Completely Sherlock Holmes

I just realized what the most evil word would be.

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 22:50:19 -0400

If they wanted to torture us, they could make the third word something like “engagement.”

Because then we wouldn’t have any way to know if the final episode of Series 3 would be based on The Sign of the Four (Watson gets engaged) or The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton (Holmes gets engaged).

Either one of those stories could easily be the end of a series arc and serve as fodder for Moffat’s promised cliffhanger.

And of course the shippers would lose their minds.

I’m thinking SIGN as well. Dunno why, just a feeling.

bakerstreetbabes: The Baker Street Babes/BSJ Giveaway!! Our...

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 10:01:54 -0400

bakerstreetbabes:

The Baker Street Babes/BSJ Giveaway!!

Our lovely sponsor, The Baker Street Journal, was kind enough to send us a large box of past issues of the BSJ to giveaway. So we decided to give our wonderful followers the opportunity to win your very own small collection! We got so many, we decided to divide up the collection to give you THREE opportunities to win!

There will be ONE first prize winner, and TWO runners-up!

Here is what you will get:

10 past issues of the Baker Street Journal which include the following issues:

March 1977, June 1977, September 1977, December 1977, June 1980, September 1980, December 1980, Spring 2011, Summer 2011, and Autumn 2011

PLUS

1 copy of the Spring 2012 issue which contains the Q&A with our founder Kristina.

1 copy of the NEW Summer 2012 issue which contains an article written by Babes Taylor, Jenn and Amy.

1 copy of the September 1962 issue, the oldest BSJ in the bunch that was sent to us.

1 copy of the 2011 Christmas Annual, the first in the BSI Biography Series. The entire issue is about Lenore Glen Offord

1 copy of the LIMITED EDITION From Piff-Pouff to Backnecke: The Full Story Ronald Knox and 100 years of “Studies in the Literature of Sherlock Holmes.”

9 past issues of the Baker Street Journal which include the following issues:

March 1978, June 1978, September 1978, December 1978, March 1994, September 1994, December 1994, Summer 2008, and Spring 2009.

PLUS

1 copy of the Spring 2012 issue which contains the Q&A with our founder Kristina.

9 past issues of the Baker Street Journal which include the following issues:

March 1979, June 1979, September 1979, December 1979, March 1976, June 1976, March 1980, Summer 2009, and Summer 2010.

PLUS

1 copy of the Spring 2012 issue which contains the Q&A with our founder Kristina.

PLEASE NOTE: All 35 of these Journals come as is. They do have some light wear, including small marks on some of the covers and light pencil markings inside some of the issues. But they are still amazing none the less!

You may reblog AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WOULD LIKE. The giveaway will run until July 27th.

Likes DO NOT COUNT.

The winners will be chosen by a random number generator. They will have 24 hours to confirm with their address.

You do not have to be following us, however, this is a present to our followers and listeners, so it’s appreciated. Plus we do really cool things like interview Sherlock cast and authors and chat about Sherlock Holmes all the time!

Any questions, naturally just ask.

GOOD LUCK!

Great giveaway. Thanks!

inklou: naynur: It’s two in the morning… and I am stupid. no...

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 23:36:34 -0400

inklou:

naynur:

It’s two in the morning… and I am stupid.

no you’re a genius

Even Jim can’t escape the seduction that is Chocolate Chip. Brilliant use of the Internet!

bakerstreetbabes: dreamerofbakerst: finalproblem: So all of a...

Sat, 23 Jun 2012 18:59:31 -0400

bakerstreetbabes:

dreamerofbakerst:

finalproblem:

So all of a sudden it struck me that I’ve been more successful at getting people to notice an upside-down water bottle in Scotland Yard than I’ve been at getting them to notice the mole Jim Moriarty planted in Scotland Yard.

I should probably try harder. By which I mean draw yellow circles around him like I did the water bottle.

Attention fandom: This guy is a kidnapper and a crooked cop. He messed with Donovan’s head and was going to shoot Lestrade if Sherlock didn’t jump. (Long version here.) And he probably knows how to flip the water bottle onto the cooler, but doesn’t do it because he likes to see everyone else suffer. Just sayin’.

Oh my sweet merciful deities! OK, this is one Reichenbach theory I’m completely on board with, and if this is proven as intentional, I swan completely in awe at the sheer of the show with the extras in plain sight.

Well damn…

This is why I really love Sherlock fandom. There’s ways to keep busy during the big break between seasons!

Cumberbatch a long-term Sherlock?

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 23:17:39 -0400

Cumberbatch a long-term Sherlock?:

We can only hope his Benedict gets his wish to play Holmes for another 15 years! Thanks to @holmesnews for posting on Twitter

Celebrating the return of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes...

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 23:43:07 -0400

Celebrating the return of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Granada Series back on streaming Netflix by watching The Solitary Cyclist.

Poor Watson…can’t do anything right in this case save for stopping the runaway horse.

In one of those “just-before-bedtime” moments, it...

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 23:50:00 -0400

In one of those “just-before-bedtime” moments, it struck me that BBC Worldwide has many apps in the iTunes AppStore, but NOT ONE related to Sherlock! This is a travesty! Such a brilliant show that leverages technology in a unique way should have a second-to-none iPhone app experience!

I hope this is fixed soon. I need some other Sherlock distraction while I wait for Season 3. Heck…I’d even pay for a Sherlock app. I bet Irene would, too!

bakerstreetbabes: The Baker Street Babes Birthday Giveaway:...

Mon, 28 May 2012 09:45:04 -0400

bakerstreetbabes:

The Baker Street Babes Birthday Giveaway: Holmes Version

The Baker Street Babes put our out first podcast one year ago today. Least to say we’ve come a very long way and it wouldn’t have been possible without all of you. So, the past few months we’ve been gathering prizes and goodies for a MASSIVE giveaway… and here it is!

In this version of the give away you win EVERYTHING below. Yes. EVERYTHING!

Sherlock Series 1 DVD, signed by Benedict Cumberbatch & Martin Freeman (donated by Hartswood Films)

Sherlock Art Nouveau print (donated by Daunt)

Sherlock & John bookmarks (donated by Daunt)

Sherlock t-shirt of your choice (donated by Qwertee)

Baker Street Journal Spring Issue featuring an interview with Baker Street Babe Curly/Kristina. (donated by The Baker Street Journal)

The full Sherlock Holmes Society of London dramatised canon CD set, signed by the actors. (donated by The Sherlock Holmes Society of London)

Brainy is the New Sexy pendant in polished brass. (donated by Belaurient Arts)

I Believe In Sherlock Holmes pendant in sterling silver. (donated by Belaurient Arts)

I Believe In Sherlock Holmes keychain in nickel silver. Please be aware this is made of nickel and if you’re allergic to it you now have a free gift to a non-allergen Sherlockian of your choice! (donated by Belaurient Arts)

The Detective & The Woman, signed by author Amy Thomas (donated by Amy Thomas)

The Illustrated Speckled Band. (donated by Gasogene Books, Wessex Pres s)

My Love Affair With Sherlock magazine by Caitlin Moran.

The Sherlock Holmes Handbook by Ransom Riggs

Large print of Sherlock & John in a train carriage by reapersun. Pen there for scale. (donated by reapersun)

Baker Street mini-sign

CD of BigFinish’s Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Perfidious Mariner starring Nick Briggs. (Donated by BigFinish)

So? How do you win?

You may reblog each version ONCE per DAY. The giveaway will run until June 10th.

Likes DO NOT COUNT.

The winners will be chosen by a random number generator. They will have 24 hours to confirm with their address. The first number wins the Holmes Version, the second number wins the Watson Version.

We will ship anywhere in the world.

You cannot win both versions of the giveaway.

You do not have to be following us, however, this is a present to our followers and listeners, so it’s appreciated. Plus we do really cool things like interview Sherlock cast and authors and chat about Sherlock Holmes all the time!

If you are following us and win, you’ll get an extra special gift on top of all of this!

Any questions, naturally just ask. We’d prefer if you’d send an ask not anonymously so we can reply privately and not clog up people’s dashes.

You can listen to our podcasts [HERE]!

Follow us on twitter at @BakerStBabes

Like us on facebook [HERE]!

And visit our website [HERE]!

Thanks for the contest, Babes!

Sherlockology: Success for Sherlock at the 2012 BAFTA TV Craft Awards!

Sun, 13 May 2012 22:31:04 -0400

Sherlockology: Success for Sherlock at the 2012 BAFTA TV Craft Awards!:

sherlockology:

Sherlock has just walked away with three wins from three nominations at the 2012 BAFTA TV Craft Awards.

EDITING: FICTION
Charlie Phillips - Sherlock (A Scandal In Belgravia)
BBC One/Hartswood Films for BBC Wales in co-production with Masterpiece

SOUND: FICTION
John Mooney, Jeremy Child,…

I like how Moffat was criticized by some for “shoddy” writing in BELG. Who has the last laugh now? Ha!

BASK cuts? Just a note before the US airing of the Hounds of...

Sun, 13 May 2012 19:01:00 -0400

BASK cuts?

Just a note before the US airing of the Hounds of Baskerville: I will be VERY upset if a certain portion of the show featuring Mark Gatiss is one of the multiple PBS time-limit cuts. Scenes like this are what makes BBC Sherlock great, especially for Sherlockians like us who see the connections to the ACD stories.

Happy Sherlock Season 2 soundtrack release day in the USA! Mine...

Tue, 08 May 2012 06:36:24 -0400

Happy Sherlock Season 2 soundtrack release day in the USA! Mine is already purchased and on my iPhone. Awesome

The Baker Street Babes Podcast: Regarding US transmission cuts: A Scandal In Belgravia

Mon, 07 May 2012 12:31:13 -0400

The Baker Street Babes Podcast: Regarding US transmission cuts: A Scandal In Belgravia:

bakerstreetbabes:

For those who wanted to know what was cut from the USA showing of A Scandal In Belgravia. (please let me know if I’ve missed anything)

Some of the montage at the beginning of the episode, including The Speckled Blonde

243 types of tobacco ash

“Sex doesn’t alarm me,” exchange in Buckingham…

Only when you have solid writing that pays attention to minute detail do you have such a problem. The fact that removing little in terms of time removed so much in terms of wonderful content speaks volumes for the Sherlock writers.

Well, Do You?!

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:36:40 -0500

Too Cool! I just found this posted over on Google+ and love it. The original credit goes to http://bit.ly/xsfMKy

The Great Sherlock Experiment

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:22:00 -0500

THE PROBLEM: My wife enjoyed the first season of Sherlock, but didn’t take to it and enjoy it as much as I did. She likes the crime drama genre very much but seemed to be asking more questions than she usually does. I wondered if she was missing something.

THE THEORY: Perhaps she needed a bit of a familiarity with the original story to truly appreciate Sherlock. I knew she was missing this as she has not read the canon, but could this really make a difference?

THE EXPERIMENT: Have my wife watch the Granada adaptation of A Scandal in Bohemia before having her watch A Scandal in Belgravia. The Granada adaptation was a fairly faithful rendering of the canon and would be a good introduction to the canon story.

THE RESULT: My wife barely liked the Granada version. It was a little on the boring side, but then I half-expected this result. I suppressed the temptation to point out things to her that would have relevance later in Sherlock. I didn’t want to taint the experiment. We then watched A Scandal in Belgravia. She followed the storyline a bit better and was interested in seeing how the elements of the canon story were portrayed in a modern day adaptation.

This also provided a basis to discuss both Granada and Sherlock more in how they related to each other. I could see she was having more fun with the series. In fact, she eagerly watched the remaining episodes and, in my opinion, became more of a fan than she was for Season 1.

THE CONCLUSION: SUCCESS! No surprise to Sherlockians: more familiarity with the canon story leads to a better appreciation of Sherlock. Although Sherlock episodes stand well on their own to those who never read the stories, there is a far more satisfactory enjoyment of the episodes when you see how brilliantly the writers have incorporated the original into the new. Now BOTH of us are anxiously awaiting Season 3!

bakerstreetbabes: persian-slippers: Douglas Wilmer Douglas...

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:53:27 -0500

bakerstreetbabes:

persian-slippers:

Douglas Wilmer

Douglas Wilmer played Sherlock Holmes on BBC in the 60s, and in 1973’s The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother. He made a cameo as an adorable old man in Sherlock’s The Reichenbach Fall.

One of the best moments of Season 2!

The Bar Set Too High

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:40:08 -0500

The new twitter avatar of Mark Gatiss emphatically demonstrates the appeal of BBC Sherlock to those of us who love the stories and portrayals of the past. Ironic, isn’t it, that a modern Sherlock Holmes reset is able to evoke nostalgia?

The producers have paid homage to the canon by incorporating elements, lifting dialogue word for word, and making constant allusions to it. They take associated items such as Paget’s depictions and even the deerstalker hat and treat it as one of us would. They even take one of the most famous Holmes portrayers, the wonderful Douglas Wilmer (above with Gatiss), and give him a cameo. They are working from a position of strength in that they were Holmes fanatics long before they created Sherlock.

Now comes news that CBS has picked up a “modern Sherlock Holmes” pilot. I don’t want to dismiss it entirely before I see it, but I just can’t imagine them being able to treat the Holmes universe as competently or lovingly as BBC. The CBS series will constantly be compared to BBC Sherlock. How can CBS possibly meet the expectations that us Sherlockians now have, thanks to the brilliance of the BBC?

Certainly, the choice of “Elementary” as the CBS series title seems to be leading us down a path of disappointment before it has even had a chance.

Holmes Tech

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:17:14 -0500

For being such a tech-savvy series that leverages the web ( see The blog of Dr. John H. Watson ), I’m ~~surprised~~ shocked BBC hasn’t released a Sherlock related iPhone app. Seems like such a natural fit.

BBC Worldwide has a wide variety of apps in the app store in the USA, but none for our favorite consulting detective.

sherlocksimplywalksintomordor: fozboz: Uploaded the set tour...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:06:43 -0500

sherlocksimplywalksintomordor:

fozboz:

Uploaded the set tour video to YouTube for those who couldn’t watch it on the BBC site.

Their love for the stories really shines through!

A Belgravian Masterpiece

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:06:45 -0500

I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive about BBC Sherlock’s Season 2 opening episode, A Scandal in Belgravia. With my Google Reader set to pick up current news stories about Sherlock and Sherlock Holmes, I was unable to avoid headlines ( like this one ) that contained the spoiler of Irene Adler’s occupation. My concern stemmed from a fear that the writers must have lost ther edge and were opting for the sensational over a substantaive storyline. Was I ever wrong!

What we were treated to instead was implied (not outright) bareness that played a key role in the storyline. Irene Adler bares all (literally) to Sherlock which ironically provides the best disguise from which Sherlock can’t draw conclusion.

With that concern out of the way, I was able to enjoy one of the most entertaining shows on television. It is packed with action and twists that are seldom seen on the small screen and would make for a very good movie (are you listening, Guy Ritchie?).

Here are a few highlights that really worked for me in this Episode:

Canonical References - Gatiss and Moffat give more that a passing “shout-out” to Sherlockians who are familiar with the stories. They go out of their way to spend precious air-time coming up with silly references (the deerslayer hat) and brilliant plays-on-words with titles from the canon, such as The Geek Interpreter and The Speckled Blonde. That they are able to slip these in and provide some humor at the same time show the brilliance of their writing. Then there are the actual elements of SCAN which are re-formed into this adaptation: the scandalous picture, Sherlock’s disguise as the beaten clergyman, the hidden compartment for the photo, etc. This episode packed the most canonical material yet for Sherlock.

Sherlock’s Humanity - As soon as the titles for Season 2 were announced, we had a pretty good idea that Sherlock’s human side would have to be more fleshed out, especially in this Episode, with Irene Adler. My biggest annoyance with the series through Season 1 was that Sherlock was a tiny bit one-dimensional. Particularly, I was a little peeved that Holmes’ love for music was relegated to a few violin pluckings and harsh bowings. You can imagine my excitement in BELG when Sherlock’s love for music, even composing, is highlighted.

To me, this is an essential part of his character that was missing and they filled this hole. The writers did not stay stagnant…they’re developing these characters over time and doing so in a way in which those that love the canon can embrace.

But what DIDN’T work for me?

Not much at all. The most glaring mistake I thought the writers made was having Adler explicitly explain to John that the combination to the safe was her measurements.

I was so proud of myself to have figured that out on the fly that I felt somewhat betrayed when it was blatantly revealed a few moments later. Yes, I know…that’s probably a bit “snooty” of me. However, I would have much rather seen the reveal done in a more subtle manner:

IA: “The key code to my safe”

JW: “What was it?”

IA: “Come now, Dr. Watson. You had a good view of each measurement yourself. Do you not observe?”

I know. My script-writing stinks, but I think you get the idea. I realize I’m really nit-picky here. If this is the biggest problem I have with a TV episode, then it has to be a rather good one. My general opinion of TV is not very high.

Some Holmes fans have had a hard time accepting the ending, which has (in some cases) nearly ruined the entire episode for them. They claim the ending is disjointed from the storyline and are disappointed for its perceived lack of sticking to the canon. Although I understand where they are coming from, I disagree. But that is a topic for another time, perhaps the next post?…

An "Adlerian" Affair?

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:06:34 -0500

The end of BBC Sherlock’s A Scandal in Belgravia ( BELG ) has caused numerous fans to cry “foul!”. They feel cheated, in one way or another, out of the Irene Adler they thought they knew from the canon. Such a reaction is understandable but, IMHO, a bit misplaced.

My feeling is that the producers and writers of the show gave us two stories: the first is a canonical tribute that sticks remarkably close to the canon and has the sartorially challenged Ms. Adler beating Sherlock (figuratively AND literally). The second story is done in pure Sherlockian style where decades of speculations have spawned many stories about Ms. Adler, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, and their relationship. Simply put, despite some elements and dialogue from the canon, the writers take us down an extra-canonical avenue, past what is noted in Dr. Watson’s accounts.

The first portion of the episode follows the canon relatively closely, with a scandalous photo of royalty, a simple clergyman Sherlock disguise, fire and smoke revealing Ms. Alders hiding spot, and a “final” word-for-word canonical exchange: “Goodnight, Mr. Sherlock Holmes!” This is our cue to the end of the canonical portion of the episode, despite a few canon elements they reserved in the last portion.

From here, it’s all Sherlockian ( or perhaps Adlerian ? ) to me, with the writers portraying their own version of “whatever became of Irene Adler”. Where the canon leaves off with Adler disappearing, this Sherlock episode continues on to give us a portrayal of post-canonical content. This kind of speculation has led to a plethora of stories about Ms. Adler, her relationship with Holmes, and their offspring.

To say that the ending of the episode weakened the canon character is to ignore that she did, indeed, “win” when she whipped Sherlock, took the phone, and stood over him. Strong does not equate to winning every single battle.

I am not the least bit dismayed about the ending that some are calling “disjointed.” Why did Mycroft enlist John to tell Sherlock of her “demise”? What was she doing in the MidEast in a hijab? How did Sherlock know? I have no answers for you. However, one thing I have learned from these writers is that they have a way of taking seemingly mundane plot elements (the gentleman with the urn, the “misplaced” airline crash passenger in the trunk among others) and weaving them back to importance in the story. I have faith that they can take a major plot twist and turn it into something special. Perhaps not next episode or even next season…but at some point, I think they will find it too irresistible for a reveal to us and when they do…IT WILL BLOW OUR MINDS!!