Summary of the Different Adaptations of Sherlock

Before providing an analysis on the changes that occur in the different Sherlock adaptations, I thought it would be useful to outline each of the remakes to give some context and background information. 

The original story

The adventures of Sherlock Holmes originated from a series of short stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1891. The stories take the form of crime fiction and revolve around the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr John Watson. Generally the stories are oriented around achieving social justice. The first of the stories is 'A scandal in Bohemia' but there are 11 subsequent stories.

 Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942)

Extract from 'Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror' 

Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror is from the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of Sherlock Holmes films and is directed by John Rawlins. It was released in 1942 and distributed by Universal Studios. The film is credited as an adaptation of Doyle's story 'His Last Bow', published in 1917. Sherlock is played by Basil Rathbone and his companion, Dr Watson, is played by Nigel Bruce. Kitty, the main female, is portrayed by Evelyn Ankers. The film is shot in black and white and lasts for a total of 65 minutes. 

Synopsis

Holmes and Watson are called into the 'Inner Council' of British Intelligence to help put an end to the Nazi saboteurs who are operating secretly in Britain. Their activities are broadcast through the radio by what is named 'the voice of terror'. One of Holmes operatives (Gavin) is killed because of the information he has obtained about 'the voice of terror' but not before uttering the word 'Christopher'. Holmes and Watson visit the Limehouse district of London to speak to Gavins wife, Kitty. After learning about her husbands death she agrees to help them find the information they're looking for. Holmes comes up with an idea to analyse and compare the sound waves from live radio broadcasts and pre recorded voices and determines that 'the voice of terror' is recorded in England but broadcast from Germany. A tip from Kitty leads the pair to the old Christopher Docks where they are followed by Sir Anthony Lloyd of the council. The 3 men are captured by Nazi spies led by a man named Meade. When the confrontations goes badly, Meade manages to escape to an awaiting speedboat. To help Holmes and Watson, Kitty agrees to pretend to be a thief on the run, pairing up with Meade. When she learns that Meade plans to go to Sir Evans country estate she informs Holmes. He goes along to the estate to investigate and observes a German plane attempting to land, however gunshots from Sir Evan disrupt them. Meanwhile Meade is hiding in the dark. An informant of Holmes's discovers that Meade and Kitty are headed to the south coast of England and forces the council to go there with him. With the help of British troops, Holmes is able to capture Meade and a group of German soldiers and through the art of deduction he reveals the true identity of 'the voice of terror' as Sir Evan Barham, a member of the inner council. Barham is actually Heinrich Von Bock, a member of the German Secret Service, who bares an uncanny resemblance to the real Barham. Von Bock had been posing as Barham since he was executed in a German war camp in World War I. Holmes announces that the German invasion force has been stopped causing Meade to shoot and fatally wounds Kitty in a fit of rage. In an attempt to escape Meade is also killed. The film concludes with the council standing around Kitty's body, swearing that her death will not be in vain. 

Murder by Decree (1979)

Trailer for 'Murder by Decree' 

Murder by Decree was directed by Bob Clark, starring Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes and James Mason as Dr. John Watson. The film was released in 1979 and based on the real life 1888 Whitechapel murders committed by 'Jack the Ripper'. It is thought to be loosely based on Elwyn Jones and John Lloyd's 'The Ripper File' however the premise of the plot was largely influenced by the book 'Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution' by Stephen Knight. The film is shot in colour and has a runtime of 124 minutes. 

Synopsis 

The film begins with Holmes and Watson enjoying a night at the opera in London's West End. Meanwhile in the East End a prostitute is being murdered by the infamous 'Jack the Ripper'. The police appear incapable of catching the killer and so Holmes is approached by a member of the public to take on the case. Although predominantly the police welcome his assistance, the commissioner (Sir Charles Warren) actively does not. In his pursuit of justice, Holmes is guided to the psychic Robert Lees. With his help, Holmes and Watson uncover that all of the victims were related in one way or another to Annie Crook, a mental institute patient. Suspecting that the killer will strike again and soon, Holmes and Watson roam the streets of Whitechapel. At last the pair come face to face with the Ripper(s) who are revealed to be Sir Thomas Spivey and William Slade. In the confrontation Watson is violently attacked and the men escape. Spivey is a doctor who runs in the highest circles of England. He is a Freemason and a loyal supporter of the monarchy with access to an insane asylum. 
As Holmes unravels the mystery he discovers that Prince Albert secretly married Annie Crook and had a child with her. As a result the monarchy was threatened with a scandal that could overturn them. Sir Thomas and William Slade set out to resolve this problem, starting with wrongly putting Annie Crook into an insane asylum. They then set about killing anyone who knew anything about their relationship. Although Sherlock witnessed the two in the act of murder he finds himself threatened by the macabre power of a secret society. The killers have influential friends who have the power to protect them from the law and so there is little Holmes can do. Instead he delivers an emotional speech to Lord Salisbury, the Prime Minister of England, requesting that Annie Crook and her daughters lives are spared. 

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Trailer for 'Sherlock Holmes' 

Sherlock Holmes, released in 2009, is one of the modern film adaptations of Doyle's stories. The film was directed by Guy Ritchie and stars Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. John Watson. The female lead, Irene Adler is portrayed by Rachel McAdams. The film was not based on any of Doyle's stories but on a screenplay by British screenwriters Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Simon Kinberg, and Lionel Wigram. It was filmed and shot in colour and lasts for 128 minutes.

Synopsis 

Sherlock and Watson are in pursuit of Lord Blackwood who has murdered 5 women and is about to commit his 6th ritual murder. They arrive at the scene before Inspector Lestrade and the police, just in time to prevent the murder from taking place. Three months on Watson has decided that Holmes' eccentric behaviour and cocaine addiction has become too much and is ready to leave 221b Baker Street and marry Mary Morstan. Blackwood is sentenced to death and Watson informs Holmes that this will be their last case together. Once he has pronounced Blackwood as dead, he will no longer be working with Holmes. 

Blackwoods last request is to speak to Holmes, where he warns him that there will be 3 more unstoppable deaths and these will cause great changes to the world. Following their talk Blackwood is hanged and pronounced dead by Watson. His final words were 'death is only the beginning'. 

A few days later Holmes is visited by Irene Adler, a professional thief and his former adversary. She asks Holmes to locate a man named Luke Reordan. When she leaves Holmes follows her in disguise where he witnesses her meeting with a secret employer who is concealed in the shadows of the carriage. The man who's identity is remained a secret states that Reordan is the key to Blackwoods plans. 

A gravedigger claims to have witnessed Blackwood raise from the dead. His tomb has been destroyed from the inside out and Reordan's body is found inside of the coffin. Clues from the body lead Holmes and Watson to Reordan's home where they discover experiments attempting to combine science with magic. Following a battle with Blackwood's men, Holmes is taken to the Temple of the Four Orders,a secret magical fraternity with political influence. They ask Holmes to stop Lord Blackwood, a former member of the society and the son of Sir Thomas Rotherham (one of the leaders). Sir Thomas and Ambassador Standish (another of the leaders) are later killed by Blackwood in supernatural means. This leaves him and Lord Coward, the final of the leaders who has been working with Blackwood all along, free to control the order. The pair are planning to overthrow the British government and then conquer the US and the world. 

Blackwood lures Holmes to a warehouse where Adler is chained to a hook and heading towards a bandsaw. Holmes and Watson work together to save her just in time, however when fleeing Watson triggers a series of explosions set up by Blackwood and becomes seriously injured. Lord Coward issues a warrant for Holmes' arrest. As a result Holmes goes into hiding and closely studies Blackwood's rituals looking for clues. He concludes that the next target is parliament and he tricks Coward into revealing their plan. Holmes goes to Westminster with  Watson and Adler where they discover a machine designed to release cyanide into the Parliament chambers that will kill everyone but Blackwood and his supporters who he has already slipped the antidote to. During a session at parliament Blackwood walks in and announces that all but his supporters are going to die. Meanwhile below parliament Holmes and Watson are trying to prevent the machine from going off. Adler removes the cyanide containers and flees whilst Holmes and Watson fight of some of Blackwood's men. Blackwood and Coward realise that their plan has failed and Blackwood flees. He finds Holmes, with Adler, at the top of the incomplete tower bridge and brawls with him, during which Holmes unmasks Blackwood's 'magic' as nothing more than conjuring tricks. Blackwood becomes entangled in ropes and with a noose of chains around his neck falls from the bridge and is hanged. 

In a later discussion Aadler explains that her employer is Professor Moriarty, who is just as intelligent as Holmes. As Watson is moving out of 221b the police report to him and Watson that a dead officer was found near Blackwood's device. Moriarty had used the confrontations with Adler and Blackwood as a distraction as he took a key component from the machine. Holmes looks forward to a new adventure with a new adversary. 

Sherlock - UK TV Series (2010)

Clip from 'A Study in Pink''

Sherlock is a British crime drama television series broadcast by the BBC. It was created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson. The series is set in the present day, rather than the original Victorian period described in Doyle's stories. The episode that I have chosen to look at is 'A Study in Pink'. This is the first episode of the series, broadcast in 2010. The episode was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Paul McGuigan. It is loosely based on the first Sherlock Holmes novel, 'A study in Scarlet'. The episode is in colour and lasts for 88 minutes. 

Synopsis

John Watson has just returned from Afghanistan due to an injury gained when performing his duties as an Army doctor. He is looking for a cheap place to live in London when he is introduced to Sherlock Holmes who is looking for a flatmate to share a flat with at 221b Baker Street, owned by landlady Mrs. Hudson. 
The police, led by Detective Inspector Lestrade, have been investigating a series of strange deaths which they are calling 'serial suicides'. Holmes goes to the crime scene of the latest victim, a woman named Jennifer Wilson. He deduces that she was an adulterer in an unhappy marriage. Holmes suggests that the note carved into floor spelling 'Rache' was actually supposed to spell the name 'Rachel' but the victim died before finishing. The splatters of mud on her leg tell Holmes that the woman had a suitcase and the woman is from out of town, however the police found no suitcase with the body. Sherlock searches for it later on and finds it abandoned nearby. At a similar time Watson receives a call from a telephone box and is taken to an empty warehouse where he meets Holmes' 'arch enemy'. He offers him money in exchange for information on Holmes but Watson refuses. 
When Watson returns to the flat Holmes asks him to send a text message to Jennifer Wilson's missing phone, hoping that the murderer will make a move. They wait at a local restaurant and keep an eye out for the murderer. When Holmes becomes suspicious about a cab he chases it, using his knowledge of the London streets to catch up to it. However when they stop the cab the passenger is actually a tourist from America who has only just arrived in the UK. 
Lestrade believes that Holmes is withholding evidence from him so orders a drugs bust as an excuse to search his flat. Holmes reveals that he suspects that 'Rachel' is Wilson's email password and that she planted her phone on the killer so that he could be traced by GPS. Watson gets to work on tracing the killer and discovers that the signal is coming from 221b baker street. Mrs Hudson has told Holmes that a taxi is waiting outside for him and leaves the police and Watson without saying anything. Outside of the flat the cab driver confesses to the killings but says that he only speaks to his victims and then they kill themselves. He challenges Holmes to solve the puzzle and takes him to a college building. The man takes out 2 bottles each containing an identical pill. He tells Holmes that one is harmless and the other is poison. He then invites Holmes to choose one, promising that he will swallow the other and if he refuses then he will simply shoot him. Holmes deduces that the cab driver is dying and so has little to fear. The man admits to Holmes that he is being sponsored for his killings by a 'fan' of Holmes'. He explains that for every murder money is left to his children. When Holmes realises that the gun is not real, he starts to leave but when the cab driver challenges him for a second time to solve his puzzle Holmes can't refuse. Meanwhile Watson has traced the GPS from the phone and followed Holmes to the building. He spots Holmes and the cab driver through an adjacent window and shoots the cabbie. Holmes questions the man about his fan, the sponsor of the killings and in his dying breath he utters the name 'Moriarty'. 
After a short while the police arrive at the scene and Holmes begins to deduce facts about the identity of the killer before realising that it was Watson and tells them to ignore all of what he had said. When Holmes and Watson leave the scene they bump into the man who had abducted Watson earlier. He is revealed to be Holmes' brother, Mycroft. Watson realises that his bribe was out of genuine concern for Holmes. 

Elementary - US TV Series (2012)

Preview of Elementary pilot episode

Elementary is an American crime drama series which puts a modern spin on 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'. The series was created by Robert Doherty and stars Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson. The series is set in the present day and is based in the city of New York rather than the expected setting of London. I have chosen to look at the pilot episode of the series which was first broadcast in 2012. The episode was written by Robert Doherty and directed by Michael Cuesta. The episode is in colour and has a running time of 46 minutes. 

Synopsis

The episode begins with a red haired woman being chased through a house and into a bedroom. On the bed she is seen struggling to reach for something behind a lamp. 
Sherlock Holmes has just come out of rehab and has been told by his father that he may only remain in the apartment in NYC that he owns if he stays sober. His father hires Joan Watson to be his sober companion. When Watson and Holmes first meet it is clear that he wants no part in this sober companionship but through the orders of his father he goes along with it anyway. The pair go along to a crime scene together where a woman has been reported missing by her husband. It is the home of the red haired woman from earlier in the episode. Holmes deduces that she knew her attacker because there were 2 smashed glasses and the blood on the footprint on the door was left afterward by someone trying to make it appear as though the door had been broken down. Holmes detects that there is a panic room in the house and finds the button behind the lamp, revealing the red haired woman lying in a pool of blood, dead. The husband is questioned however his feet were discovered to be to small for the footprint on the door and his hands to small to have left the choking marks around her neck. 
Together Holmes and Watson chase down leads and come up with a flower delivery man who they suspect might be a serial killer attracted to red haired women. However the flower delivery man turns up dead from an apparent suicide and his mobile phone is missing. The police think they have their guy but Holmes has other suspicions. Holmes finds out that the flower delivery man had been going to see a psychiatrist but when he died there was no record of him seeing another doctor even though he was clearly very disturbed. Holmes begins to suspect the husband again who is also a psychiatrist. Holmes notices that his wife used to be a blonde but when she died she has red hair and had undergone extensive plastic surgery. 
Holmes is trying to put off Watson doing and saying anything that will get her to go away, eventually Watson leaves Holmes to go to an opera she had planned for them to go to together. When he comes up with a new theory he turns up at the opera unapologetic and loud, convincing her to leave and continue investigating the case. 
Holmes and Watson confront the Husband again, expressing his theory that he wanted his wealthy wife dead but was unable to do it himself. A patient he had been treating (the flower delivery man) had a violent history with redheads and so he devised a plan to make his wife get plastic surgery and dye her hair red. Then he started ordering flowers for her every week so that the flower delivery man would become obsessed with her and instead of prescribing him sedatives he began giving him steroids to agitate him. The husband basically admits to this but knows Holmes has no evidence against him. Holmes then gets into Watson's car and drives into the husbands sports car and is subsequently arrested. 
When Watson comes to see Holmes in jail he apologises for the way he has been acting and they have a conversation about what they think of each other.
The next day the pair confront the husband again and Holmes breaks down what happened. The flower delivery man had accidentally washed his cell phone and in a fit of rage overturned the washer. The rice that he had purchased was there to save his waterlogged electronics and not for consumption as it said in his records that he was allergic to rice. Holmes produces the cell phone and plays one of the therapy sessions that the flower delivery man had recorded with him. The husband has no justification and is arrested.