"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" The Final Problem (1985)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Alan Grint

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (short story "The Adventure of the Final Problem" from volume "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes")
John Hawkesworth (developer)

TV Series:

"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" (1984)

Original Air Date:

29 September 1985 (Season 2, Episode 6)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

Holmes and Watson travel to Europe to escape Moriarty's vengeance.

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Sherlock Holmes | Private Detective | Based On Short Story | Victorian Era

Cast

Jeremy Brett	...	Sherlock Holmes
David Burke	...	Dr. Watson
Eric Porter	...	Professor Moriarty
Rosalie Williams	...	Mrs. Hudson
Olivier Pierre	...	Director of the Louvre
Claude Le Saché	...	Minister of the Interior
Michael Goldie	...	The Artist
Robert Henderson	...	American Millionaire
Paul Sirr	...	Young Art Expert
Jim Dunk	...	Porter at Victoria
Paul Humpoletz	...	Herr Steiler
Simon Adams	...	Swiss Youth

Runtime:

UK:51 min

Trivia:

One of the few episodes with genuine narration.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dr. Watson: [voiceover] When I returned to Baker Street from a short holiday in the spring of 1891, I had seen little of Holmes for some time. I saw in the papers that he had been engaged by the French Government upon a matter of supreme importance, but I could hardly foresee that it would have so violent a consequence. It lies with me now to tell for the first time what took place between Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty in that fateful year.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Shackles of Sherlock (2007) (TV)

Most Excellent Dramatization of Sherlock Holmes! Perfection! Flawless!

Well, I just watched this 1984 Granada production in October 2007 having read the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in the late 1990's. And I must say that not only was the screenplay as faithful to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's story as you could get - it was an absolutely faithful production. For anyone who has read "The Final Problem", you will know that this is a very special and perhaps the most significant Sherlock Holmes tale. To those who are unfamiliar with the story, I shall be careful not to convey spoilers which will diminish the key plot points for you. But let me say that this tale takes Holmes and Watson beyond the bounds of England to face a formidable enemy, and in doing so expresses the depths of the friendship between Holmes and Watson, while also showing some spectacular scenery. Every minute detail was vividly shown and expressed, and I ACTUALLY applauded Granada at the conclusion of this episode, because their standards of quality and faithfulness to every detail of the story and characters is absolutely flawless. Bravo Granada! Bravo!