Complete Sherlock Holmes

The success of the new Sherlock Holmes movie has inspired Mark Gatiss to create a new Sherlock Holmes television series currently set to be aired in the United States and Australia later this year.

Mark Gatiss is an English actor, screenwriter and novelist, perhaps best known as a member of the comedy team The League of Gentlemen. His interest in Sherlock Holmes dates back to childhood when he spent hours pouring over Sherlock Holmes stories. In fact, Gatiss says he still carries a complete copy of Sherlock Holmes just about everywhere he goes.

Gatiss is joined on the project by Scottish television writer and producer Steven Moffat, with whom he collaborated on the British science fiction television program, Dr. Who.

The two have brought Holmes and his side kick Dr. Watson 100 years into the future from their original Victorian setting. Thus none of the original plots will be used. But, Holmes fans are assured by Moffat that, “”Everything that matters about Holmes and Watson is the same.” 221B Baker Street will still be the residence of Holmes and Holmes’s arch nemesis, Dr. Moriarty will join Holmes and Watson in the 21st century to continue their battles.

Gatiss and Moffat have focused on Arthur Conan Doyle’s basic premises of brilliant detective work, evil villains and horrendous crimes in writing their story line.

Holmes will be played by Benedict Cumberbatch, an English actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in the BBC drama, Hawking, for which he was nominated as Best Actor at the 2005 British Academy Television Awards.

Cumberbatch will be joined by Martin Freeman as Watson. Freeman is an English actor most famous for his roles as Tim Canterbury in the BBC’s Golden Globe-winning comedy The Office and as Arthur Dent in the film adaptation of Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Look for the two-hour pilot and three other episodes are let us know what you think of the new series.