I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

"There Are the Numbers" [SILV]

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/whsieh78/5183559644/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="221B Baker Street by www78, on Flickr"><img alt="221B Baker Street" height="180" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1407/5183559644_cb601b4857_m.jpg" width="240" /></a>It is our intent to be deliberate about everything we publish here. That includes the titles of each post, of course. You will have already noted that each entry on this site contains <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/p/title-abbreviations.html">an appropriate Canonical phrase</a> that somehow connects to the subject matter. We also try to take equal care with the numbers we choose, which you may have noticed. Every post is timed at 2:21 a.m. - obviously a nod to 221B Baker Street. We recently published the monthly "Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press" at 11:22 p.m. - that being the number of pages in Doubleday edition of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Sherlock-Holmes-Doubleday-Set/dp/B000KK8YC6?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Complete Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000KK8YC6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. In doing our research though, we came across another number: the number of reviews of that book on Amazon. Take a look at this screenshot. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKIq0KcMAq0kIGzxj6pImM8bGKM5T4TthRk69kF-udc47o4a4BdgCi2vofubkjiuj7GHWub8T5GcBljk-IRIGhyphenhyphenxhXy8XcQ3mMj3JzTrccMQy6GtTxzwrK3SyNWZ-B9RW8U4baci0-HZW/s1600/CompleteSH221.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKIq0KcMAq0kIGzxj6pImM8bGKM5T4TthRk69kF-udc47o4a4BdgCi2vofubkjiuj7GHWub8T5GcBljk-IRIGhyphenhyphenxhXy8XcQ3mMj3JzTrccMQy6GtTxzwrK3SyNWZ-B9RW8U4baci0-HZW/s640/CompleteSH221.PNG" width="640" /></a></div> What are the odds of that? Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40243520@N02/5183559644/">www78 (Flickr)</a> Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right column and footer of the site) from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site. --

"There Are the Numbers" [SILV]

It is our intent to be deliberate about everything we publish here. That includes the titles of each post, of course. You will have already ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"Where All Gossip is Welcome" [VALL] - May 2011

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMeFYaBiY1B-pW6S11qDWZTvXxsbMkogVb78yuOt7nnQBcsfk3lmq8oAXKkPhukKqWMkffMjPiB8-M8b8FTbbKBqseOv5H13_ynDYtK9ZY18Mdsk9n_bsjIrXa9MoEvZQdUe1qL89XsRV/s1600/blackpeter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMeFYaBiY1B-pW6S11qDWZTvXxsbMkogVb78yuOt7nnQBcsfk3lmq8oAXKkPhukKqWMkffMjPiB8-M8b8FTbbKBqseOv5H13_ynDYtK9ZY18Mdsk9n_bsjIrXa9MoEvZQdUe1qL89XsRV/s1600/blackpeter.jpg" /></a></div>This is the latest issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, Peter Blau's ("Black Peter") monthly newsletter of Sherlockian or Doylean gossip, published in print form since 1971 and as <a href="http://members.cox.net/sherlock1/scuttle.htm">a text-only digital archive on Sherlocktron</a> since 1985. In agreement with Peter Blau, we've arranged to publish facsimiles of the print newsletter here, so online readers can see what the newsletter looks like. Below the scan you can find links to the sites mentioned in the text - in most cases, directly to the article, video or publication, to save you from having to search for the terms. The following is the May 2011 issue; please feel free to share it via email, social network, or embed it on your own site. <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/56776319/Scuttlebutt-From-the-Spermaceti-Press-May-2011" 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; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Scuttlebutt From the Spermaceti Press May 2011 on Scribd">Scuttlebutt From the Spermaceti Press May 2011</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_44436" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/56776319/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-26molunsaf2mwvf7ixww" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })(); </script> Links (in order of mention): <ul><li><a href="http://misterantony.com/">Mister Antony</a> (note there's no "h")</li><li><a href="http://www.adampartridge.co.uk/search.php?search=Bruce+Partington&submit=Search">Adam Partridge</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ukrainianbible.org/2009/05/how-sherlock-kept-me-out-of-the-gulag/">How Sherlock Kept Me Out of the Gulag - UkranianBible.com</a></li><li><a href="http://www.acdfriends.org/"> Friends of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection</a></li><li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/05/it-is-bust-empt.html">Sherlockian Mythbusters (via the Baker Street Blog)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sherlocknews.com/2011/03/comic-moriarty-coming-in-may-2011-from.html">Image Comics' Moriarty series (via Sherlock Holmes News)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/5587">"When It's Circus Day Back Home" (via the Library of Congress)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.off-broadstreet.com/">Off-Broadstreet Theatre</a></li><li><a href="http://www.bestofsherlock.com/ref/spedegues-dropper-bloomsbury.htm">"The Story of Pedegue's Dropper" MS information</a></li><li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/05/flickered-and-went-out-houn.html">Edward Hardwicke interview</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSAfF273-8k">Sheer-Luck Holmes (video also embedded below)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.donnaandrews.com/">Donna Andrews</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.malicedomestic.org/">Malice Domestic</a></li><li><a href="http://www.oscarwildemurdermysteries.com/">Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries</a></li><li><a href="http://vincentennial.com/">Vincentennial</a></li><li><a href="http://bsc.deutsche-sherlock-holmes-gesellschaft.de/">The Baker Street Chronicle</a></li><li><a href="http://www.goinbook.com/">InBOOK</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sherlockholmesadventures.ca/">Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow Watchers</a> and <a href="http://www.anthonydpmann.com/">Anthony D.P. Mann</a></li><li><a href="http://www.bestofsherlock.com/ref/australia-2011-beetons.htm">Beeton's 1887 Christmas Annual in Australia</a></li></ul> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSAfF273-8k">Sheer-Luck Holmes</a> <center><object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HSAfF273-8k?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HSAfF273-8k?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="349" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></center> Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right column and footer of the site) from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site. --

"Where All Gossip is Welcome" [VALL] - May 2011

This is the latest issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, Peter Blau's ("Black Peter") monthly newsletter of Sherlock...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Isaac Asimov's Connection to the Sherlockian World

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"Cut out the poetry, Watson." [RETI]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpljkPQcPC2zmoFUM5Wqw5Mps5CMGsAfHHZ9Gst1JcbAc5gzREVIflGQ7jIRSpSWkBvD9-sJLEhQ4uw4Grh2zwfgGd8SNBdA3ijb7VoKsXN2Ef6jXBl0Tyi2F5X39UmaBlzaj3IZpBp8k/s1600/Asimov%2527s+Sherlockian+Limericks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1200" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpljkPQcPC2zmoFUM5Wqw5Mps5CMGsAfHHZ9Gst1JcbAc5gzREVIflGQ7jIRSpSWkBvD9-sJLEhQ4uw4Grh2zwfgGd8SNBdA3ijb7VoKsXN2Ef6jXBl0Tyi2F5X39UmaBlzaj3IZpBp8k/s640/Asimov%2527s+Sherlockian+Limericks.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
 
Did you know Isaac Asimov was a member of the <a href="http://bakerstreetirregulars.com/" target="_blank">Baker Street Irregulars</a>? He received the investiture "The Remarkable Worm" in 1976 (as in "a matchbox in front of him which contained a remarkable worm, said to be unknown to science" [THOR]), in a nod to his profession. 
 
Isaac Asmiov was a prolific author who began his career as an associate professor of biochemistry at Boston University Medical School. After 1958, he made writing his full-time profession and became known for the <a href="https://amzn.to/35hb5lR" target="_blank">hundreds of science fiction works he created</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> from then until his death in 1992. Most notably are his <a href="https://amzn.to/2FfsYqE" target="_blank">Foundation</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0553382578" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> novels, <a href="https://amzn.to/37mm3rQ" target="_blank">I, Robot</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=055338256X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and some dozen history books including The Roman Republic<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0395065763" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and The Roman Empire<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0395065771" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. 
 
We were moved to write about Asimov because Glenn McDonald recently wrote a column on Pop Matters called "<a href="http://www.popmatters.com/pm/column/140101-sherlock-holmes-isaac-asimov-and-media-fasts/">How Sherlock Holmes and Isaac Asimov Can Help Purge your Social Media Addiction</a>." We won't give away the entire column, but McDonald mentioned how he recently acquired the complete collection of Basil Rathbone DVDs and how some of Asimov's titles have kept him off of Facebook and Twitter. 
 
Of most interest for us of course, is the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and Isaac Asimov. We already mentioned the BSI, but one of the relatively unknowns is a book of Sherlockian limericks that Asimov created, aptly titled <a href="https://amzn.to/2ZRqybq" target="_blank">Asimov's Sherlockian Limericks</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0892960396" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. The author was a notorious limerick collector (most of them were of the ribald variety), but these are family-friendly. He created sixty limericks, each one summarizing the story for which it was titled. See if you can pick which stories are represented below. 
 
<div style="text-align: left;">
C.A.M. is the worst man uncaged;</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Decent men who meet him are enraged.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
    He has blackmailing letters</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
    All involving his betters.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But what's this? Sherlock Holmes is engaged?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 </div>
A bright tale of a dog and a horse 
(And there's also a murder, of course) 
    Which involves the odd fact 
    That the dog failed to act 
Which Holmes found of significant force 
 
Do you know which stories these recount? Leave us a comment! 
 
--

Isaac Asimov's Connection to the Sherlockian World

"Cut out the poetry, Watson." [RETI] Did you know Isaac Asimov was a member of the Baker Street Irregulars ? He received th...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"Their System of Registration" [LADY]

Breaking news: registration for <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/html/g2b3.html">From Gillette to Brett III</a> is now open! This is the third installment of the quadrennial From Gillette to Brett conference that is produced by the <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/">Wessex Press</a>, and it's taking place from November 11 - 13, 2011 in Bloomington, Indiana. From the website: <blockquote>Devoted to Sherlock Holmes on stage, screen, television, and radio, From Gillette to Brett III will feature rare Sherlockian films, vendors, and an all-star roster of distinguished speakers, presenters, and events, including the 35th Anniversary Screening of The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, hosted by Nicholas Meyer!</blockquote>The star-studded lineup of speakers is impressive and includes the following: <ul><li>Nicholas Meyer, BSI ("A Fine Morocco Case"), author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Cent-Solution-Reminiscences-Paperback/dp/0393311198?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Seven Per-Cent Solution</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0393311198" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/West-End-Horror-Posthumous-Memoir/dp/0393311538?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The West End Horror: A Posthumous Memoir of John H. Watson, M.D.</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0393311538" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Canary-Trainer-Memoirs-John-Watson/dp/0393312410?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Canary Trainer: From the Memoirs of John H. Watson</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0393312410" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> - not to mention his connection with the world of Star Trek.</li><li>Curtis Armstrong, BSI ("An Actor and a Rare One"), noted Sherlockian and actor from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Risky-Business-25th-Anniversary-Cruise/dp/B0018QPPXW?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Risky Business</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0018QPPXW" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ray-Widescreen-Jamie-Foxx/dp/B00005JND5?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00005JND5" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Nerds-Panty-Robert-Carradine/dp/B000M341QY?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Revenge of the Nerds</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000M341QY" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moonlighting-Seasons-1-Cybill-Shepherd/dp/B0007XBMA2?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Moonlighting</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0007XBMA2" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />" and more.</li><li>David Stuart Davies, BSI ("Sir Ralph Musgrave"), Holmesian and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Holmes-Movies-Screen-Career-Sherlock/dp/0517232790?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Holmes of the Movies: The Screen Career of Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0517232790" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bending-Willow-Jeremy-Stuart-Davies/dp/1899562184?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Bending the Willow Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1899562184" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Starring-Sherlock-Holmes-Century-Detective/dp/1845765370?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Starring Sherlock Holmes: A Century of the Master Detective on Screen</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1845765370" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />.</li><li>Bert Coules, the lead writer for the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Sherlock-Holmes-Radio-Collection/dp/0563525207?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">BBC Radio Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0563525207" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> series with Clive Merrison and Michael Williams.</li><li>Tony Earnshaw, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Actor-Rare-One-Tony-Earnshaw/dp/0810838745?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">An Actor and a Rare One</a>.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0810838745" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></li><li>Leslie Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange"), editor of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=The%20New%20Annotated%20Sherlock%20Holmes" target="_blank">The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/04/episode-32-untitled-les-klinger-sequel.html">consultant to the Warner Bros. "Sherlock Holmes" movie series</a>.</li><li>Kathryn White, BSI ("The Musgrave Ritual"), <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0810838745" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />author and Holmesian.</li></ul> See more for yourself on the latest trailer: <center><object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4CtQByJHbiU?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4CtQByJHbiU?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="349" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></center> If any of this looks remotely interesting, get thee <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/html/g2b3.html">to the registration site</a> immediately! This event only happens every four years, and these are icons of the Sherlockian world with deep connections to the stage and screen. --

"Their System of Registration" [LADY]

Breaking news: registration for From Gillette to Brett III is now open! This is the third installment of the quadrennial From Gillette to B...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

The Story of Dr. Joseph Bell

<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"my great teacher" [CREE]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5y-j_VEXope9odmDibvl89aD22ah5ngIDNQAoGNFWSN_g5PbjZQhty62GICBZWhORr1JA7xIFbjh2O6ajjRmfB7tMQ7GRRhGQY96dueVa-tSsdQwSt_brtBLVgdxIeMgLx2ArNv6B787U/s1600/Joseph_Bell._Photograph_by_A._Swan_Watson._Wellcome_V0026019+-+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5y-j_VEXope9odmDibvl89aD22ah5ngIDNQAoGNFWSN_g5PbjZQhty62GICBZWhORr1JA7xIFbjh2O6ajjRmfB7tMQ7GRRhGQY96dueVa-tSsdQwSt_brtBLVgdxIeMgLx2ArNv6B787U/s640/Joseph_Bell._Photograph_by_A._Swan_Watson._Wellcome_V0026019+-+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
 
Many Sherlockians are aware of how much influence <a href="http://www.siracd.com/work_bell.shtml">Joseph Bell</a> - one of Conan Doyle's medical teachers - had on the development on Holmes. In fact, it would be quite fascinating to postulate the kind of relationship that Bell & Doyle had, perhaps even as a precursor to the kind of relationship Doyle portrayed between Holmes and Watson.... 
 
Thankfully, a series of movies produced by the BBC a decade ago help redress that, and provide an entertaining slant on the Holmes/Watson Relationship. 
 
The series begins with 2000's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Beginnings-Sherlock-Holmes-Doyle/dp/B004ZEDJLY?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes - Dr. Bell & Mr. Doyle</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004ZEDJLY" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, starring Robin Laing as Conan Doyle and Ian Richardson as Joseph Bell. Focusing on Doyle's experiences as a medical student, this is actually quite a gripping drama. There's a real-life twist in the plot (which is revealed by a caption at the end), but Ian Richardson takes a very strong Holmesian turn as Dr. Bell. (It doesn't hurt that he had portrayed Holmes some twenty years earlier). The script works because we are so familiar with the material (a consulting detective/his comrade in arms/that unique relationship with the police) that the premise seems all too familiar...and the twist that Bell/Doyle are showing their "influence" over Holmes and Watson doesn't seem forced or inevitable. 
 
One year later, Charles Edwards would take over the role of Doyle, and BBC made four Bell/Doyle movies under the umbrella title <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Rooms-Mysteries-Sherlock-Beginnings/dp/B0036BK6JU?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0036BK6JU" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. These four movies expand their relationship - we see Doyle's early life as a physician, but more importantly, we see a much greater fondness emerge between teacher and former student. Links to Holmes - and Doyle - are much more apparent in these films: "The Patient's Eyes" takes its central image from <a href="http://www.ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/soli.htm">"The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist"</a>; Doyle's nascent interest in spiritualism is hinted at in "The Photographer's Chair"; "The Kingdom of Bones" seems to contain elements of Doyle's later Professor Challenger work and foreshadows <a href="http://librivox.org/the-valley-of-fear-by-sir-arthur-conan-doyle/"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Valley-Fear-Sherlock-Mystery-Collection/dp/1451565976?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Valley of Fear</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1451565976" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />; and "The White Knight Strategem" seems to contain a slightly Moriarity-esque figure. 
 
Sadly, although further Bell/Doyle adventures are hinted at, no further productions were made, nor are there plans to continue. However, for those who want a different flavor of Holmesian adventure - or who wish to imagine the influence that Joseph Bell truly had on Doyle's work - these two DVD sets (Dr. Bell & Mr. Doyle is not included in the same set as Murder Rooms) are quite excellent, and are some "hidden gems" that belong on your video shelf. 
 
<div style="text-align: left;">
Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/">Comic Related</a>.</div>
 Image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AJoseph_Bell._Photograph_by_A._Swan_Watson._Wellcome_V0026019.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a> and Wellcome Trust
 --

The Story of Dr. Joseph Bell

"my great teacher" [CREE] Many Sherlockians are aware of how much influence Joseph Bell - one of Conan Doyle's medical t...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Martin Freeman Wins a BAFTA

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"I came away baffled" [HOUN]</h4>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004132HZS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> 
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSv9Yxz7GxLPJqTauEMKDB96-qhrNmvRTYp7fXYMwzsx-PdKHV51uFG-31odFbDEyNkhxhuILD8b0k3DOxeHDJ_DDEVv768NpVxQ56_wqBml4ctGfLhA6yF0HkPvNROc2ExoTCerRTfxhr/s1600/Martin_Freeman_filming_Sherlock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSv9Yxz7GxLPJqTauEMKDB96-qhrNmvRTYp7fXYMwzsx-PdKHV51uFG-31odFbDEyNkhxhuILD8b0k3DOxeHDJ_DDEVv768NpVxQ56_wqBml4ctGfLhA6yF0HkPvNROc2ExoTCerRTfxhr/s1600/Martin_Freeman_filming_Sherlock.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
 
Last evening, the <a href="http://www.bafta.org/">BAFTA</a> Television Awards were handed out, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Season-One-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B004132HZS?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sherlock</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004132HZS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> came away with two wins: one for best drama series and the other for Martin Freeman as best supporting actor for his role as Dr. Watson in the BBC series. 
 
In his acceptance speech, Freeman remarked, "I really, really, really, really did...expect it," to peals of laughter. He credited Benedict Cumberbatch as "a fantastic Sherlock" and the scriptwriting of Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. He concluded with, "I know it's very fashionable to pretend you don't care about this stuff, but I'm very very chuffed." 
 
Benedict Cumberbatch was also up for an award - best actor - but lost to Daniel Rigby, played Eric Morecambe in the biographical program "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Region-Starring-Daniel-Victoria-Reeves/dp/B004UFLTII?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Eric and Ernie</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004UFLTII" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />". No word on the long sought-after <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/04/by-so-slight-obstacle-fina_15.html" rel="nofollow">posthumous BAFTA for Jeremy Brett</a> (click through to read our previous coverage on it), however. 
 
It should be noted that it is entirely appropriate that "Sherlock" won two BAFTA Awards on May 22, the birthday of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The second season of "Sherlock" is currently in production. 
 
Our earlier coverage of can be found at <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/10/more-modern-houn_10.html" rel="nofollow">"Something More Modern" [HOUN]</a> as well as clicking on the You might also like links (as appropriate) below here on the site. 
 
What do you think? An appropriate rewarding of talent? Let us know. 
 
--

Martin Freeman Wins a BAFTA

"I came away baffled" [HOUN] Last evening, the BAFTA Television Awards were handed out, and Sherlock came away with two wi...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"Strangeness with Mystery" [STUD]

<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2760/4108249706_5f2b6c98b5_m.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2760/4108249706_5f2b6c98b5_m.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 148px;" /></a>Sorting through the various Holmesian pastiches, parodies, and mashups can be often be a challenge - trying to find that almost perfect application of Conan Doyle's style to a mixture of different characters can be daunting. Several years ago, <a href="http://www.neilgaiman.com/">Neil Gaiman</a> - whose cross-genre work includes <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sandman-Vol-Preludes-Nocturnes-New/dp/1401225756?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sandman</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1401225756" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Gods-Tenth-Anniversary-Novel/dp/0062059882?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">American Gods</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0062059882" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Neverwhere-Novel-Neil-Gaiman/dp/0060557818?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Neverwhere</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0060557818" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, and who is receiving major attention for <a href="http://screenrant.com/doctor-who-synopsisneil-gaiman-mcrid-112918/">his script for Doctor Who</a> - wrote a Hugo-winning short story that is a fine mixture of strangeness with mystery, and which is (believe it or not) available for your enjoyment via the Internet. Originally presented in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Over-Baker-Street-Terror/dp/0345452739?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Shadows Over Baker Street</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0345452739" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> anthology, "A Study in Emerald" (<a href="http://www.neilgaiman.com/p/Cool_Stuff/Short_Stories">available for download as a PDF via Mr. Gaiman's site</a>) is more than just a near-copy of "<a href="http://librivox.org/a-study-in-scarlet-by-sir-arthur-conan-doyle/">A Study in Scarlet"</a>; it is one of the most clever integrations of Holmesian detection and H.P. Lovecraft's "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu_Mythos">Cthulhu mythos</a>", bringing strangeness and mystery together in a pretty engaging short story. Unlike many other pastiches, Gaiman is able to mimic Conan Doyle's tone almost perfectly, and there are plenty of Sherlockian references within the story to make this appealing to both lifelong and casual fans. "Emerald" deftly integrates the otherworldly dread of Lovecraft with the canon's Victorian atmosphere, creating a tale that is quite an enjoyable read. The PDF download also contains some clever "advertisements" that contain references to other Victorian-era fantastic literature. (There is also a clever twist within the tale that....well, much like the advertisements, is best enjoyed by reading the tale and not spoiled within a review). "<a href="http://www.neilgaiman.com/mediafiles/exclusive/shortstories/emerald.pdf">A Study in Emerald</a>" may not seem like a major work, but it does what the greatest of canon does - for a few moments, it takes us back to a time where it is still 1895 and which - despite Holmes' advice to the contrary - deftly mixes strangeness and mystery. With the result being an enjoyable read for Sherlockians and fantasy fans alike. Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/">Comic Related</a>. Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right column and footer of the site) from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site. -- <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0345452739&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0062059882&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>

"Strangeness with Mystery" [STUD]

Sorting through the various Holmesian pastiches, parodies, and mashups can be often be a challenge - trying to find that almost perfect appl...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

An Eyewitness Account of the Edgars and Agathas

<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"aided by the diary I kept" [HOUN]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4181732791/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="fina-09 by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="fina-09" height="400" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2551/4181732791_dab1342e59_m.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>
 
 
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Dummies-Steven-Doyle/dp/0470484446?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes for Dummies</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0470484446" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> had the honor of being nominated for both an Edgar Award, and an Agatha Award for non-fiction mystery book of the year. What follows is a brief diary of my recent, amazing trip to both the Edgar Awards in New York City, and the Agatha Awards at the Malice Domestic Convention in Bethesda, Maryland. For a more exciting, as-it-happened account, see the video embedded below. 
 
<h4>
"You remind me of Edgar..."[STUD]</h4>
Wednesday, April 27 
10:45 a.m.: My wife Pam and I departed for NY without incident from the Indianapolis Airport, unless you factor in the extra security screening Pam got because she had a tissue in her pants pocket. Really? Knowing no one can hijack the plane with a tissue now is a big comfort. 
 
1:00 p.m.: All checked into our mid-town hotel, and just heading over to a favorite diner Sherlockians while in New York, <a href="http://www.theredflamediner.com/">The Red Flame</a>. Wow! It’s been remodeled (again), inside and out. It’s nice, but I’m kinda missing the old Flame. 
 
7:30 p.m.: After an afternoon of goofing off, it’s time for dinner at the<a href="http://www.oysterbarny.com/"> Oyster Bar at Grand Central</a> with Pam’s brothers and their families. They are attending the Edgar Awards with us, offering moral support. That is really great! 
 
Thursday, April 28 
6:30 p.m.: What a day. First the 9/11 museum at Ground Zero on a cold, rainy day. Very sobering (and coincidentally just three days before they caught Bin Laden). But now, it’s time for the Nominee Reception at the Grand Hyatt for the Edgars. Feeling at first a bit like the guy who crashed the party, but soon I’m pinching myself as Pam and I stand there chatting away with mystery fiction icons <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Sarah%20Peretsky" target="_blank">Sarah Peretsky</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, and then <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Mary%20Higgins%20Clark" target="_blank">Mary Higgins Clark</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Unbelievable. 
 
7:30 p.m.: After seeing many Sherlockian friends [Les Klinger, Dan Stashower, Peter Crupe, Lindsay Faye] it is awards time. I’m at the Wiley Publishing table, with my family and the gang from Wiley. Alas, Sherlock Holmes for Dummies lost to the Charlie Chan book...oh, well! It is still an unbelievable experience. 
 
11:00 p.m.: Sitting in an Irish pub [<a href="http://www.patrickconways.com/">Patrick Conway's</a>] ’round the corner from Grand Central Station with my family, celebrating the experience. Hooray! On to the Agathas! 
 
 
<h4>
"I met Agatha..." [CHAS]</h4>
Friday, April 29 
11:30 a.m.: Pam and I depart from Penn Station for Washington. DC via Amtrak. Wow...that train station is insane ["...and lead us not into Penn Station"? -Ed.]. We arrive in DC, catch a cab to the Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, and check in. My brother Patrick, an antiquarian bookseller, arrives from Indiana to accompany us on this leg of the adventure. 
 
4:00 p.m.: I register us, and then dash down to the opening ceremony of Malice Domestic, the convention that is giving out the Agatha Awards. I can see right away that the audience, which is 90% women, is not Sherlock’s crowd. 
 
7:00 p.m.: All the Sherlockians on hand gather for dinner in the hotel restaurant. Peter Blau and Bev Wolov, Dan Stashower, Julie McKuras, and us. Really, it is these moments that make these events truly memorable. 
 
Saturday, April 30 
All Day: The day is made up of sessions, books signings, panel discussions, and shopping in the dealers room. I participate in a panel discussion with all the non-fiction authors who are nominated, and follow it up with a book signing. It’s a lot of fun! Along the way we meet many, many more authors, including <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Sue%20Grafton" target="_blank">Sue Grafton</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Carol%20Nelson%20Douglas" target="_blank">Carol Nelson Douglas</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. What a great day! 
 
7:00 p.m.: The Agatha Awards Banquet arrives. Wow. For those who think the BSI Dinner is big, they should experience a 500-seat banquet! Unbelievable (and for my taste, too big…) Alas, Sherlock lost out to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Agatha-Christies-Secret-Notebooks-ebook/dp/B002RI9OY6?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Secret Diaries of Agatha Christie</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002RI9OY6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, as I knew it would. There’s no way a book on Agatha Christie is going to lose an award named after Agatha Christie. But no hard feelings, as once again it was a fantastic experience and great fun. 
 
Here's the whirlwind tour <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol3KOwdr5bk&feature=related">in video</a>: 
 
 
 
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ol3KOwdr5bk" width="480"></iframe></center>
 
 
Well, the next day we headed home, back to real life, but still savoring the amazing, amazing experiences we had. Sherlock Holmes for Dummies has been out almost exactly a year...and what a year it has been. And what a way to conclude the promotion of the book. Thanks to everyone who bought a copy! If you'd like to keep following our adventures, please join us on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sherlock-Holmes-for-Dummies/129581877077394">Sherlock Holmes for Dummies Facebook page</a>. 
 
Postscript: Sherlock Holmes for Dummies was nominated for the coveted <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Award">Anthony Award</a>, which are given at the annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, which for this year will be in St. Louis in September. 
 
<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2459/4390279293_b5f6e6290d_t.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2459/4390279293_b5f6e6290d_t.jpg" style="float: left; height: 100px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 81px;" /></a>Editor's note: This column is <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Sherlock%20Holmes%20for%20Dummies">part of a series called "From the Dummy's Chair" [MAZA]</a> by Steven Doyle, BSI ("The 'Western Morning News'"), author of the Edgar-nominated <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Dummies-Steven-Doyle/dp/0470484446?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="color: #003366; display: inline-block;" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes for Dummies</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0470484446" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Because of the limitations in the print world, he wasn't able to completely fit everything he wanted into the book. This series will become a real-time continuation of that labor of love. Steve is also half the team behind the <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/" style="color: #003366;">Wessex Press</a>. 
 
 
--

An Eyewitness Account of the Edgars and Agathas

"aided by the diary I kept" [HOUN] Sherlock Holmes for Dummies had the honor of being nominated for both an Edgar Award, an...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Edward Hardwicke, Dr. Watson to Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes, Dies at 78

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"flickered and went out" [HOUN] </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF859nwM6LcXDsEAcqDhZ921rwZS10FnwDBWc6YoBipW5yrREbBTkDslwloHSS9bqCovuZUKpxDohFyFRappPVwFDPmeUzrr1eS1dfK8af97wBV0mnCXwxRgKaBVCg5uACjshGwiydgkwX/s1600/holmeshound1988-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="750" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF859nwM6LcXDsEAcqDhZ921rwZS10FnwDBWc6YoBipW5yrREbBTkDslwloHSS9bqCovuZUKpxDohFyFRappPVwFDPmeUzrr1eS1dfK8af97wBV0mnCXwxRgKaBVCg5uACjshGwiydgkwX/s640/holmeshound1988-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
 
Actor Edward Hardwicke has died at the age of 78. Perhaps best known for his portrayal of Dr. Watson to Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes in the <a href="https://amzn.to/31sohD9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Granada Television series</a>, he picked up the role where David Burke left off. 
 
[Hint: if you don't want to watch on DVD, the Granada series is available through streaming service provider <a href="https://amzn.to/2yKwsOU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Britbox via Amazon Channels</a>.] 
 
 <iframe allowfullscreen="" data-dashlane-frameid="148" data-dashlane-rid="39204e0686143bee" data-form-type="other" height="192" mozallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" scrolling="no" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/1638872/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/3b3d47/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes" style="border: none;" title="Embed Player" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="100%"></iframe>
 <div> </div><div>
Hardwicke was the son of famed actor Sir Cedric Hardwicke, and he took the family business very seriously from an early age, starring in A Guy Named Joe with Spencer Tracy at the tender age of 10. He spent a good deal of his early career on stage and made numerous television and film appearances. He also <a href="https://amzn.to/31qoeYw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">lent his voice as a narrator to some Sherlock Holmes stories</a> (available for free with an <a href="https://amzn.to/2GUTHu1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Audible subscription</a>). 
 
Of course, this audience knows him best as John H. Watson, M.D., friend and colleague of Sherlock Holmes in the Jeremy Brett Granada series. It was a role he inhabited from 1986 to 1994. He also played Dr. Watson in The Secret of Sherlock Holmes on stage in London's West End in 1989 for a full year. You'll recall that <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/05/my-god-it-is-paul-gree_8.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremy Paul wrote that play</a>. 
 
He was beloved by fans around the world, and particularly embraced by Sherlockians and Holmesians. The relationship was anything but one-way, as Hardwicke participated in events like the first iteration of <a href="http://www.sherlock-holmes.com/gillette_brett.htm" target="_blank">From Gillette to Brett in 2003</a>. 
 
We can think of no more fitting a way to remember him than to simply leave you with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCYzvzp9Z_Q" target="_blank">this interview of Edward Hardwicke</a>: 
 
<center>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UCYzvzp9Z_Q" width="560"></iframe></center>
 
We also <a href="https://ihose.co/ihose33" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pay homage to Hardwicke on Episode 33</a>. 
 
<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/134348598&color=%232879af&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe> 
 
Did you have any personal experience with him? Did you meet Edward Hardwicke at an event or on the set? Please leave us a comment and share with everyone. 
 
One generation's faithful Watson has now crossed the Reichenbach to be with his Holmes. May we stand on the terrace to remember them both. 
 
Update: Hardwicke's <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/tv-radio-obituaries/8519646/Edward-Hardwicke.html" target="_blank">obituary from the Telegraph</a>. 
 
<script type="text/javascript">
amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20";
amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual";
amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart";
amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon";
amzn_assoc_region = "US";
amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links";
amzn_assoc_asins = "1897861524";
amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit";
amzn_assoc_linkid = "ce1bf723cd6d8e327431db15a2135ec4";
</script> 
<script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script> 
 
-- 
 </div>

Edward Hardwicke, Dr. Watson to Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes, Dies at 78

"flickered and went out" [HOUN] Actor Edward Hardwicke has died at the age of 78. Perhaps best known for his portrayal of Dr...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Sherlockian Mythbusters — The Problem of Thor Bridge

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"it is a bust" [EMPT]</h4>
 
You may have heard of the show <a href="http://amzn.to/kDFtmS" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Mythbusters</a> on the Discovery Channel. Well, the <a href="http://amzn.to/kynsAo">Sherlock Holmes for Dummies</a> team decided to make their own version. 
 
The first episode of "Sherlockian Myth Busters" is now online. Scholars have debated events in the Holmes Canon for decades. But how many have actually put their theories to the test? In this episode we put the disappearing gun trick from "<a href="http://amzn.to/llS7hI">The Problem of Thor Bridge</a>" to the test. Does it work as described? Here we'll find out. 
 
SPOILER ALERT: If you're not familiar with "The Problem of Thor Bridge," you may wish to delay watching this until after you've read it. It is available as part of <a href="http://amzn.to/iZ0ttQ" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes</a>. 
 
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m0etbZuM2yw?rel=0" width="640"></iframe></center>
 
 
Are there other Sherlockian myths you'd like us to bust? Please leave a comment below or send an email with the subject line "Mythbusters" to ihearofsherlock [AT] gmail [DOT] com. 
 
<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2459/4390279293_b5f6e6290d_t.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2459/4390279293_b5f6e6290d_t.jpg" style="float: left; height: 100px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 81px;" /></a>Editor's note: This column is <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/search/label/Sherlock%20Holmes%20for%20Dummies">part of a series called "From the Dummy's Chair" [MAZA]</a> by Steven Doyle, BSI ("The 'Western Morning News'"), author of the Edgar-nominated <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Dummies-Steven-Doyle/dp/0470484446?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="color: #003366; display: inline-block;" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes for Dummies</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0470484446" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Because of the limitations in the print world, he wasn't able to completely fit everything he wanted into the book. This series will become a real-time continuation of that labor of love. Steve is also half the team behind the <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/" style="color: #003366;">Wessex Press</a>. 
 
 
 --