I’ll keep this brief, and let it serve mostly as a reminder that — though you’ve probably already got enough on your plate on Sunday nights with the “Game of Thrones,” “Mad Men,” “The Killing”, and “Veep,” there is another show very, very much worth your attention. Season two of the BBC’s “Sherlock” begins this Sunday night on PBS. If you haven’t seen the first season yet, it’s only three episodes, and it’s available on Netflix Instant. Block out a few hours this weekend to take it in. A word to the wise: Don’t start the first episode late at night. Trust me, you won’t quit until you’ve watched all three.
Each episode is more like an 80-minute movie, and they are intense, gripping, fast-paced, intelligent, and brilliantly entertaining. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the lead role, opposite soon-to-be Hobbit Martin Freeman as John Watson. What they manage to accomplish in the series puts the Guy Ritchie movies to shame. Anyone else that has seen BBC’s “Sherlock” can back me up on that. I don’t know anyone who wasn’t instantly won over by the series, the way it so smartly blends old-school “Sherlock” into contemporary London, and the insightful ways in which it updates the same stories.
Like a lot of people, I’ve seen the entire second series already — it aired in England several months ago. It builds on, and somehow improves upon, the first season, pulling you through three intense episodes before dropping the hammer on you. Sherlock Holmes’ buffs will recognize the three story-lines based on “A Scandal in Bohemia,” “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” and “The Final Problem.” It’s good stuff, and definitely a show in the conversation with “Mad Men,” “Game of Thrones,” “Justified,” and “Breaking Bad,” as the best on television.
Seek it out, if you can. Even if you can’t get to it this Sunday, store it on your DVR. During that long drought in the summer months where there’s not a lot of great television to find, you’ll be grateful to have “Sherlock” to fall back on.
![[avatar]](http://p.uproxxcdn.com/photo/4006/thumb)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/06/hobbit-production-blog-uproxx-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/06/the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-trailer-is-undoubtedly-a-trap-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/06/enhanced-buzz-19377-1370854173-3-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/06/hobbit-desolation-of-smaug-02-150x150.jpg)
Any word on whether netflix streaming will pick this up?
I’m sure you can watch it at PBS.org
Season 2 I mean.
Haven’t seen the second season (series?) yet, so looking forward to this.
It really was amazing how well they updated the stories to contemporary settings without losing much of anything along the way.
He’s dead on. This show is outstanding.
When I first read this I thought by some miracle it was series 3 starting. I wish.
So did I. Now I am just sad. This article is a cocktease!
Totally gonna back you up this. There’s something beautiful about seeing a show that decided to eschew the traditional TV scheduling format and go for the “Mini-movie” format.
“Lovely stuff, not my words Michael but the words of Shakin Stevens”
This is event television.
Is indeed a great bit of TV, one of the best series the BBC has put out in ages, and that’s alongside Doctor Who (who it shares writers with) and The Hour (another great recent Brit series).
Second series is even better than the first IMO, but watch series one as well.
Cumberbatch is pretty special. Breathing life into any procedural let alone this one is a minor miracle.
BCumber #cangetit.
I’ve already seen “A Scandal in Belgravia” about 10 times, but I’m totally gonna watch it again on sunday…AMAZING television! #IbelieveinSherlockHolmes
Has anyone explained why this airs on PBS here instead of BBC America?
BBC America is too busy showing British classics like The X-Files and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Gillian Anderson does have the lovely translucent death’s-door pigmentation of your average Brit, so it makes sense.
Hmm I am very interested in this show, seeing how I enjoy both of the leading actors. I have AT&T Uverse which does have BBCA, but Sherlock isn’t showing up on the guide. Can anyone ekse who has this shitty service point me in the right direction? Thanks.
Okay right after I posted this, CuriousGeorger basically answered my question with his post. PBS it is!
I haven’t seen it, but a few of my friends have remarked that two of the first three episodes (I can’t remember which) are off-puttingly racist. But if you can get past that (literally, don’t bother watching them,) then it’s amazing after that. Does anyone care to comment/elaborate on that?
I am assuming this would be heavily referring to The Blind Banker from the first run which included a series of Chinese characters all involved in one whacky scheme or another.
I could I guess see it as being racist? Maybe?
I don’t know.
You need less pissy friends.
It’s been a while since I saw the first series, but I don’t remember anything like that at all.
Like CG said, you need to find new friends.
[www.youtube.com]
All you need to know about the awesomeness of the show. This could be considered spoilery only because it hasn’t aired in America yet. It has nothing to do with the actual plot.
This show is the best. I wish that there were more episodes.
Agreed. The show is amazing. You wish they would do more than 3 episodes per season, but then you realize they are really 3 quality movies in one year and you are amazed how they pull it off.