A Study in Pink 

War vet Dr. John Watson returns to London in need of a place to stay. He meets Sherlock Holmes, a consulting detective, and the two soon find themselves digging into a string of serial "suicides."

Director:

Paul McGuigan

Writers:

Steven Moffat, Arthur Conan Doyle (based on the works of) (as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Stars:

Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Rupert Graves

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Benedict Cumberbatch	...	Sherlock Holmes
Martin Freeman	...	Dr. John Watson
Rupert Graves	...	DI Lestrade
Una Stubbs	...	Mrs. Hudson
Louise Brealey	...	Molly Hooper
Vinette Robinson	...	Sgt Sally Donovan
Tanya Moodie	...	Ella
Siobhan Hewlett	...	Helen (as Siobhán Hewlett)
William Scott-Masson	...	Sir Jeffrey Patterson
Victoria Wicks	...	Margaret Patterson
Sean Joseph Young	...	Gary (as Sean Young)
James Duncan	...	Jimmy
Ruth Everett	...	Political Aide
Syrus Lowe	...	Political Aide
Katy Maw	...	Beth Davenport

Storyline

Wounded in Afghanistan while in the Army, Dr. John Watson returns to contemporary London and, through a mutual acquaintance, becomes a flatmate at Mrs. Hudson's 221B Baker Street apartment with brilliant if eccentric private investigator Sherlock Holmes. There have been three identical apparent suicides, and Inspector Lestrade asks for Sherlock's intervention over the fourth, the suspicious death of Jennifer Wilson. As she lay dying she wrote 'Rache' upon the floor and Sherlock deduces that this is not just the incomplete name of her stillborn daughter "Rachel" of many years earlier but the password of her mobile phone. This leads Sherlock to confront a terminally ill serial killer who slays people, in part, to show superiority over the rest of society, and who is determined to make Sherlock his next victim.

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | serial suicides | serial killer | consulting detective | mobile phone | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the park with Mike Stamford, John was holding a coffee cup showing the name of the coffee shop, Criterion. It is a reference to the Criterion Bar, where Watson and Stamford met in the canon.

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Goofs

When Sherlock and Watson are in the restaurant, food shows up on the table even though they never ordered and a waiter is never shown delivering food.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ella: How's your blog going?
Dr John Watson: Yeah, good. Very good.
Ella: You haven't written a word, have you?
Dr John Watson: You just wrote, "still has trust issues".
Ella: And you read my writing upside down. You see what I mean? John, you're a soldier, and it's going to take you a while to adjust to civilian life, and writing a blog about everything that happens to you will honestly help you.
Dr John Watson: Nothing happens to me.

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Connections

Edited from Sherlock: Unaired Pilot (2010)

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Soundtracks

Opening Titles
(uncredited)
Written by David Arnold & Michael Price

User Reviews

very impressive

They say a true classic is something that, despite costumes and taking place in another time, remains timeless. And we see with Shakespeare and other great writers, their plays are often put into modern settings and still work. The same is true of classic characters.

"Sherlock" brings Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson into the 21st Century. This isn't, of course, the first time these two have worked and lived in modern times, as the Sherlock Holmes film series starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce was used as propaganda during World War II.

This time, though, Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) is young, working in the lab where he met Watson (Martin Freeman), the army doctor. Here, Watson has just returned from Afghanistan and is trying to adapt to civilian life. In need of a roommate, but feeling that no one will want to live with him, a friend introduces him to someone else no one wants to live with - Sherlock. Sherlock's landlady, Mrs. Hudson (Uma Stubbs) has given Holmes a deal on an apartment at 221B Baker Street. Watson moves in, with some trepidation.

This first case, A Study in Pink, concerns a series of suicides from the same poison, committed by three unrelated people. Holmes thinks they were driven to it, but how? He is called in by Lestrade (Rupert Graves) when a woman is found dead and Lestrade becomes desperate. Watson goes along and soon finds himself caught up in Holmes' deduction.

Fast-moving, fascinating, and delightful, Holmes and Watson now have use of the Internet, GPS, and cell phones. Sherlock, in fact, is a great texter. He wears three nicotine patches because smoking in London has become impossible, and he meditates on a crime while wearing them. The other modern touch is that everyone thinks Holmes and Watson are gay lovers. Instead of stories, it's looking like Watson is going to be writing a blog. All of these modernisms are very effective and work well in the story.

Stage and TV actor, 34-year-old Benedict Cumberbatch is Holmes, thin, youthful, fast talking and attractive; and the slightly older Freeman is a serious and troubled Watson, not the buffoon of Nigel Bruce, but a person who perks up when he becomes involved in the excitement of Holmes' case. They make a good team.

Really can't wait for more of these - very enjoyable, suspenseful, and entertaining.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 2010 (USA)

Filming Locations:

St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hartswood Films, BBC Wales, Masterpiece Theatre

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (5.1)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD