June 13, 2012

NetPix: BBC's SHERLOCK Reboot Is Brilliant

Over the weekend, I got introduced to the new Sherlock....no, not Robert Downey Jr.  but a true British gentleman by the nam of Benedict Cumberbatch.  Yes, that's his real name.  It almost sounds like the name of a character who comes to Sherlock for help in one of Arthur Doyle's original novels.  But Benedict, who cut his teeth with a great deal of UK theatre (of course) and a surprising amount of radio dramas (don't you love that they still exist even?!), is a unusually articulate and oddly perfect choice for the detective of 221B Baker Street.

I only got to catch one of the episodes, "A Scandal In Belgravia" but it was brilliant.  I'm generally not a fan of crime procedural shows but this is quite far removed from the genre; sexy and literate and smart and funny.  These are not words that come to mind when thinking of, say, an episode of LAW & ORDER. So I was pleasantly surprised and a bit hooked too.  There are three "seasons" of this show which is really more like a mini-series as the episodes are feature length and there are only 3-4 per season.  A curious schedule but perfect for an equally curious show.