Rating: 
Summary: Jeremy Brett
Review: Our Well Studied and Deliberately Executed Holmes:In reviewing this DVD, I'm actually examining the actor's performance as the character in the entire series, rather than those encapsulated within the specific titles. I have seen these episodes, and could do a separate review of each, but I think in this case that would actually be inappropriate. I can say, however, that these episodes are very good, and represent this outstanding series very well. The DVD itself is also of very high quality, as far as sound and picture are concerned. Granada did a first rate job, that has translated itself very handily to the new format. Jeremy Brett's Holmes is something other than the various Holmes' we've been exposed to in the past. I was raised on Rathbone. But when I saw Brett's performances when they first aired on PBS, I slowly forgot Rathbone's influences. Brett immerses himself in such a way that must make it very personal to him, then displays the character of Holmes in a forceful and deliberate manner - and in a depth we may not see again. The key thing to understanding Holmes, I think, is that he is unique as a genius as any genius would be. Exercising his talents to there fullest doesn't give him super-status as an overall human being by erasing other flaws. Instead, his talent takes precedence, accentuating his human flaws by casting them into a state of neglect that highlights them. Brett understands this, clearly because he himself is either a bona fide genius, or he has somehow deciphered the code that generates a genius' idiosyncratic behaviors. I can't say which. I can say that I really believe his Holmes. Brett may as well BE Holmes. My second favorite aspect of Brett's Holmes is the level of humor. Great care was taken here to make each little "quip" more situationally true to the character. His humor is really more an expression of how he so uniquely relates to those around him - and is frequently not acknowledged by the other characters - being that they are fairly unaware. We, as the audience are in-on-the-joke, which is nice, and it's usually a pretty funny one. I guess I just want to say that I think a great deal of this series. Jeremy Brett is the best, and here, has given us so much! He actually died while still "in service" to the roll. Not to sound too stupid about this, but I think there was something very appropriate in that. It's like he waited until he had gained perfection before moving on. Bravo!
Rating: 
Summary: Elementary My Dear Holmes Lover
Review: As so many have said before and I concur, Jeremy Brett is the definitive Holmes. It is really ashame he passed away recently. For years I was impressed with the black & white movies with Basil Rathbone. I never imagined he could be beat in his rendition of Holmes. Nigel Bruce indeed played a clod, and although somewhat amusing sometimes, I much prefer the newer version of Dr. Watson done by Burke and Hardwicke. I hope in the future that Granada or whoever produces these DVDs do a quality job. This production suffered sound and picture quality problems. I don't regret getting it because of Brett's and the other magnificent performances, but I'm very disappointed that such an excellent series was thought of so poorly by the DVD producers. It's a crime that Scotland Yard should make them pay dearly for.
Rating:
Summary: Jeremy Brett IS Sherlock Holmes
Review: Jeremy Brett was taken under the wing of Sir Lawrence Olivier during his days with Royal Shakespeare. And no wonder he has turned out to be not only the definitive Sherlock Holmes, but one of the finest actors of his generation. The Granada team worked hard, while consulting with the estate of Conan Doyle, to bring the original 'canon' to life, with only the slightest alterations in plot for character development purposes. Brett is superb in capturing the qualities of Sherlock Holmes that many other interpretations over-look: his egotism, his low opinion of women, his drug addictions, his 'black moods,' and his high strung temperment. During the series, the two Watsons (first David Burke, and later, Edward Hardwicke) thankfully did away with the all too imitated Nigel Bruce approach (which had the fair doctor walking around like a total buffoon). Watson is a passionate man, a medical man, and furthermore, an everyman. Any mistakes he makes in trying to follow Holmes' methods are simple, everyday ones that you and I would make. I feel that in the Rathbone series, Watson was terribly dumbed down in order to make Holmes that much smarter looking in comparison. However, with this series, the case is much different, for Holmes is a deductive genius, and Watson is, well, a regular Joe. The DVD quality is descent. The image is clear and gorgeous, but there is a waver in the sound during the episode of 'The Dancing Men,' which I feel is the best episode on the disc. All in all, this is a must for all Sherlock fans, and fans of great television drama everywhere!
Rating:
Summary: We all know the content, it's the transfer...
Review: The other reviewers here have had their say about the quality of the production in its entirety, which I wholeheartedly agree with. What has been mostly overlooked in the other reviews is the image quality of the conversion. It is passable most of the time, but in low light scenes there is obvious artifacting that creates a busy, static-laden blocky buzz that for me at least is very distracting. In my opinion unnecessary costs were cut in the production of this DVD (inferior encoding to MPEG-2) that reduce my rating by 1 star.
Rating:
Summary: The Excellence of Jeremy Brett on DVD
Review: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes DVD has become one of my favorites in my collection. I found the sound in the Naval Treaty not all that bad and it certainly did not distract from the show. Instead of focusing on the minor audio problem I would like to accent some of the positives of the disc: a superb picture that only DVD can provide; each episode is uncut and runs at approx. 55 minutes (entire scenes have been cut to accommodate commercial television); and you get 4 episodes for a generous price. I am grateful that MPI chose to release The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes on DVD and hope that there will be more releases in the future. Highly Recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Best Holmes, but terrible transfer
Review: There is little doubt that Brett is visually the best Holmes (I still prefer the Gielgud/Richardson radio plays of the 50's for the best acting), and that this series is (until the very last few episodes - easily spotted by the changed titles) very faithful to not only the original stories, but even to the Sidney Paget illustrations. Watching the first episode on PBS for the first time was a dream come true. But the sound is terrible - I have better sound on my off-air VHS Hi-Fi tapes of this material, and even the linear sound tracks on those tapes are better than what you will endure from this DVD. The sound is inexcusably, painfully bad, and is simply a terrible representation of what was broadcast. One must assume that nobody bothered to check. I'd happily pay much more and get at least half decent sound, if that's what it takes. Surely better copies of the sound track are available for the asking from the thousands of people who taped it off the air. Nevertheless, the material here is so good that it rates 5 stars in spite of the sound. If you have even the most casual affection for Holmes, this is an absolute must-have. Buy it and send a nasty letter to the clods who butchered the transfer, and hope for more. Try not to grind your teeth too much.
Rating:
Summary: best adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic
Review: Jeremy Brett leads a wonderful cast in the british television version of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Brett fits the role of the detective perfectly and gives a stunning performance. The interesting relationship between the detective and Watson, played by the equally wonderful David Burke, is displayed wonderfully; from Holmes teaching his apprentice about how to observe handwriting to the doctor warning the detective about drug use. This is by far the best adaptation of the classic stories. I recomend this version over all others. I only wish that there were more episodes of the show on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Pure genius translated pefectly by the late master
Review: Buy this DVD. It is pure quality. If you have ever read the original Doyle stories or even if you are familiar only with the Rathbone years, this is the ultimate adaptation of Sherlock Holmes's legacy. The stories are adapted faithfully and completely, perfectly encapsulated in the one hour format. Brett's sometimes subtle, sometimes overblown performances capture the dysfunctional genius of his character. Somewhat close to 50 or so episodes were filmed before the masterful Jeremy Brett's untimely demise, and the only complaint I have is that only four have been released.
Rating:
Summary: Leaves you wanting more!
Review: What a wonderful adaptation of Sherlock! I have been a Holmes fan for years, from the first paperback I bought in high school to the annoted hardbacks detailing the great detectives works I now have in my library. This series is brilliant! The quality of acting, direction and dialogue is superb! Jeremy Brett will make you believe he actually is Sherlock! David Burke is the perfect Watson. The scenery and the settings are beautifully conceived! The attention to detail is so amazing, I believe Holmes himself would have approved. Each story is a carefully woven tapestry of drama and intrigue. The relationship between Holmes and Watson so vivid and endearing, with the subtle touch of humor good friends often share. The only downside is I find myself impatiently waiting for the next release from the same series.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Fantastic quality, and Holmes is dependable as usual. This TV series is the best. I am waiting for the rest - a boxed pack of the entire series would be awesome.
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