The Best Sherlock Holmes Adaptations, Ranked
Mystery fanatics can’t get enough of detective stories, but there’s no other detective or sleuth who has captured the attention and the imagination of readers quite like Sherlock Holmes. The character originally appeared in Beeton’s Christmas Annual in 1887 in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story “A Study in Scarlet.” And yet over one hundred years later, mystery lovers still crave more stories and adaptations of the world’s most famous detective. There have been over 250 television and movie adaptations of Sherlock Holmes. Here are the 10 best Sherlock Holmes series and movie adaptations, ranked.
10 The Irregulars (2021) — Netflix’s The Irregulars only aired for one season and eight episodes, but this inventive take on Sherlock Holmes is certainly worth a watch. Developed by Drama Republic, this 2021 series follows a group of teenagers living in Victorian London called the “Irregulars.” The Irregulars work for John Watson to help solve a series of crimes and search for Sherlock Holmes, who has gone missing.
9 The Great Mouse Detective (1986) — There’s something so special about a good Disney movie, and The Great Mouse Detective brings that Disney magic to the story of Sherlock Holmes. This 1986 animated film is an adaptation of Eve Titus’ children’s book Basil of Baker Street. Basil is “the Sherlock Holmes of the mouse world. Titus named her version of Holmes “Basil” after the actor Basil Rathborne, who played Holmes in multiple film adaptations. But it’s the film adaptation’s villain who really shines. Professor Ratigan, the story’s Moriarty, and his climactic fight against Basil inside Big Ben was praised by critics, and Time Out magazine called it “breathtaking.”
8 House (2004 – 2012) — House is a medical drama series that ran for eight seasons on the Fox network from 2004 to 2012. Although this isn’t a direct adaptation of any particular Sherlock Holmes story, the creators of House wanted to ensure the correlation was clear and that the popular detective was a major influence on the series, especially the titular character, Gregory House. Like Holmes, House uses deductive reasoning and psychology to diagnose difficult cases. House also has a companion resembling Dr. John Watson, named Dr. James Wilson. House was beloved by viewers and critics alike. It received many awards, including the 2006 Golden Globe for best actor, award to House’s star Hugh Laurie.
7 Enola Holmes (2022) — Enola Holmes is a 2022 mystery film starring Millie Bobbie Brown as the titular character, the teenage sister of Sherlock Holmes. Like her brother, Enola is resourceful and intelligent and just as capable of cracking a difficult case. In this film, Enola travels to London in search of her missing mother and finds herself in the middle of a seemingly impossible mystery that threatens the country. The film also stars Henry Cavill as Sherlock, Sam Claflin as Mycroft, and Helena Bonham Carter as the matriarch of the Holmes family, Eudoria.
6 Sherlock Holmes (2009) — 2009’s Sherlock Holmes adaptation gives the famous detective the Guy Ritchie treatment. Holmes, as played by Robert Downey Jr., and Watson, played by Jude Law, become action heroes. The film’s producer, Lionel Wigram, explains that Conan Doyle’s stories often referred to fight scenes that happened offscreen, but “we’re putting those fights onscreen.” Sherlock Holmes was one of the highest grossing films of 2009, and Robert Downey Jr. received a Golden Globe for his performance.
5 Mr. Holmes (2015) — Mr. Holmes is a film based on Mitch Cullin’s novel A Slight Trick of the Mind, which follows Sherlock Holmes after his retirement. The 93 year-old Sherlock Holmes, played by Sir Ian McKellan, looks back at his final case and tries to remember the details as his memory fades. Mr. Holmes takes the character in the exact opposite direction of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes. This film focuses on the nuances of the beloved detective character and is more of a thoughtful drama than it is a mystery.
4 Elementary (2012 – 2019) — CBS’s Elementary series was a contemporary adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, and across seven seasons, Jonny Lee Miller became the actor who had played the world’s most popular detective in the most episodes in television or in film. The series was critically acclaimed and won multiple awards. Also of note: Lucy Liu’s excellent portrayal of Dr. Joan Watson, a gender-bent version of Dr. John Watson.
3 The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) — Based on the 1902 Conan Doyle novel of the same name, Hammer Film Productions’ The Hound of the Baskervilles stars Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes and André Morrell as Dr. Watson. Both Cushing and Morrell were praised for their portrayals of the iconic characters, and Time Out London called the film “the best Sherlock Holmes film ever made, and one of Hammer’s finest movies.”
2 Sherlock Holmes (1984 – 1994) — This British television series ran for ten years and adapted 43 of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. These adaptations are generally considered to be the most faithful adaptations of Sherlock Holmes. Jeremy Brett’s performance as Sherlock Holmes and David Burke as Watson have both been praised for staying true to Conan Doyle’s concepts of the characters. Fun fact: Jude Law, who later plays Watson in 2009’s Sherlock Holmes, had a guest role in this series as the servant Joe Barnes.
1 Sherlock (2010 – 2017) — Of the many adaptations of Sherlock Holmes, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ series adaptation remains our personal favorite. This series ran for four seasons and thirteen episodes (and a Christmas special) between 2010 and 2017. Set in modern-day Britain, Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes, Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson, and Andrew Scott as Moriarty. The Independent called the series “a triumph,” and while the series is a less faithful adaptation than, say, 1984’s Sherlock Holmes, critics and viewers seem to agree this version of Sherlock is faithful in all the ways that matter, while also adding some fresh takes to our favorite detective stories and these characters we hold so dear.
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Emily Martin has a PhD in English from the University of Southern Mississippi. She’s a contributing editor at Book Riot and blogs/podcasts at Book Squad Goals.