLtngd-dLmKwr-dLsqMs-dLso7o-dLnM6Z-dLsp6Y-dLrwpQ-dLsWww-dLm7iX-dLnqqg-dLtfpC-dLmUDn-dLseam-dLnJKc-dLrDcS-dLm6LD-dLnoog-dLnp7R-dLsfG9-dLsoLY-dLsmLS">Melinda Caric (Flickr)</a></i></span><br />
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Tips for Navigating the #BSIWeekend

With the BSI Weekend coming up, we thought it might be helpful to provide a series of tips for the veteran attendees and the newbies ali...

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by Scott Monty

Conan Doyle Estate Business Entity on the Legal Decision

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"spinning fine theories" [NOBL]</h4>
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In a number of press pieces about the #FreeSherlock case, the business entity known as the Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd. gave a reply stating that it would be appealing <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/12/plaintiff-victorious-in-free-sherlock.html#.Usg1bMRDuSo" target="_blank">the ruling in the case</a>.<br />
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Benjamin Allison, the lead attorney for the defense, indicated that the organization was not giving up. Although, reading <a href="http://www.sutinfirm.com/announcements/SherlockHolmes2013.asp" target="_blank"> his press release</a> on the subject, it seems to us to indicate that he thinks they were on the winning side:<br />
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Santa Fe, N.M. (December 29, 2013) -- A recent ruling from a Chicago trial court held that part of Sherlock Holmes's and Dr. Watson's literary characters are in the public domain, but the decision continues to protect all characteristics of the two men developed in post-1922 stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  The Conan Doyle Estate Ltd. had argued that because the Holmes and Watson characters were not completed by Sir Arthur until a series of stories whose copyrights continue through 2022, the characters remain protected through 2022.  The ruling did not provide a direct answer to this argument and appeared not to acknowledge the basic copyright rule that highly delineated characters are entitled to their own copyright. The Estate hopes to appeal the decision so that Sherlock Holmes and many other significant characters created over a series of novels or stories receive protection for the full copyright term intended by Congress.
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In the meantime, even under the current ruling from the Chicago trial court, all development of the Holmes and Watson characters by Sir Arthur in ten post-1922 stories remain fully protected by copyright.  These ten stories—set at a variety of earlier points in the two men's fictional lives—contain significant elements of both characters, including Sherlock Holmes's mellowing personality, the change in Holmes’s and Watson's relationship from flatmates and collaborators to closest friends, and a host of other developments, skills, and elements of background. While plaintiff Leslie Klinger sought a ruling that some of these character traits were free for all to use, the Court rejected Mr. Klinger's effort in this regard and held that all such characteristics of Holmes and Watson are protected.<br />
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The Court further modified its ruling as follows: "The Court, however, has already clarified that Mr. Klinger does not seek a judicial determination of the copyright status of the Sherlock Holmes character, however, and thus <u>the Court does not address this issue</u>." (emphasis added).<br />
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Nearly a third of the stories in Mr. Klinger's first co-edited story collection, A Study in Sherlock, use protected post-1922 story elements.  That book's publisher, Random House, appropriately entered into a modest licensing arrangement with the Estate despite Mr. Klinger’s position against such a license.  Mr. Klinger did not provide his second story collection to the Estate, but one of the writers for that new collection told the Estate he wished to use a protected character, Langdale Pike, from the post-1922 stories.  The Chicago Court reiterated that the character is fully protected by copyright law.<br />
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The Conan Doyle Estate’s trademark rights in the SHERLOCK HOLMES name and image were not at issue in Mr. Klinger’s lawsuit and remain unaffected. A new SHERLOCK HOLMES novel licensed by the Estate and written by Anthony Horowitz is due out in 2014, and the International Exhibition of SHERLOCK HOLMES will move in February from its premiere venue in Portland, Oregon, to the next stop on its United States tour, the Center for Science & Industry in Columbus, Ohio.<br />
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What are we to make of this? Clearly, we're not legal scholars, but as with any legal decision, this is merely another step in the definition of case law, which is an ever-evolving process. And intellectual property law is probably the trickiest of them. The fun part with lawyers is that whether they land on the winning or losing side, it's never over for them.<br />
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We do question, however, whether or not the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson can be copyrighted - something <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/12/special-episode-free-sherlock.html#.UshEn8RDuSp" target="_blank">we covered with Betsy Rosenblatt in our interview with her</a>.<br />
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We'll just leave you with this quote from "The Retired Colourman," appropriately enough from the still-protected 10 stories in <i>The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes:</i><br />
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"Is not his story a microcosm of the whole? We reach. We grasp. And what is left in our hands at the end? A shadow." [RETI]</h3>
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