The Sherlock Holmes Collection (23 Disc Box Set) [DVD] [1988]

Fantastic to have this series on DVD in the UK at last. Jeremy Brett is, for many, the definitive Sherlock and it is a delight to be able to see these adaptations again. Brett's performance is a remarkable one. His interpretation of the great detective in the early episodes is very true to the original stories, showing a cold, sometimes harsh figure who has no time for human foibles and trivialities. And yet, slowly, as the episodes progress and the years creep by, Brett's Sherlock grows more human, more kind, more eccentric; a warmer man, and one who, I suspect, shows far more of the actor beneath the skin. The six Casebook epsiodes are, for me, the best, and whilst some of the later programmes are, sadly, not up to much (Brett was very ill by this point), it is good to have the complete set together. Messrs Burke and Hardwicke give admirable support as their respective Watsons.The boxset comes in a large, cardboard carrier, which is not luxurious but is eminently capable of storing them all. You get over 20 discs for your money too and it is cheaper than buying them all singly. Picture quality is good TV standard - as one would expect, the earlier episodes are the most prone to some graininess and colour loss, but this is by no means a problem and the image is absolutely fine - and, besides, only a real stickler would complain (I believe some of the mastertapes were damaged in some way, so we are lucky all episodes look this good). Sound quality is excellent too and the problems which marred the 80s/90s video releases of these programmes have been eradicated.All in all, a superb collection of wonderful dramas - great locations, great period costume and setting, great supporting roles from a host of well-known British actors. And the great Jeremy Brett in his greatest triumph.

I've been reading and re-reading Sir Doyle's stories about Sherlock Holmes for 10 years now. A few years ago I saw "The Hound Of The Baskervilles" and "The Sign Of Four" on Dutch television, with Jeremy Brett playing the role of Sherlock Holmes.When I read that Jeremy Brett is regarded as THE Sherlock Holmes among the majority I was thrilled to see that there was a boxed set available with all of the episodes that were made with mr. Brett. I was a bit taken aback when I read the reviews on this site, rating the boxed set from 1 star to the full 5 stars.At the moment that I discovered that there was a 51% discount I decided to order it anyway and lo and behold, it arrive about a week ago!I was a bit nervous when I played the first disc but I was not disappointed by the set. I'm really looking forward at watching the remaining discs.There are no extras, that's true. But how many people watch extras on expanded DVD sets. I informed among friends and co-workers. The majority just like the idea of extra material but admitted they only watched once, and prefered just only to watch the film they initially wanted to buy in the first place.A nice documentary about the series and its' most important leading actors would have been nice, but as an extra on a DVD these things always turn into commercial ads for the product.A nice documentary about Jeremy Brett and co-actors would be nice, but made independent from the series by objective people. The good things and the latter difficulties stand a better chance of being in balance. That would be a nice DVD to buy and add as a bonus.But in the meantime, I'm perfectly happy with the set as it is.

Some reviewers have compared the picture quality of this R2 boxset unfavourably with the R1 discs. Having performed a compare and contrast with the R1 boxset of 'Adventures' myself, I have to admit they've got a point, albeit a qualified one. The R2 transfers of earlier stories are noticeably, if only slightly, noisier, with glaring MPEG artefacts especially obvious on the blacks (so a problem in dimly-lit, gas-lit, scenes). As some have pointed out, the recent, crisp, BBC2 transmissions give the lie to the claim on the back of the boxes that Granada went back to the original masters for these discs.Having said that, the picture quality on the 'Memoirs' stories is pretty pristine, and shows up the flaws in the mastering of their predecessors. Various sound problems on the R1 set (most obvious in 'The Naval Treaty' - Brett sounds like a Dalek) are not apparent here. So six of one, really. Then again, stories originally presented in Dolby Surround only get a standard stereo track here. Pah! Granada clearly have no idea what they've got on their hands. Or perhaps they do: a cash cow.Despite the fuzzy visuals, this is still an outstanding set and a must-have purchase for any fan of quality television, let alone fans of Sherlock Holmes, especially at Amazon's current low price. Brett is, as I'm sure most people reading this will have gathered by now, a master at work. That alone is incentive enough to pick this set up. You won't regret it.