Well I bloody loved it.
Watched the first one last night on iPlayer and I was just in seventh heaven. It is, without doubt, one of the freshest, most engaging dramas I've seen on the Beeb for absolutely ages.
I can't admit to having been a big Conan Doyle fan in the past. I've only ever read one of the novels, years and years ago and I always thought that previous TV adaptations were okay, but not brilliant. The recent film was well made, but quite predictably came with the expected Hollywood gloss.
This, on the other hand, is just the ticket. Homes is young and arrogant, but still someone you want to like. Watson is flawed, but not by any means stupid and clearly someone that Holmes needs. There's a delicious hint of sexual ambiguity, with a very clear message that it doesn't matter whether you're gay, straight or not-sure.
The writers did a fabulous job of getting the audience inside the head of a genius. From the text-on-screen to the bit where he corrects the police and describes himself as a "high-functioning sociopath", I thought it was just marvelously well-conceived.
Did anyone else think that Mark Gatiss' character used just a little of his Matrix-spoof cameo from
Spaced? Wasn't he awesomely good?
I came away from the first episode desperately wanting more. More London, more Holmes, more of the clever.
Anyone who doesn't like it is clearly a miserable git