Silver Blaze (13 Apr. 1988)

Holmes investigates the disappearance of a champion racehorse and the murder of its trainer on a lonely moor.

Director:

Brian Mills

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (by), John Hawkesworth (developed for television by),

Stars:

Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, Peter Barkworth

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Jeremy Brett	...	Sherlock Holmes
Edward Hardwicke	...	Dr Watson
Peter Barkworth	...	Colonel Ross
Barry Lowe	...	John Straker
Jonathan Coy	...	Fitzroy Simpson
Rosalie Williams	...	Mrs Hudson
Malcolm Storry	...	Inspector Gregory
Manda-Jayne Beard	...	Edith Baxter
David John	...	Ned Hunter
Sally Faulkner	...	Mrs Straker
Russell Hunter	...	Silas Brown
Nicholas Teare	...	Dawson
Marcus Kimber	...	Bookmaker
Geoffrey Banks	...	Race Official

Storyline

Wealthy sportsman Colonel Ross asks Holmes to investigate the disappearance of his prize thoroughbred Silver Blaze, whom he wants to enter in the Wessex Cup Race. On the night in question the stable is visited by a gambler hoping to get some inside information on the race but is turned away by a loyal stable boy. After the boy is drugged by opium, the horse disappears, and the trainer is found bludgeoned on a lonely moor, suspicion falls on the gambler, but if he is guilty, where is Silver Blaze?

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Plot Keywords:

stable | moor | racehorse | thoroughbred | horse trainer | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 April 1988 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse, Bangor-on-Dee, Wrexham, Wales, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Granada Television

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Sherlock Holmes: It's no good. I shall have to go.
Dr Watson: Go? Go? Go where?
Sherlock Holmes: King's Pyland.
[points to newspaper]
Dr Watson: [reads] "Last evening, Inspector Gregory of the Devonshire constabulary arrested well-known racing personality Fitzroy Simpson and charged him with the murder of trainer John Straker."

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Connections

Version of Murder at the Baskervilles (1937)

User Reviews

Barking Dogs

The Granada Holmes episodes are hit and miss. This is a hit.

For this to work, you have to have a backbone that's strong. In this case, it is because Holmes is depicted here as an actual detective, someone who figures things out. No tricking, no undercover work, just thinking.

On that, you hope the adapter hangs appropriate cinematic storytelling. This isn't great, but compared to other episodes is refreshing.

This is the famous episode where an important clue is that the dog didn't bark.

This is the series where Holmes is depicted as the detective that does bark. It works, after a fashion.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.