Fans of Doctor Who will find a lot to enjoy about Big Finish’s Sherlock Holmes audios.
Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions
With the range currently on sale, here are a few reasons why Big Finish’s Sherlock Holmes audios are well worth checking out.
On Monday, Big Finish revealed their latest free download: their audio adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes short story, The Speckled Band. Currently, they also have a sale on their entire range of Sherlock Holmes audios. Because of this – and, by sheer coincidence, because I just finished re-listening to them all – it seemed like the perfect time to write about why Big Finish’s take on Holmes and Watson is worth checking out, even for Doctor Who fans.
Naturally, the character of Sherlock Holmes himself needs no introduction. Easily one of the most famous fictional characters in the world, it’s hard to meet anyone who’s never heard of him or Watson, or even 221B Baker Street. Along with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories, the character has had a vast life across both a huge amount of TV and film adaptations, as well as completely original stories told across all types of media.
However, sometimes, the character’s popularity can be a double-edged sword, at least if you’re aiming to tell stories featuring the character yourself. When I first heard about Big Finish’s range of Sherlock Holmes audios back in 2009, I must admit, it didn’t quite grab my interest.
I was curious about Guy Ritchie’s upcoming blockbuster movie with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson, and I was extremely excited about Steven Moffat’s and Mark Gatiss’s modern retelling of the story. But, even as a fan of Big Finish due to their huge number of Doctor Who stories, I wasn’t sure if their Sherlock Holmes audios would be able to do anything new or exciting with the character.
Little did I know that the range would prove to be one of the best takes on the iconic detective we’ve had this century.
An authentic take
The first thing that leaps out about these audios is authenticity. They capture a great deal of the style and period of the original stories. This is greatly helped by featuring a heavy focus on Watson’s narration, both in the adaptations and in Big Finish’s own original stories.
There’s also a variety of storytelling to the range, too. For the first two series, it very much feels like it’s still finding its feet. Not that the stories during this time are weak – in fact, you’ve got several truly brilliant releases across these early series. But there’s a great deal that feels experimental about it.
For example, all three stories of the first series are audio adaptations of popular stage plays with Holmes. In fact, while Nicholas Briggs and Richard Earl star in most of the audios as Holmes and Watson, the very first two releases feature neither of them, with Roger Llewellyn playing Holmes in two one-man plays. Both of these are extremely good – especially The Last Act, which is an amazing story in its own right – but they certainly stand out as a huge contrast compared to the rest of Big Finish’s Holmes audios.
The second series goes for a real mix of stories, with two of the releases being direct adaptations of Doyle’s stories, another being an adaptation of a pastiche, and even a completely original story.
This is a particularly enjoyable series. The adaptations feel faithful and direct (The Hound of the Baskervilles particularly stands out), while the others capture the spirit of the original era well. (The Reification of Hans Gerber is rather impressive as an original Holmes mystery.)
But it was with the special episode The Adventure of the Perfidious Mariner that the range would find its sense of direction…
An ambitious arc
The Adventure of the Perfidious Mariner was meant to mark 100 years since the sinking of the Titanic. Focusing on the aftermath of the historic tragedy, Jonathan Barnes’s story explores both those who survived it and those who suffered a terrible loss. It’s an emotional story, but Barnes also weaves in a very natural Sherlock Holmes case in there, too.
If that wasn’t enough, Barnes also explores Holmes in a fresh way. Set during the consulting detective’s retirement, the story hints at the motives of why Holmes retired at such a young age. Essentially, this is a key starting point to an ambitious arc for Holmes and Watson – one that would continue across not one but three box sets.
The Ordeals, The Judgement, and The Sacrifice of Sherlock Holmes all explore major gaps in the canon, and present Holmes and Watson in completely fresh ways. We find out about how Holmes met Lestrade; what happened to him after his battle with Moriarty; what lead him to retire, and so much more. As far as original drama based on Holmes goes, this might be one of the best takes on the character – better, perhaps, than even Sherlock, and I was a huge fan of Sherlock.
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The best take on Holmes and Watson
Lastly, and perhaps one of the best reasons to check the audios out is its leads. Nicholas Briggs is fantastic as Holmes, portraying the quick-wittedness and brilliance of the character well. He’s easily recognizable as Holmes while still giving us his own unique take on the iconic character.
But perhaps even better is Richard Earl as Watson. He’s absolutely perfect in the role. He’s exactly what you’d imagine Watson to be like, and reads the wording of Doyle, Barnes and other writers with relish.
But even better than that is the depth he gives to Watson. You always get a strong feeling of the character’s deep emotion, even while Watson himself is doing his best to hide it, and a lot of that comes down to Earl’s performance. Interestingly, Earl was personally selected by Briggs for the role. It’s one of the rare times when a Holmes has picked his Watson, and it’s worked brilliantly.
Combining authenticity with originality, period drama with thrilling adventure, and great stories with excellent performances, the Sherlock Holmes range is an absolutely fantastic listen. Oh, and there’s a crossover with Doctor Who, too.
Have you listened to Big Finish’s range of Sherlock Holmes stories? If you haven’t, has this article made you more intrigued to listen to them? If you are a fan already, what do you enjoy about the stories? Let us know in the comments below.