Gallery: Sublime Sherlocks: The Great Detective's Brainy Descendants
01sherlock-2010
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's essential detective Sherlock Holmes is engagingly rebooted for the digital age in the BBC's stellar new series, Sherlock. Reinventing the character for an epoch of information overload, actor Benedict Cumberbatch's addled Holmes is a death "freak" — as he's derisively called by police who barely comprehend his deductive revelations — and an internet geek-for-hire who runs a site called [The Science of Deduction](http://www.thescienceofdeduction.co.uk). Holmes' sidekick Watson (played by [Martin Freeman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Freeman), who's just been cast as [Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming *The Hobbit* movies](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2010/10/hobbit-bilbo/)) is also no stranger to social media. An Iraq vet with PTSD, his gun keeps Holmes alive while his own blog tracks Holmes' cases. Cumberbatch's alternately bored and hyperactive Holmes is but the latest iteration of what the *Guinness Book of World Records* calls the "[most portrayed movie character](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes)" in history. But that's just one sphere of influence: The hyperlogical, drug-friendly detective infiltrated literature, television, comics and cartoons after Holmes' debut in 1887 mystery [A Study in Scarlet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Study_in_Scarlet). Since then, Holmes has appeared in the first detective film ever made ([Sherlock Baffled](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_Baffled)) and solved future crimes in the 22nd century. Click through our Sherlock gallery above for some of the super-sleuth's most compelling clones. Did we miss a clue? Inject your own Holmes of choice into the comments section below. __Above:__ Sherlock (2010) --------------- __Whodunit:__ Created by Dr. Who writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, [Sherlock](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/sherlock/index.html) — which finally crosses the pond Oct. 24 at 9 p.m. on PBS — reimagines the iconic sleuth as a technophilic savant. __Drug of choice:__ Technology. Sherlock is a multitasking maestro swallowed by social networking and onscreen hypertext. It's transmedia for television addicts. __Weapon of choice:__ Smartphone, in an uncredited lead role. Sherlock rarely lets go of his, but has been known to fire a gun at the walls out of sheer boredom. __What's elementary?__ Sherlock's technocultural upgrade is a pleasure to parse, and one of the BBC's best exports with few, if any, bugs.
02sherlock-doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) ------------------------------ __Whodunit:__ Doyle created original super-sleuth [Sherlock Holmes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes), but he also did some crime-fighting himself. He applied that knowledge to the character he invented, with Holmes appearing in four novels and 56 short stories. The [polymath Doyle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Conan_Doyle) tried to kill off Holmes at the turn of the century, but public outcry encouraged the author to resuscitate the archetypal detective in 1901's [The Hound of the Baskervilles](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hound_of_the_Baskervilles). __Drug of choice:__ Analysis. Doyle was a practicing physician and political figure, as well as an occasional investigator whose cases helped establish England's Court of Criminal Appeal. __Weapon of choice:__ The pen. Evidently, it can be mightier than the sword on occasion. __What's elementary?__ Doyle created the most iconic detective of all time. At least, until the [world's greatest detective](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman) snatched his crown.
03batman-return1
Batman (1939-present) --------------------- __Whodunit:__ The 21st century's heir apparent to Sherlock Holmes' deductive throne, [Batman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman) was created in 1939 by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, who partially based him on Doyle's sleuth. The Dark Knight has since become popularly known as the world's greatest detective. The passing of the baton from Holmes to Batman has been legitimized in [DC Comics](http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/NewsGhost/news/?a=13377) and cartoon Batman: The Brave and the Bold (right). __Drug of choice:__ Justice. Watching his parents' assassination as a child condemned Bruce Wayne to a life of endless demons and detection. __Weapon of choice:__ Given his infinite arsenal, there is no way to answer this question. Batman can kill or save you with pretty much anything he wants to use, whenever he wants to use it. __What's elementary?__ Now that film has technologically evolved to expertly render superheroes, Batman could overtake Sherlock's *Guinness Book* record as "[most portrayed movie character](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes#Stage_and_screen_adaptations)" by the end of the century.
041924-buster-keaton-sherlock-junior
Sherlock, Jr. (1924) -------------------- __Whodunit:__ The brilliant [Buster Keaton](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buster_keaton), whose straight face, acrobatic talent and flawless timing brought silent-cinema charm to [Sherlock, Jr.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock,_Jr.) in 1924. __Drug of choice:__ Love, in the form of a deep crush on the town beauty. __Weapon of choice:__ A magnifying glass, a copy of How to Be a Detective and an inspired imagination that transformed him from an unassuming projectionist into a heroic detective. __What's elementary?__ Sherlock Jr. was one of the first alternative interpretations of Doyle's literary creation.
05sherlock-rathbone
Basil Rathbone (1892-1967) -------------------------- __Whodunit:__ A Shakespearean stage vet, [Rathbone](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil_Rathbone) became a cultural sensation after starring in [14 Sherlock Holmes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_%281939_film_series%29) films from 1939 to 1946. __Drug of choice:__ Sherlock Holmes. Rathbone's career exploded after portraying Doyle's detective, but he was unable to extract himself from the character's towering typecasting. __Weapon of choice:__ Propaganda. Rathbone's iteration caught fire after World War II. In his films, Holmes was transported from the Victorian era to contemporary England to dispatch Nazis. __What's elementary?__ Rathbone remains the most recognizable Sherlock on film.
06sherlock-wilmer
Douglas Wilmer (1920-present) ----------------------------- __Whodunit:__ [Douglas Wilmer's Sherlock](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Wilmer) ruled television in the '60s. __Drug of choice:__ Time. Wilmer's BBC version was a crowd favorite, but the military, stage and film vet refused to re-up because of hurried production schedules. The role of Holmes on British television went to horror and sci-fi actor [Peter Cushing](http://www.bakerstreetdozen.com/Cushing1.html) in 1968. __Weapon of choice:__ Loyalty. Wilmer's definitive portrayal kept critics happy during the '60s, while Cushing's schlock value turned off Sherlock loyalists. __What's elementary?__ Until Jeremy Brett's ultimate iteration arrived in the '80s, Wilmer reigned as the most faithful televisual Sherlock in history.
07sherlock-prisoner
The Prisoner, "The Girl Who Was Death" (1968) --------------------------------------------- __Whodunit:__ [Patrick McGoohan](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2009/01/rip-patrick-mcg), in probably the most surreal episode of his pioneering sci-fi series [The Prisoner](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2009/11/the-prisoner-an-all-star-appreciation). __Drug of choice:__ Humor. "[The Girl Who Was Death](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_Who_Was_Death)" cleverly spoofed Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, existentialism and even McGoohan's own celebrated spy-fi series [Danger Man](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2010/09/cult-tv), resulting in seriously psychedelic television. __Weapon of choice:__ McGoohan's Number Six turns machine guns, a motorcar, sharp wits and a ([strong stomach](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwxpf3WEwpM)) against perhaps his most alluring foe (Justine Lord, at top). __What's elementary?__ The Prisoner's nod to Holmes was brief, but "The Girl Who Was Death" is a timeless example of experimental detective television.
08sherlock-giants
They Might Be Giants (1971) --------------------------- __Whodunit:__ George C. Scott's deranged Justin Playfair hallucinates that he's Holmes in Anthony Harvey's warm, weird romance. To be fair, he does have a psychiatrist named Dr. Watson (played by Joanne Woodward). __Drug of choice:__ Dementia. Driven into fantasy by the loss of his wife, Playfair loses himself in labs, stratagems and other elaborate ruses before love comes calling. __Weapon of choice:__ Rehabilitation. Playfair's road back to mental health involves conquering the Moriarty in his mind with his estranged heart. __What's elementary?__ By no means the greatest of Sherlock Holmes movies, [They Might Be Giants](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Might_Be_Giants_%28film%29) gets bonus points for inspiring the [prolific brain-pop duo](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2009/08/they-might-be-giants-here-comes-science) of the same name.
09sherlock-7percent
The Seven Percent Solution (1976) --------------------------------- __Whodunit:__ Based on [Nicholas Meyer's 1974 novel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven-Per-Cent_Solution) of the same name, Herbert Ross' 1976 thriller [The Seven Percent Solution](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven-Per-Cent_Solution_%28film%29) featured an excellently addled Nicol Williamson as a heavily medicated Sherlock Holmes. __Drug of choice:__ Cocaine. Doyle's [Holmes was a cokehead](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes#Use_of_drugs) and tobacco user, and even dabbled in morphine. But in Ross' version, Holmes works hard to kick the habit and restore his sanity. __Weapon of choice:__ Psychoanalysis. After Holmes falls apart, he seeks the help of Sigmund Freud (played by Alan Arkin) to defeat the drug Robin Williams once famously named the "[devil's dandruff](http://www.amazon.com/Throbbing-Python-Love-Robin-Williams/dp/B000086ZT3)." __What's elementary?__ The Seven Percent Solution is not just a highly engaging Sherlock reboot. Its author, [Nicholas Meyer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Meyer), eventually manned the director's chair for rewarding sci-fi films [Time After Time](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2010/09/hg-wells/?pid=847), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
10sherlock-brett
Jeremy Brett (1933-1995) ------------------------ __Whodunit:__ In [The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Sherlock_Holmes_%28TV_series%29), actor Jeremy Brett nailed Arthur Conan Doyle's super-sleuth cold from 1984 to 1994. __Drug of choice:__ Mania. A manic-depressive, Brett submerged himself in Holmes, determined that the show must go on. It was a hyper-real merge: Both were obsessively prone to mental breakdowns and breakthroughs, and needed drugs to stay balanced. Holmes was partial to cocaine, while Brett needed lithium. __Weapon of choice:__ Devotion. An openly authentic production, the British series stuck to [Holmes's old-school arsenal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes#Weapons_and_martial_arts): a gentleman's cane, riding crop, his fists and his bottomless wits. __What's elementary?__ Brett's portrayal of Holmes was so seamless it's doubtful it will ever be bested. The two were too close for comfort: "It has all got too dangerous," [Brett famously worried](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Brett#Illnesses_and_death).
11sherlock-young
Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) ---------------------------- __Whodunit:__ Producer Steven Spielberg, writer [Chris Columbus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Columbus_%28filmmaker%29) (Home Alone, Harry Potter) and director [Barry Levinson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Levinson) (Sphere) took Holmes to the kids in [Amblin Entertainment](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amblin_Entertainment)'s first PG-13 film. __Drug of choice:__ CGI. [Young Sherlock Holmes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Sherlock_Holmes) co-starred the first fully computer-generated character in film history, courtesy of [John Lasseter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lasseter), who would later go on to direct [Toy Story](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2010/10/cinema-breakthroughs-busts/?pid=1201) and run Pixar Animation Studios. __Weapon of choice:__ Magnifying glass. And lots of cute luck, this being a Spielberg production and all. __What's elementary?__ Young Sherlock Holmes remains a sweet entry-level production for those looking to bring Holmes to the next generation. In fact, it's much less scary than ...
12sherlock-basil-0
The Great Mouse Detective (1986) -------------------------------- __Whodunit:__ Disney, which felt it needed to lighten things up after its dark but awesome [The Black Cauldron](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Cauldron_%28film%29). __Drug of choice:__ Ego. Disney's Sherlock, the self-absorbed Basil of Baker Street, spends the film dangerously obsessing over Ratigan, the film's Moriarty, who is voiced by horror maestro Vincent Price. Things get freaky when Ratigan transforms into a steroid-enhanced raver feverishly racing up Big Ben's innards. __Weapon of choice:__ Guns, robots, air balloons, Rube Goldberg machines and other clever contraptions. __What's elementary?__ Creepy toys, child abductions, bulging eyes and political assassinations make The Great Mouse Detective one of the few adult-friendly Sherlock films ever made for kids.
13sherlock-rose
The Name of the Rose (1986) --------------------------- __Whodunit:__ Sean Connery inhabits Sherlock Holmes' friar avatar [William of Baskerville](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_of_Baskerville) in Jean-Jacques Annaud's creepy film adaptation of semiotician Umberto Eco's debut novel, [The Name of the Rose](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Name_of_the_Rose). __Drug of choice:__ Books. Connery's William of Baskerville dredges up deadly clues and revelations from parchments and libraries. __Weapon of choice:__ Aristotle. Whoever reads the Greek philosopher's Second Book of Poetics ends up dead. __What's elementary?__ Eco's novel and Annaud's film cleverly transport Sherlock's spirit into the [Catholic Inquisition](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquisition), which, as Monty Python proved, "[nobody expects](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spanish_Inquisition_%28Monty_Python%29)."
14sherlock-data-0
Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Elementary, Dear Data" (1988) -------------------------------------------------------------- __Whodunit:__ The sentient android [Data](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_%28Star_Trek%29) (played by Brent Spiner), in one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's coolest episodes. __Drug of choice:__ AI. Data's supercomputer brain has a vast capacity for, well, data — which makes it nearly impossible to beat him at any game. That leads him to match wits with the Enterprise's holodeck, which tries to take Data down with an artificial-intelligence Moriarty that wants to become real at any cost. __Weapon of choice:__ [Jean-Luc Picard](http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Jean-Luc_Picard). In "[Elementary, Dear Data](http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Elementary,_Dear_Data)," the Enterprise's cerebral captain (played by Patrick Stewart) saves the day, this time using common human sense. __What's elementary?__ Like the original Star Trek's [Mr. Spock](http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Spock) (Leonard Nimoy) before him, Data's healthy reverence for logical reasoning makes him an obvious Sherlock upgrade.
15sherlock-clue
Without a Clue (1988) --------------------- __Whodunit:__ Michael Caine, in a clever British metafiction about a proper physician named Watson (played by Ben Kingsley) who invents Sherlock Holmes as a literary cover for crime-fighting. __Drug of choice:__ Alcohol, and more metafiction. The one-time [alcoholic Caine](http://www.crankycritic.com/qa/michaelcaine.html) plays an alcoholic actor who plays Sherlock Holmes, and quickly loses himself in the role. Which, in turn, pisses off his creator, Dr. Watson, who really wants to direct. __Weapon of choice:__ Sobriety. Once Watson is apparently killed, Caine's Holmes has to sober up and shoot straight to catch [Without a Clue](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Without_a_Clue)'s Moriarty, Paul Freeman (Raiders of the Lost Ark). __What's elementary?__ There aren't many Sherlock spoofs around, making this the slim genre's reigning champ.
16sherlock-conan
Detective Conan (1994-present) ------------------------------ __Whodunit:__ [Gosho Aoyama](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gosho_Aoyama), the Japanese artist who merged his love of Sherlock Holmes, Akira Kurosawa and [Arsene Lupin III](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ars%C3%A8ne_Lupin_III) into the long-running manga and anime series [Detective Conan](http://www.detectiveconanworld.com). __Drug of choice:__ The antidote to the poison [APTX 4869M](http://www.detectiveconanworld.com/wiki/APTX_4869), which Shinichi Kudo was forced to drink by the nefarious Black Organization, transforming him from 17-year-old student into 7-year-old overachiever Conan Edogawa. __Weapon of choice:__ Replication. Known as [Case Closed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_Closed) in America, Detective Conan's nod to Sherlock Holmes has appeared in hundreds of manga chapters and 18 seasons of anime programming. __What's elementary?__ Although we also enjoy Japan's short-running [Sherlock Hound](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Hound), Detective Conan's prodigious comics and toon output demands inclusion in this list
17sherlock-22nd
Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century (1999-2001) ----------------------------------------------- __Whodunit:__ DiC Entertainment and Scottish television teamed up to resuscitate Sherlock Holmes for a distant future featuring a Moriarty clone on the rampage. __Drug of choice:__ Honey. Holmes' corpse is preserved in it, making his cellular rejuvenation a cinch. __Weapon of choice:__ Compudroid. Beth Lestrade, the descendant of Doyle's Inspector Lestrade, feeds all Watson's journals into an android and *voila!* Instant sidekick. __What's elementary?__ With episodes based on the original mysteries and a mix of CGI and hand-drawn animation, [Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_in_the_22nd_Century) is a technocultural reboot worth the crate-digging.
18sherlock-house.jpg
House (2004-present) -------------------- __Whodunit:__ Next to Batman, the 21st century's most recognizable Sherlock Holmes replicant is the irascibly brilliant [Dr. Gregory House](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_House) (played by Hugh Laurie). Like Arthur Conan Doyle, he is a diagnostician rather than a detective. __Drug of choice:__ Narcissism. Aside from its labyrinthine medical mysteries punctuated with infectious diseases and nephrology, [House](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_%28TV_series%29) is mostly about one man's deep love for his own peerless brain. __Weapon of choice:__ Like Holmes, a cane. Plus, a cadre of understudy doctors from New Jersey's fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Which is sort of cheating, if you think about it. __What's elementary?__ House currently rules prime-time detective television. But the BBC's Sherlock could throw a rebooted wrench into that. Stay tuned.
