“This was news to me indeed”
“It is a hobby of mine to have an exact knowledge of London”
The relationship between Sherlock Holmes and London will be the subject of a new exhibition to open in 2014.
Elementary new season
The Radio Times website has been indulging in all sorts of speculation which, even if you don’t like the series, may possibly arouse your curiosity.
There’s no word of a UK date yet but we see that season 2 is due to air in the US on 26 September 2013.
Meanwhile, you can read the Guardian review of season 1 here.
Elementary DVD
The Region 1 DVD Box Set of Season 1 is to be released in the US on 27 August 2013. No news of a Region 2 or 3, though.
Elementary brought to book
In 2014, Titan Publishing Group will release a series of original novels, created in conjunction with the hit TV show’s production team, that will allow fans to “immerse themselves in Sherlock Holmes’ eccentric life in contemporary New York City.”
Elementary is no match for Sherlock, says Murray
As Wimbledon Fortnight gets underway, Andy Murray says he devours box sets on flights and prefers the BBC Sherlock to Elementary. We’ve avoided some obvious puns!
Rumours of Sherlock 3
Rumours that Sherlock series 3 will screen on BBC One on 31 October 2013 are probably just that, rumours. Following the current break, episode 3 in the new series has still to be shot so an end of the year slot or start of 2014 seems far more likely at this stage.
Series 2 is to get a rerun on BBC One in July. One of our spies tells us that episode 3 (The Reichenbach Fall) will have an extra bit tagged on.
The recent series 1 repeat on BBC Three turned in some really good figures for the channel, with getting on for almost 700,000 viewers per episode tuning in. Alibi (only available via Sky & Virgin) also had a successful outcome with series 1 around the same time. If you want to, you can dig out the figures here.
It hasn’t gone away, you know
In case you thought that a third Warner Bros Sherlock Holmes (Ritchie, Downey Jnr., et al) movie had sunk without trace, here’s something that might make you think again, from the Baker Street Babes website.
The Detective Ladies
Author Peter Tong, who has published three eBooks of his comic crime series The Detective Ladies, informs us that Printed versions will come out in August 2013. The Detective Ladies of Baker Street, The Detective Ladies Meet Jack the Nipper & The Detective Ladies in Death Holds a Séance are already out on Kindle and Kobo. There’s more info on Peter’s website.
“It is full of old houses”
The Britain’s Secret Homes series on ITV kicked-off with an episode on 7 June 2013 which featured Conan Doyle’s old alma mater, Stonyhurst College. You can catch the programme here (for a very limited period only!) and hear Anthony Horowitz (author of The House of Silk) speculating on how this old building inspired Conan Doyle to create some of his most memorable characters and plotlines. Think The Hound of the Baskervilles for starters!
From the US, Peter Blau has told us of a link to this series which recently appeared in the Clitheroe Advertiser.
An unexpected link
Nearer to home, Terry Eakin of Donaghadee, Co. Down has put us in touch with a link to Conan Doyle, which Brian W. Pugh of the Conan Doyle (Crowborough) Establishment says that even he hadn’t heard of before.
Suckers for success
Some say Belfast is fast becoming the new Hollywood. Perhaps just an ever so slight exaggeration, but there’s no doubt that Belfast is attracting an increasing number of filmmakers to these shores as its creative reputation builds at a steady rate of knots.
The latest project to get the green light is a remake of Dracula for the big screen, and with the Titanic Studios being booked out, apparently, it’s going to be shot in a former soft drinks factory in the Belfast suburbs.
While Dracula has no obvious SH connections, we do know that its creator, Dublin born Bram Stoker, who was a friend of Conan Doyle, visited Belfast on a number of occasions with Sir Henry Irving. Stoker was Irving’s secretary/manager.
Bram Stoker’s wife was Florence Balcombe, a celebrated beauty who was previously courted by Oscar Wilde. The Wikipedia entry for Florence Balcombe says she was born in Newcastle, Co. Down. Much as we’d like to believe it, it’s a claim we’ve never seen any supportive evidence for. Can anyone help us out with this one?
Strings attached!?
Another violin story is always music to our ears.
Is it a dead duck?
The Telegraph piece has the story.
The “outdoor” Hound on tour
The Chapterhouse production of Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles, which started on 23 June 2013 takes in England, one date in Scotland, three venues in the south of Ireland, and here at the Theatre at the Mill, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim on Thursday 4 July.
Full details are in Bulletin 115 including the online booking link for Newtownabbey.
Sherlock’s secret is out!
Here’s a review of Sherlock Holmes: The Best Kept Secret from the Telegraph and another review from the Independent.
The play’s the thing!
The Central Library in Belfast’s Royal Avenue is mounting an exhibition entitled “The play’s the thing” until 16 August 2013. The Library is home to a sizable archive of the city’s rich theatrical history so this is a great opportunity to get a sense of that close up.
Theatre bills, flyers, programmes, photographs and ephemera are all on display from long lost theatres such as the Alhambra, Royal Hippodrome, Empire and, of course the one happily still with us, the Grand Opera House.
Among the items on show is a billposter for the week commencing 4 February 1901 at the Grand Opera House, which starred the great (many would say the greatest) actor of the Victorian age, Sir Henry Irving. The plays performed that week included Waterloo by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a favourite piece of the celebrated actor.
Sherlock Holmes: Fact or Fiction?
58% believe Sherlock Holmes was real, according to a recent poll. Of course, we could have told them that before they even carried it out, couldn’t we?
Racing Bulletin
The Silver Blaze Wessex Cup Fillies’ Handicap, run at Kempton Park on 18 June 2103, was won by Thwart, the 7/4 favourite. This was the third time that the Sherlock Holmes Society of London has sponsored the Wessex Cup. You can read the full results in the Sporting Life here.
Elementary, my dear misquotes!
We always like to finish off with a good chuckle.