In a nutshell, I grew up with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, yet I do recall seeing the Ronald Howard episodes on TV in the late 50's. Only after I picked up a dollar DVD at Walmart featuring Ronald Howard did I realize what a totally charming performance he gave as the super-sleuth. H. Marion Crawford is equally charming as Dr. Watson, and the pair interact and play off each other in a manner much different than the Rathbone/Bruce pairing. Howard portrays Sherlock as a much more human and compassionate character and is a joy to watch. There are many nuances in his words and actions which one does not immediately observe on the first viewing which help enhance his portrayal. If you are a Sherlock fan, you must sample this delightful series. Kudos also for photography and editing, at least in the limited number of chapters I have been able to view thus far. As some have mentioned, the plot lines are somewhat shallow-- you will watch these less for the intrigue of the mystery and more for Howard's acting and the wonderful chemistry between Howard and Crawford.