The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes: With Clive Merrison & Michael Williams as Heard on Radio 4 Vol 1 (BBC Radio Collection)

Unlike most adaptations they succeed in capturing the essential cameraderie of the main protaganists (Watson & Holmes).

I have had many hours of enjoyment from this and other titles in the series and cannot praise them highly enough.

Whether you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes or simply want to discover the atmosphere of late Victorian/early Edwardian London this is the place to begin.


The best dramatisation of the worst stories   February 13, 2002
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Every self-respecting Holmesian knows that Conan Doyle's Casebook is the weakest in the canon of Sherlock stories. However, Bert Coules and company have become such master dramatists of these stories that even the flawed ones convey forty-five minutes of brilliance and give many hours of pleasure.

One of Watson's old school chums re-marries a South American woman of 'questionable' blood in The Sussex Vampire and brings her to England to live with Jacky, his pubescent son. The family is torn apart after the title character is seen apparently sucking the blood of her newly born baby. The story is a little weak because there is little detecting to be done. The emphasis is much more on the featured family and their terrifying problem. The cast is, however, excellent (especially the boy) and the crime is actually more horrifying than the title might have you believe. It's also a delicious touch having the solution lie in a window's reflection.

The weakest story on this double-cassette (in fact on the entire collection) is The Three Garidebs. A man is induced by the promise of great wealth to search the country looking for a person with the same name (Garideb). The BBC try their best with this sorry story and the result is still an interesting forty-five minutes. Things dramatically improve, however, with The Problem of Thor Bridge. Here we have a mystery with many of the great Holmes hallmarks - a sinister death, an obvious suspect and a dash of romance. The wife of a wealthy American businessman is found shot dead at Thor Bridge. The 'other woman' is suspected and arrested, setting up another classic battle between sleuth Holmes and the plodding Bobbies.

The last story on these tapes is the bizarre Creeping Man. Holmes investigates the curious guise and appearance of a man in the night. Why is the Professor acting so strangely? Why is his dog also acting strangely? The master detective will answer these archetypal intrigues. We even have Holmes speaking candidly about sex.

Clive Merrison is a superb Holmes and Michael Williams was an amazing Watson. They had wonderful chemistry together. These tapes are a great testament to the high quality of the BBC and the wonderful character of Doyle's consulting detective.


This series really touches summit   February 18, 2001
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

"The Illustrious Client" is one of the better stories, but "The Blanched Soldier", "The Mazarin Stone" and "The Three Gables" don't rank very high in the opinion of most Sherlockians. However these dramatizations are geniusly well done and certainly worth listening to more than just twice. Merrison as the impatient, unpredictable, intolerable gifted detective, who is so deeply dependent on his friend Watson, and Williams, who shines as the intelligent, Victorian gentleman. Honest, forgiving and caring and not afraid of telling his companion some plain words now and then.

The shows are witty and full of humour and above all, friendship, which are essentials of the Canon. The script adds many bits and lines not found in the Canon, but they are definitely in the Canonical spirit and they help to tie up loose ends, fill out where Doyle (or Watson) left his reader in the dark and assist in placing the story in a lively, living, late Victorian era.

Thanks to everyone involved in this series.


It is enjoyable, but remains loneliness   February 7, 2001
1 out of 8 found this review helpful

I have all ýgBBC radio audio collection ýeSherlock Holmesýf", and love them very much. This is one of of my favourite volumes, but I feel Holmes somewhat tragically. It is the work that causes me how he loved those around him including Watson, and how much did they really understand it. None the less, and also as therefore, this is the article that I want to recommend.