Ranking The Best & Worst

Sherlock Holmes has had several TV adaptations for decades, and the last two decades have seen some great ones. Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes made his debut in 1887 in the novel A Study in Scarlet and became widely popular after the publication of various short stories in The Strand Magazine.

Sherlock Holmes starred in a total of four novels and 56 short stories, and became one of the most popular literary characters. As such, Holmes, his cases, and his accompanying characters have been adapted to all types of media for decades, and in recent years, he has found great success on TV.

In the last two decades, there have been different TV adaptations of Sherlock Holmes, and, thanks to the status of the rights to the characters and their stories, some adaptations have made some interesting changes – from bringing the characters into the modern world to exploring their younger years and more.

6

The Irregulars (2021)

The Irregulars is a British crime drama TV series created by Tom Bidwell. The Irregulars has a twist: while it’s based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the world of Sherlock Holmes, it’s not focused on the detective and his friend and partner, Dr. John Watson. Instead, The Irregulars follows the title group of teenagers who live on the streets of London.

The Irregulars work for Holmes and Watson, getting information for them as they know their way through the streets, but the show gives it yet another twist. Netflix’s The Irregulars sees the group solving supernatural crimes for Watson (Royce Pierreson), while looking for Holmes (Henry Lloyd-Hughes), who is now a shadow of his former self.

The supernatural twist in The Irregulars also changes the portrayals of Watson and Holmes, with the former being more manipulative and Holmes a more elusive figure. Still, The Irregulars is an interesting take on Sherlock Holmes, Watson, and a group of characters many don’t remember from the books. The only problem, however, is that The Irregulars ended on a cliffhanger and was canceled without an official reason.

5

Sherlock & Daughter (2025-Present)

Sherlock & Daughter is a mystery TV series created by Brendan Foley, and it takes the audience back to 1896 to meet the Great Detective, played by David Thewlis. Holmes is forced out of isolation when a conspiracy involving the Red Thread criminal syndicate kidnaps his closest friends – however, he won’t be working alone.

As Watson (Seán Duggan) is among the kidnapped, Holmes doesn’t count on his help, and, instead, the show gives him a surprise sidekick. Holmes is approached by Amelia Rojas (Blu Hunt), a young Native American woman whose mother has recently been murdered. Amelia not only wants help to solve her mother’s murder, but she’s also there to figure out if Holmes is her long-lost father.

Sherlock & Daughter isn’t groundbreaking and doesn’t stand out from other modern Sherlock Holmes adaptations, but its biggest strength is Thewlis’ performance as an older, more vulnerable, but also grumpier Holmes, with the contrast of Amelia’s more youthful energy. Sherlock & Daughter lacks depth and direction, but its lighter tone and overall positive reception led to its renewal.

4

Watson (2025-Present)

Watson is a medical drama created by Craig Sweeny, and, as the title says, the main character is Dr. John Watson (Morris Chestnut), a former physician and consulting detective in London, and now the head of the Holmes Clinic of Diagnostic Medicine in Pittsburgh. The show is set a year after the Reichenbach Falls incident, which saw the apparent death of Sherlock Holmes at the hands of Moriarty.

As a result, Watson resumed his medical practice and opened the clinic, where they treat patients with strange issues and illnesses, with Watson applying the deductive reasoning he learned from Holmes to help his patients. Watson has stood out not only for its focus on the title character rather than on Holmes, but for its medical drama approach, without forgetting about mystery and drama.

In addition to its focus on medical mysteries rather than crimes, Watson explores themes like grief, trauma, and guilt through John’s own process following Holmes’ supposed death. Despite being a modern adaptation and changing its focus to another character, Watson keeps various canonical elements that help the show appeal to fans of the Great Detective.

3

Sherlock (2010-2017)

Sherlock is a mystery crime drama TV series created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. Sherlock brings the Great Detective, his stories, and accompanying characters to modern-day London, adapting and blending some of his most notable cases to modern technology and social issues. In this version, Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) is colder, more blunt, and describes himself as a “high-functioning sociopath.”

Watson (Martin Freeman) serves as Holmes’ anchor and voice of reason, though he’s often fed up with Holmes’ ways. Together, they investigate and solve different crimes in and around London, and come across some classic villains, most notably Moriarty (Andrew Scott). Despite its dramatic decline in seasons 3 and 4, Sherlock ranks among the best detective TV shows of all time.

Sherlock succeeded at modernizing the detective and his cases, even though some changes, like Holmes’ personality and some additions to the Holmes family, weren’t well-received or didn’t work. Still, Sherlock is praised for its writing, pace, performances, modernization of canon elements, and cinematic feel, and it was so popular that it changed fandom culture forever.

2

Young Sherlock (2026)

Young Sherlock is a mystery TV series developed by Matthew Parkhill and based on Andrew Lane’s book series of the same name. Young Sherlock takes viewers back to the Victorian era to meet a 19-year-old Sherlock Holmes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), who, fresh out of prison for pickpocketing, is given a job at Oxford University as a scout.

There, he meets brilliant student James Moriarty (Dónal Finn) and Chinese princess Shou’an (Zine Tseng), with whom he teams up after being framed for the murder of a professor. What none of them are ready for is that this journey will lead them to uncover a massive conspiracy and some disturbing secrets from the Holmes family.

Young Sherlock is an interesting look into the younger years of the Great Detective, exploring his first case, his unexpected friendship with Moriarty (and the beginnings of this character’s villainous turn), his family dynamic, and the abilities he naturally possessed and those he learned through practice and Moriarty. Young Sherlock also adds to the Holmes family, but in much better ways than Sherlock did.

1

Elementary (2012-2019)

Elementary is a procedural drama TV series created by Robert Doherty and starring Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes. Like Sherlock, Elementary brings the Great Detective and company to the modern world, but with some key changes. In the world of Elementary, Holmes fell from grace in London and spent some time in rehab due to substance-use disorder.

Now relocated to Manhattan and working as a police consultant for the NYPD, Holmes is forced to live with a sober companion: Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu), a formerly successful surgeon who lost a patient, so she made a change in her career. Watson ends up becoming Holmes’ partner and mentee, and together they solve different cases.

What makes Elementary stand out from other modern Sherlock Holmes adaptations is how it humanizes Holmes, going deeper into his personal struggles than most adaptations. Through Holmes and Watson, Elementary explores themes like trauma, recovery, addiction, and grief, and it makes Watson his equal as they develop a strong friendship.

Elementary’s format allowed it to better explore the cases and each character’s backstories and struggles, giving them the development they deserved. Elementary is widely considered the best Sherlock Holmes adaptation in recent years, and with good reason.