Tag: Mark Gatiss

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride

by Mark Gatiss & Steven Moffat; dir. Douglas Mackinnon (BBC, 2016)

TV poster: “Sherlock: The Abominable Bride” by Mark Gatiss & Steven Moffat; dir. Douglas Mackinnon (BBC, 2016)

Cleverly executed, presenting initially as a standalone special then morphing into a bridge between series. Gatiss and Moffat indulge in some social commentary while poking gentle fun at the original Sherlock Holmes canon. Cumberbatch and Freeman (especially) revel in the old-fashioned characterisation.

Sherlock: The Sign of Three

Sherlock: The Sign of Three

by Stephen Thompson, Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss; dir. Colm McCarthy (BBC, 2014)

TV poster: “Sherlock: The Sign of Three” by Stephen Thompson, Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss; dir. Colm McCarthy (BBC, 2014)

Possibly the funniest of all Sherlock episodes, albeit skewed beyond the pale towards character development and adapting little of its plot from Conan Doyle’s stories. While Benedict Cumberbatch brings Sherlock’s misanthropy painfully centre-stage, Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington are more humanly sublime.

Sherlock: The Empty Hearse

Sherlock: The Empty Hearse

by Mark Gatiss; dir. Jeremy Lovering (BBC, 2014)

Postage stamp: “Sherlock: The Empty Hearse” by Mark Gatiss; dir. Jeremy Lovering (BBC, 2014)

A fun, clever episode but one mostly devoted to reintegrating Sherlock after the Series Two cliffhanger. (The titular mystery takes barely any screen time.) Sherlock’s scenes with Mycroft are a highlight. Amanda Abbington, playing Mary, proves a welcome addition to the cast.

Sherlock: The Hounds of Baskerville

Sherlock: The Hounds of Baskerville

by Mark Gatiss; dir. Paul McGuigan (BBC, 2012)

TV poster: “Sherlock: The Hounds of Baskerville” by Mark Gatiss; dir. Paul McGuigan (BBC, 2012)

Gatiss takes Sherlock’s modernisation to a new level. The script is a bit raw on this occasion, yet nonetheless constitutes a masterful adaptation of what in Conan Doyle’s original is an atmospheric but undemanding story. Martin Freeman once again adds subtle touches.

Sherlock: The Great Game

Sherlock: The Great Game

by Mark Gatiss; dir. Paul McGuigan (BBC, 2010)

Postage stamp: “Sherlock: The Great Game” by Mark Gatiss; dir. Paul McGuigan (BBC, 2010)

A grim episode to round out Series One, its plot not obviously based on a particular Conan Doyle story. Moriarty (Andrew Scott) proves a revelation while Sherlock becomes less and less likeable—a smug, classist brainbox acting much as Sergeant Donovan cautioned.

Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time

Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time

by Steven Moffat; dir. Rachel Talalay (BBC, 2017)

Doctor Who_Twice Upon a Time

The Christmas special has some touching performances (Mark Gatiss) and ends on a high with Jodie Whittaker’s first scene, yet for the most part spends too much time prepping the audience for the handover and trying—quite shamelessly—to manipulate our emotions.

 

 

Sherlock, Series 4

Sherlock, Series 4

by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat (BBC, 2017)

Sherlock 4

The upping of stakes from series to series has led Sherlock into some very grim territory. The characteristic humour remains, but edges closer and closer to the gallows… before making its peace and dovetailing in the perfectly balanced ending: ‘The Final Problem’.

 

 

Sherlock, Series 3

Sherlock, Series 3

by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat (BBC, 2014)

Sherlock 03

Having cherry-picked the most famous Sherlock Holmes stories, Gatiss and Moffat in series three give themselves even more latitude for creative adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s material, scripting three adventures that rely very much on the telling. Freeman and Cumberbatch remain resplendent.