"The Red Headed League" (1985)

I've always had an affection for the Sherlock Holmes short story "The Red Headed League."  It's one of the first canon Holmes stories I remember reading, and I think still it's one of the best.  (Reportedly, it was a favorite of A. Conan Doyle as well...)

Cowboy and I are watching our way through the Granada television Sherlock Holmes series once again, those absolutely delicious adaptations starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes and first David Burke, then Edward Hardwicke as Dr. Watson.  They are a joy and treasure!  We watch one every month or two, making the series stretch out over a couple of years so that we can just start right over again when we finish it, and the episodes will remain fresh and delightful.  

Since Carissa is hosting Celebrate Jeremy Brett Month at her blog Musings of an Introvert all through November, I wanted to contribute a review of some episode of this series, and this seemed like the perfect choice.  So, here we go!

Red-haired pawnbroker Jabez Wilson (Roger Hammond) comes to ask Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) his advice on a very peculiar problem.  He was offered a place in the Red-Headed League, which he'd never heard of, but which seemed like a legitimate -- if eccentric -- group.  

Membership required him to spend several hours every day at the League's office, copying out the encyclopedia!  For that, he received a rather nice bit of money every week.

But then, the League is dissolved with no warning at all, and Wilson can't help but feel he's had an enormous trick played on him somehow.  It's up to Sherlock Holmes to figure out what on earth was actually going on, with a bit of assistance from Dr. Watson (David Burke).  

If you haven't read the story, look it up on Project Gutenberg or something (it's in the public domain) and spend a happy few minutes reading it to find out how everything winds up.  I am not going to spoil it here.

"The Red-Headed League" was part of the earliest series of Sherlock Holmes episodes with this cast, called The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.  Jeremy Brett is in his absolute prime here as Holmes, energetic, oozing intelligence, and so charismatic you just can't take your eyes off him.  

While the complete set of Jeremy Brett outings as Holmes has become pretty expensive, you can get The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes on DVD new for less than $20, or used for a lot less.  If you enjoy period dramas, mysteries, or are just a Holmes fan, do yourself a favor and try them!

Is this episode, and the show as a whole, family friendly?  Basically, yes.  Once in a while there's a mild cuss word, and sometimes criminals get violent, but it's overall quite respectable.

As I said at the beginning of this post, it's a contribution to Celebrate Jeremy Brett Month hosted here at Musings of an Introvert throughout November.  If you're not familiar with Brett's acting, or if you're already a fan, definitely check out her event to see what other people are posting to celebrate this iconic British actor!