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Summary: The Quintessential Sherlock Holmes comes to DVD
Review: I saw this series the first time it was on PBS' Mystery and kept coming back for more. These series are the most faithful to the books. David Burke as Watson plays him as what he really was a middle aged army veteran not the old clumsy oaf that Nigel Bruce depicted him as on old radio and the big screen. Jeremy Brett (20 years since his supporting role in My Fair Lady) is the best Sherlock Holmes ever. This first disc features 4 great episodes. A Scandal in Bohemia (the first ever short story and only time Holmes meets Irene Adler), The Dancing Men (in which Holmes gets tries to save a man whose American wife is being haunted by her old mob contacts), The Solitary Cyclist (in which Holmes tries to save a young woman from two stalkers) and The Naval Treaty (where an old friend Watson's needs help to find a missing copy of a treaty between England and Italy). You should know going in that like most of MPI's 2 sided DVDs the episodes labeled for side A are really on side B and vice versa. Otherwise the disc is well assembled and expect the rest of the series as they come out to be just as good.
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Summary: Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Review: Absolute perfection! I have been a fan of this great series for many years and its debut on DVD cannot be too strongly welcomed. Brett's portryal of Holmes is magnificent (very true to the actual tales)and I particularly enjoy David Burke as Watson. Burke's Watson has a greater sense of compassion and kindness than Edward Hardwick in later episodes. Comparisons aside, these are the finest Sherlock Holmes productions ever and it will be a shame if the entire series is not transfered to DVD! Speaking of "transfer", the video quality of this disc is very good (much superior to the original VHS tapes) and the 5.1 sound is excellent. My copy however had a bad audio track on the "Naval Treaty" episode, but I will have our friends at Amazon.com replace it for me rest assured. This is one DVD you can't and should not live without! Well done Granada TV!
Rating: 
Summary: good show
Review: This disc contains the first four episodes of the Granada series. I found all the episodes on this disc to be very enjoyable. I agree completely that Jeremy Brett is great as Holmes. The quality of the disc isn't outstanding but it's not terrible either. There are some sound problems at the end of "The Naval Treaty" and in one scene in the middle of "The Solitary Cyclist". The picture doesn't look as good as you would expect to see on DVD but it doesn't look that bad either. I consider this disc to be well worth buying.
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Summary: Excellent Holmes adaptions, Sup-Par DVD transfer
Review: For many people, Jeremy Brett justly gained the title of the definitive Sherlock Holmes as a result of his performances in the Granada TV series that was shown on PBS's MYSTERY and on the A&E Network. 4 of the episodes are featured on this DVD which also features the solid David Burke as one of the best Dr. Watsons ever performed. While the episodes are solid, entertaining, and fun, the DVD transfer is somewhat weaker than expected with warbling sound in the "Naval Treaty" episode, and the picture quality not as sharp as to be expected in the DVD format. However, if you like your Holmes, this version is highly recommended.
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Summary: Jeremy Brett as the ultimate Sherlock Holmes
Review: This DVD brings you four episodes of the Granada TV-series featuring Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes. Without a doubt Jeremy Brett brings you the best impersonation of Sherlock Holmes ever: his appearance, his humor, his cunning and his intellectual superiority over the police are brought to you with perfection. Even though the image quality of the DVD is mediocre, and the sound quality is poor there is no doubt that this release brings you very close to the actual Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Conan Doyle.
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Summary: "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" DVD
Review: Even though I'm not too thrilled with the selection of episodes for this DVD, it's still a must for any fan of the TV series or the literary Sherlock Holmes. Jeremy Brett was made to play the complex and enticing character of the master detective, and Burke's Dr. John Waston is equally compelling. The DVD quality is very good, especially when compared with the VHS versions. The sound, however, leaves much to be desired. Near the middle of "The Solitary Cyclist" and at the very end of "The Navel Treaty", the sound begins to fluctuate dramatically, going from high to low and then to high again. It's a pity the sound was so bad, since the video quality is really quite good. If it weren't for the bad sound, this package would definitely be one worthy of five stars. Sherlock Holmes fans will enjoy the DVD a lot, so if you really like the stories, it's worth the time and money to purchase this package.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Holmes adaptions, Sup-Par DVD transfer
Review: For many people, Jeremy Brett justly gained the title of the definitive Sherlock Holmes as a result of his performances in the Granada TV series that was shown on PBS's MYSTERY and on the A&E Network. 4 of the episodes are featured on this DVD which also features the solid David Burke as one of the best Dr. Watsons ever performed. While the episodes are solid, entertaining, and fun, the DVD transfer is somewhat weaker than expected with warbling sound in the "Naval Treaty" episode, and the picture quality not as sharp as to be expected in the DVD format. However, if you like your Holmes, this version is highly recommended.
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Summary: The Woman, the Gangster, Mr. Delicate and the Boxing Match.
Review: This first collection has 4 of the best of the English Granada TV series. In these stories the friendship and good humor between Holmes and Watson is revealed in nice touches, as well as not shirking from Holmes prediliction for a certain 7% solution, to Watson's eternal dismay and disapproval. In the 4 stories Holmes is bested by a Woman and takes his comeuppance graciously; he is too late solving the riddle of the Dancing Men to prevent tragedy; he resolves the dilemma of a delicate Victorian gentleman (and we see that treaties of great import were simply locked in desks with sleeping doormen the only security...a different time indeed!); and in the Solitary Cyclist, Holmes, comes to the aid of another damsel in distress, and we get to witness his boxing skills as he gives a sound thrashing to a thug. Most satisfying. For my money, Jeremy Brett was the quinessential Holmes, capturing the nervous disposition and energy of the man, and the high-strung, imperious intelligence that is often offset with surprising kindness and tact and care for the vulnerable. He was ably matched by David Burke's bemused, capable and intelligent Watson. The 5 Stars are for Sherlockians of course. The quality of all the Granada Holmes DVD's varies. Wish they were better, but if this is all you can get, they are still worth it.
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Summary: Delightful
Review: I have been a Basil Rathbone fan ever since I first saw his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes when I was a child, watching the movies when they were replayed on television with my grandmother. I always thought he was the authoritative Sherlock Holmes, and in the USA he very well may be. However, after reading the review of this series I decided to pick up a copy of this DVD and give Jeremy Brett's rendition a try. I must agree with everyone else - these dramatizations of the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle texts are faithful, and Jeremy Brett's portrayal is fantastic. If you are a Rathbone fan, give these a fair try. They go in a completely different direction from the Rathbone films, and I think you will like them just as well, if not moreso.
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Summary: The era brought to life
Review: Just a brief coda to the previous remarks. "A Scandal in Bohemia" is a wonderful introduction to the series, establishing its marvelous sense of time and place. The long shots down Baker street, with gas lights aglow into the distance and the procession of carriage and pedestrian traffic create a city teeming with life and energy. In such scenes, each individual appears to have a life story that extends beyond the briefly glimpsed moment. Alas, I must agree that the quality of this first volume is far below expectations, with some inexcusable lapses in the transfer. Fortunately, the quality of volume 2 is stunning.
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