‘Watson’ Is Good, but the Best Sherlock Actor Also Starred in ‘Star Wars’

Every so often, the entertainment world has the pleasure of being reintroduced to Sherlock Holmes. Whether through the two theatrical renditions headlined by Robert Downey Jr. in the 2010s or the BBC small-screen version made famous by Benedict Cumberbatch, the timeless character always finds a way to step in front of audiences. The iconic name might have been introduced well over 100 years ago now, but that doesn’t mean the man’s popularity is any closer to winding down. With Elementary on CBS (a more modern version of the well-known sleuth) ending in 2019 — that is, after seven seasons and 154 episodes — the cable network channel seemed to have finally found a promising replacement.

Premiering on January 26, Watson sees Sherlock’s assistant (played by actor Morris Chestnut) take the proverbial mantle after the former’s alleged death. Not only is this series set in more contemporary times, like Elementary, but the feud between Sherlock Holmes and his nemesis, Moriarty, is set to be revisited. This series will surely become a hit for those who are not only interested in Doyle’s creation but the medical/mystery genre as well. But before we race ahead and look at what the future possibly holds for the best-known detective, let’s unearth one of the more obscure depictions of the character from Star Wars actor Peter Cushing.

Before ‘Watson,’ There Was Sherlock

After being convinced by a reviewer in the Observer (who, in the same writing, pushed for actor Alan Wheatley to be in the titular role), the BBC produced a live six-episode Sherlock Holmes series in 1951. Encouraged by the positive reception, the British network grabbed the rights to any five stories from Doyle’s library (with the possibility of adapting eight more, which they did).

For the first 12 episodes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, English actor Douglas Wilmer secured the leading role, but due to numerous difficulties (such as super-rushed rehearsals, late scripts, and alleged terrible scriptwriters), he abandoned the much-desired show. After a lot of searching, BBC Television drama chief Andrew Osborn came upon actor Peter Cushing in 1968.

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While most would come to remember Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin from The Skywalker Saga of Star Wars, his 16-episode reign as Holmes is absolutely undeniable — and arguably even better than Cumberbatch. Sadly, 10 out of the 16 are actually either devoid of audio or entirely missing. This is because film and videotapes (for the time) were utterly expensive, and reruns were not yet commonplace on British television.

But that doesn’t mean that the ones remaining are unenjoyable. Besides both parts of The Hound of the Baskervilles being available, there’s also A Study In Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, and two other short stories adapted with Cushing playing Holmes. English actor Nigel Stock as Dr. Watson is a brilliant foil as well. He provides a bit of sophisticated comedy just when Holmes’ investigations might become a bit too dry. But just like Wilmer, Cushing had complaints about the rushed deadline.

Peter Cushing Is a Different Sherlock Holmes

In the book The Television Sherlock Holmes (written by Peter Haining with excerpts from all sorts of interviews), Cushing states that his best possible rendition of the character was lessened because of his urgency toward remembering lines above all else. You certainly couldn’t tell that from his work on-screen. The would-be space opera star (among other notable titles) not only exudes the exact mannerisms you would expect to see from Holmes in real life but also brings a softer side to the character by deciding to support those around him and being considerate to the older ones (as opposed to Wilmer’s more harsh and pompous version).

In the show, he gives children allowances to help him with minor surveillance tasks, treats the bedridden with kindness, and volunteers to defend those who he believes were wronged. Also, Cushing’s delivery of his ever-popular line, “Elementary, my dear Watson,” is delivered so naturally that you have to wonder if he might actually be the second coming of Sherlock.

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Compared to the numerous modern-day renditions of this 19th-century investigator (such as those aforementioned), this underrated BBC series is obviously dated with its camera work, set design, and overall decorum. Unlike the Cumberbatch series, the pace is slower, and the script doesn’t have you jumping through all sorts of wordplay hoops in order to be entertained.

Similarly speaking, there are no elements of a spin-off here either. No time jumps or imaginative what-if scenarios. Holmes and everything about his world is in its most classic, upstanding form here. In addition, author Alan Barnes wrote in his book Sherlock Holmes on Screen that each episode of this series attracted close to 15 million viewers. If you want to see why there were so many tuned into the BBC’s Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, you don’t have to look far. All surviving episodes can be bought or rented on Prime Video. Watson airs on CBS and is streaming now on Paramount+ and CBS TVE.