Thanks to YouTube, I’ve finally had the opportunity to see an episode of the BBC Sherlock Holmes series starring Douglas Wilmer.  Wilmer was later replaced by Peter Cushing (episodes I’ve already seen), but it has been difficult to see the Wilmer episodes.  Most of them have been lost over the years, but at least three are still available.

Tonight I watched The Six Napoleons.

Like the later Peter Cushing episodes, these stories are close to the Conan Doyle originals.  I don’t know the adventures precisely enough to say how close, but all of the key elements appear to be in place.

To begin with, there’s very little here that would appeal to the modern Sherlock audience.   No running about, no special effects, no loud music drowning out the dialogue, a plot that makes sense, a mystery that can be deduced, no gay undertones, no fast-edits, and no camera shake.  Blimey, does this thing have any saving graces at all?

Yes.  It has good actors telling a splendid story in an engaging way.  Remember when TV used to do that?  Seems so long ago.

At present, I’m not thoroughly convinced with Wilmer’s interpretation of Holmes based on this single episode.  He seems more accessible, more friendly, and more jovial than the Sherlock Holmes you’d expect to see.  He shares these traits with Ronald Howard from the Sheldon Reynolds series of the previous decade.  Some reviews have said that Wilmer based his portrayal on Basil Rathbone, but I don’t see any sign of that here.  I don’t know if he watched the Ronald Howard series but it’s this Sherlock Holmes that would seem most inspirational to Wilmer’s.  I wouldn’t want to generalise based on one episode but, if I was to do so, I’d have to prefer Peter Cushing’s interpretation the following year.

However, I have two further episodes to watch before I make any further judgements.  What I can say is that Douglas Wilmer delivers an engaging performance.  It’s very difficult to keep the attention when you know the story too well already and, in this case, it’s essential to have good actors playing the familiar characters.  Here, they all do that – Wilmer as Holmes, Nigel Stock as Watson, and Peter Madden as Lestrade.

They’re supported ably by familiar BBC stalwarts James Bree (Doctor Who’s “Security Chief” from The War Games, Nefred from Full Circle and Keeper of the Matrix from TOATL), Arthur Hewlett (Kalmar from State of Decay, and Kimber from Terror of the Vervoids), and Donald Hewlett (from It Ain’t Half Hot Mum).