BBC Confirms 'Sherlock' is Back for Series 2!

Yesterday came the best news ever: BBC controller Jay Hunt announced the return of Sherlock for a second series of three 90-minutes episodes for next year. However, viewers will have to wait patiently until the Fall of 2011 to view the further adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.

The series, strong of it's success both with critics and the public - the show averaged 7.2m viewers over the three Sherlock episodes: A Study in Pink, The Blind Banker and The Great Game) - recently ended it's run in the UK and will soon air here in North America starting October 24th on PBS Masterpiece Mystery.

Benedict Cumberbatch will return in the role of Sherlock Holmes, as will Martin Freeman in the role of his friend and colleague Dr. John Watson. Both actors were largely responsible for the success of the series due to their great on-screen chemistry.

Of series 2, co-creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss had this to say:

"We've been overwhelmed by the warmth of response to our new Sherlock Holmes and John Watson and can't wait to take them on three new adventures next year. There'll be baffling new puzzles, old friends and new enemies – whether on two, or four legs. And we might well be seeing the cold master of logic and reason unexpectedly falling. But in love? Or over a precipice? Who can tell?"

Already the mind is whirling with the possibilities - maybe Irene Adler will make an appearance in an episode? and the four-legged enemy may be foreshadowing a modern adaptation of The Hound of the Baskerville? All of this is very exciting conjecture.

Next year has never seemed so far away.

[BBC Press Office]

'Sherlock' Star Benedict Cumberbatch Not offered 'Doctor Who' Role after all?

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who just finished a first and very successful run as Sherlock Holmes in the Steven Moffat - Mark Gatiss co-created BBC series Sherlock (series 2 has been confirmed last week), made some very interesting revelations in regards to the Doctor Who role.

Talking to the Sunday Times, the 34 year old actor revealed that he never turned down the role of the Doctor simply because he never was offered a shot at the Tardis contrarily to what was previously reported here.

Even if he had been offered the role, Cumberbatch says he would have refused it :

“I’d turn it down anyway. Jumping onto school stages and giving out prizes and saying ‘I am the Doctor’, it’s not where I want to go.”

[Sunday Times]

For those of you who were still holding out hope that the actor could still play the Doctor when current Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith chose to quit the role, time is to face the fact that Cumberbatch will never be the Doctor.

Still, it doesn't rule out the rumour that he is set to appear in an undisclosed amount of Doctor Who episodes in a guest stint for series 6 (you can read the original post here). Maybe Cumberbatch will be playing the mysterious villain we heard in the Tardis in the penultimate episode of Series 5, The Pandorica Opens, rumoured to be Omega?

Whether he does or not, it looks like the future is shining brightly for Benedict Cumberbatch who has just won the part of Peter Guillam, George Smiley's (Gary Oldman, Batman Begins ) MI6 protégé, in the remake of the movie Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by Swedish director Tomas Alfredson that will come out in 2012; and he will soon start filming on the Steven Spielberg war movie War Horse about Michael Morpurgo’s story of the Devonshire farm horse taken to France in the first world war.

What do you think? Are you disappointed that Cumberbatch was not offered the role of the Doctor after all?

'Sherlock' Coming to North America on October 24th!

I've been talking a lot about Sherlock these past few weeks, putting up pictures and some video interviews. Now I have some good news for my North American readers.

You will be happy to know that Sherlock is finally coming to PBS Masterpiece Mystery with the first episode, A Study in Pink, set to air on October 24th.

Episodes two and three, The Blind Banker and The Great Game, will follow on October 31 and November 7 respectively.

Co-created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock is a modern re-imagining of the adventures of the popular Sir Arthur Conan Doyle detective hero, Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), and his ever faithful sidekick Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman).

[PBS]

Elementary my Dear Watson! 'Sherlock' is returning for a second Series!

Good news everyone! Sherlock Series 2 is a go!

According to Sherlock producer, Sue Vertue, the show will indeed return for a second series.

This is good and perhaps not so unexpected news, following the critical and popular success of the BBC One series.

Vertue, who appeared on BBC Breakfast alongside her husband and show co-creator Steven Moffat, revealed that an agreement has already been made with the BBC :

There will be more.We're having a meeting, just to sort of talk about how many and when really. Steven and Mark [Gatiss] are both busy. Obviously Steven is doing Doctor Who as well so it's just when we are going to do them.

The sad news is that the BBC head of drama, Ben Stephenson, recently said that any new episodes of the show will not air for "at least a year".

I say leave Doctor Who into capable hands and do the second series of Sherlock now Steven!

Sherlock's last episode, The Great Game, ended the series' three-episode run last Sunday night in the UK and was watched by 7.3 million viewers.

[Digital Spy]

'Sherlock' - Coming Up? - Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss BBC Video Interview

'Sherlock' - Who is Sherlock Holmes? - Martin Freeman BBC Video Interview

'Sherlock' - The Sherlock Scripts - Benedict Cumberbatch BBC Video Interview

New Pics for 'Sherlock' Episode 3 'The Great Game'

The Great Game is the last episode of the new BBC series Sherlock by Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat and Doctor Who writer and actor Mark Gatiss.

As I mentioned a few days ago here, in the wake of very good ratings and positive reviews the BBC now seems keen for more episodes so The Great Game certainly wont be the last. Still, it will be a long wait for us in the meanwhile.

Enjoy the pics!

[Den of Geek]

'Sherlock' - Martin Freeman Talks 221b Baker Street - BBC One Video Interview

'Sherlock' - Benedict Cumberbatch Talks Sherlock and Watson - BBC One Video Interview

'Sherlock' - Who is John Watson - Martin Freeman BBC One Video Interview

'Sherlock' - Benedict Cumberbatch Talks Updating Sherlock - BBC One Video Interview

'Sherlock' Star Benedict Cumberbatch Hints 'Doctor Who' Role?

Benedict Cumberbatch, who is currently starring as the modern re-imagined version of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes in the Steven Moffat/ Mark Gatiss BBC drama Sherlock, has hinted to Digital Spy that he may be appearing in more than one episodes of Doctor Who in the future.

Cumberbatch confesses that he is a huge fan of the Sci-Fi series, and that one episode would not be enough for him.

Cumberbatch says that "maybe" he would love to play the Doctor in the future; that or plans are at work for him to appear in more than one episode in the upcoming series. The actor remained very cryptic about it, though at the same time stressing that he wouldn't appear in just one episode.

Click to play the video below to hear what Cumberbatch is saying.



[Digital Spy]

Is it just small talk, wishful thinking, or something more concrete? I'd love to hear what you guys think of this.

BBC 'Sherlock' Press Release and First Episode Description + New Pics!

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes

Yesterday, the BBC has issued an extensive press release about it's upcoming Steven Moffat/Mark Gatiss series Sherlock which you can go peruse here.

It includes interviews with showrunner and co-creator Stephen Moffat, as well as Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. 

There will be three 90 minutes episodes in this first series which will air it's first episode on Sunday, July 25.

Here is the BBC description for the first episode:

Sherlock Holmes was always a modern man – it's the world that got old.

Now he's back as he should be – edgy, contemporary, difficult – and dangerous!

John Watson – Doctor, soldier, war hero. Fresh from military service in Afghanistan, a chance encounter brings him into the world of Sherlock Holmes – loner, detective, genius. The two men couldn't be more different, but Sherlock's inspired leaps of intellect coupled with John's pragmatism soon forge an unbreakable alliance.

Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson

A woman in pink lies dead in a derelict house. The fourth in a series of impossible suicides DI Lestrade is the best Scotland Yard has got. But even he knows he can't compare to the young man who can tell a software designer by his tie, an airline pilot by his thumb.

Sherlock has a unique analytical mind, earning his living and staving off boredom by solving crimes. The weirder and more baffling the better ...

Across three thrilling, scary, action-packed and hugely entertaining episodes, Sherlock and John navigate a maze of cryptic clues and lethal killers to get at the truth.

The world's favourite detective has emerged from the fog. With sparkling scripts and unforgettable performances from the two leads, this is Sherlock for a new generation.

Sherlock Holmes is played by Benedict Cumberbatch, John Watson by Martin Freeman, Mrs Hudson by Una Stubbs, Inspector Lestrade by Rupert Graves, Molly Hooper by Louise Brealey and Sargeant Sally Donovan by Vinette Robinson.

Sherlock will air on BBC One and BBC HD starting Sunday, July 25th, 9h00-10h30pm.

I'm hearing good things about the show, and will certainly be looking forward to it.

Will you be watching Sherlock?

Steven Moffat's Sherlock: First Pictures!

What a great way to start the morning, the first two official pictures of Steven Moffat's other project, Sherlock, are now online!

The BBC has released these two great shots of actors Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Watson. The show is still a few months away from airing on tv.

Enjoy!

 [Digital Spy]

Are Movies Getting Lamer?

I've been to the theatre maybe three times this year. Once to see Sherlock Holmes, a second time for Clash of the Titans and then the wife and I recently checked out The Losers.

Given the slate of upcoming releases, I will likely screen The A-Team because a buddy wants to bring his kids and I will tag along for the ride. The next film I can see myself dragging my ass to is The Expendables because I don't see how any male who calls himself a movie fan will want to pass up seeing that cast (Stallone, Ah-nold and Willis in the same scene together? Hello!) on the big screen. I might check out Tron 2.0, but we'll see what my mood is like at the time.

That's it. Six films worth slapping down $10 to see. Otherwise, I'll wait and watch them on the system at home. Hi-def picture, 5.1 digital surround, no crowds and beer outweigh my need to see Iron Man 2 any day.

But it wasn't that long ago that the wife and I would head out once a week and catch all the big releases. When I was single it was two or three films a week. I loved movies. Everything look worth seeing at least once. Now, not so much.

Everything is a remake, reboot, sequel or adaptation nowadays and little of it is worth the effort of a trip to the theatre. It's been a long time since any piece of movie news has even peaked my interest. People once talked about the magic of movies, but that magic seems gone to me these days.

That's why Shawn and I have turned to the weird, offbeat and the obscure for our reviews. Hollywood is becoming a vapid wasteland of crap. It's the independent releases that are worth the look. Even then, you've got to watch a lot of junk to find that gem.

That said, I still need to find two films to review for Episode XIV. Better stop mussing and start searching.

What are your thoughts on movies? Are they getting better, worse or have they stayed just as entertaining as ever?

Good night, and good luck.