Sherlock - Interesting Facts You Didn't Know About the Series

The TV series Sherlock is loved by many people around the world. It tells the story of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend Doctor John Watson in modern London. Even though the series has only 13 episodes, it is very popular. Here are some interesting facts about the show that you might not know.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes

Benedict Cumberbatch plays Sherlock Holmes. He was the only actor the creators wanted for the role. They saw him in a movie called "Atonement" in 2007 and thought he would be perfect. To prepare for the role, Benedict read all the original Sherlock Holmes books by Arthur Conan Doyle. He wanted to understand his character very well.

Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson

Martin Freeman plays Doctor John Watson. The creators chose him because he worked very well with Benedict. They liked how the two actors acted together. Before Sherlock, Martin was known for his role in "The Office", a British TV show.

Andrew Scott as Moriarty

Andrew Scott plays Jim Moriarty, the main villain. He did not read the old Sherlock Holmes stories. He wanted his Moriarty to be special and different. Now, his version of Moriarty is very famous, and other actors have to try hard to be different from him.

Matt Smith Auditioned for Watson

Matt Smith, who later became famous as the Eleventh Doctor in "Doctor Who", tried out for the role of Doctor Watson. But the creators thought he was better for another role. Martin Freeman got the part of Doctor Watson instead.

How the Series Started

The creators of the show, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, got the idea for a modern Sherlock Holmes while traveling by train between London and Cardiff. They wanted to show how Sherlock would solve crimes in today's world. They thought about this idea for a long time. Finally, Moffat's wife invited them to lunch at the Criterion Bar in London. This is the same place where Sherlock Holmes meets Doctor Watson in the original stories. This meeting helped them decide to make the show.

Filming the First Episode

The first version of the first episode was not very good. The creators thought it was boring. So they decided to film it again with a new director, Paul McGuigan. They also added cool things like showing text messages on the screen. They changed their plan and made each episode 90 minutes long, like a movie.

Filming Locations

In the show, Sherlock lives at 221B Baker Street. But the real filming location is 187 North Gower Street in London. The real Baker Street was too busy and had too many signs about Sherlock Holmes, so it was hard to film there.

Family Connections

Benedict Cumberbatch's real parents play Sherlock's parents in the show. This makes the scenes feel more real. Also, Amanda Abbington, who plays Mary Morstan, Doctor Watson's wife, was Martin Freeman's real-life partner at the time. The young Sherlock in one episode was played by Louis Moffat, the son of Steven Moffat, the show's writer and producer.

Episode Titles and References

Many episode titles in Sherlock are similar to the original stories:

• "A Study in Pink" is like "A Study in Scarlet".
• "The Hounds of Baskerville" is like "The Hound of the Baskervilles".
• "The Sign of Three" is similar to "The Sign of Four".

The show has many small details that are like the original stories. For example, in "A Study in Pink", the word "Rache" is found near a dead person, just like in the original book.

Fans Loved the Show

After the show aired, many more people bought Sherlock Holmes books. The sales of the books increased a lot. When fans heard where the show was filming, they would come to watch. Sometimes, there were up to 300 people watching the filming! This made it hard for the actors to work sometimes.

Modern Technology in the Show

In the original stories, Sherlock Holmes used newspapers and letters. In the modern Sherlock, he uses text messages, the internet, and GPS to solve crimes. This shows how he might work if he lived today.

Interesting Details

• The dog in the show belongs to Martin Freeman.
• The character Charles Augustus Magnussen is based on a real Swedish media person.
• Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman both acted in "The Hobbit" movies after Sherlock. Martin played Bilbo Baggins, and Benedict voiced the dragon Smaug.
• In one scene, John throws a pen to Sherlock, who catches it without looking. They did this for real without special effects!

Challenges During Filming

In 2011, there were riots in London. This made it hard to film some scenes. The actors and crew had to work quickly and sometimes move to safer places.

The Future of Sherlock

The last full episode of Sherlock was shown in January 2017. The creators have written ideas for a fifth season, but they are not sure when or if it will happen. Both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are very busy with other projects. They have said they might return if the story is good.

Conclusion

Sherlock is a wonderful series that brings the famous detective to the modern world. It has many interesting facts and stories behind it. Now that you know more about the show, maybe you will enjoy watching it even more!