Seasonal Viewing & Listening Guide
“A few trifling points might perhaps be added”
Talking Pictures
Without a Clue (1988) starring Michael Caine is on Christmas Day at 9.30pm, repeated New Year’s Eve at 10.00pm.
“A broad and at times slapstick approach to Holmes, which you will either love or loathe.” (Alex Kane, Chronicler 17, September 2006)
BBC 2
Mr. Holmes (2015) starring Ian McKellen is on New Year’s Day at 6.20pm.
“Mr. Holmes focuses on the man behind the mysteries and while it may lack Baker Street thrills, it more than compensates with tenderly wrought, well-acted drama.”*
ITV4
The Return of Sherlock Holmes series starring Jeremy Brett is in an early afternoon slot from Monday 21st to Wednesday 23rd inclusive. It moves to early mornings on Christmas Eve and continues in these time slots from Sunday 27th to Wednesday 30th inclusive; the run concludes on New Year’s Eve. Enough said!
RTE2
Sherlock Gnomes (2018) is showing on Sunday 22 December at 2.00pm.
“Sherlock Gnomes is sadly, utterly stumped by the mystery of the reason for its own existence.”*
TCM Movies
For Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce fans there’s Pursuit to Algiers (1945) on Saturday 19th at 7.35pm; Terror by Night (1946) has a Sunday afternoon slot (20th) at 1.40pm; Sherlock Holmes & the Spider Woman (1944) is being shown on Tuesday 29th at 7.35pm and repeated on New Year’s Eve at 8.15am.
Sky Action
On Wednesday 30th there’s a double helping of the blockbusters starring Robert Downey Jnr. and Jude Law; Sherlock Holmes (2009) is at 5.50pm immediately followed at 8.00pm by Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011).
“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a good yarn thanks to its well-matched leading men but overall stumbles duplicating the well-oiled thrills of the original.”*
Radio
Nothing whatsoever has been seen or, perhaps of more significance here, heard.
*Quotes included above are from rottentomatoes.com/critics consensus unless otherwise stated. Guide covers UK/Ireland, listings source – Radio Times for fortnight commencing 19th December.