The Blue Carbuncle

For as long as I can remember, I've spent a day before Christmas, wrapping presents, sherry, and a seasonal playlist. Part of that will forever be the Blue Carbuncle. It's a fabulous episode, it ranks among the very best, it's a fairly simple tail, The Countess of Morcar has her prized possession stolen from her hotel room, a glorious jewel steeped in blood, the fabulous 'blue carbuncle,' and someone in her employ has found an ingenious way of purloining it.

It's a glorious story, lacking any deep or dark overtures, the tone is almost whimsical, particularly in comparison to the previous episode 'The Speckled band.' Nevertheless it is clever, engaging and almost heart warming, even Holmes enters somewhat into the Christmas spirit.

Rosalind Knight does a great job playing the Countess, she adds a wonderful amount of pomposity and aristocracy, a truly skillful actress who's been in the business for so long, from the dark eyed beauty in Carry on Teacher to the hilarious Mrs Cresswell in Only fools episode 'The Jolly Boy's outing.'

All in all it's one of my favourites, very much recommended, it's very easy viewing.

9/10.

If The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes were broadcast in America first, this would have debuted at Christmas time rather than in June of 1984 when it did. Arthur Conan Doyle might very well have been influenced by that other immortal English writer Charles Dickens when he wrote the Blue Carbuncle.

The Blue Carbuncle is not some ugly growth on someone, but a rare and priceless blue diamond which some opportunistic thieves stole from the Duchess of Moncor. The only part of the crime that went well was that the blame got placed on some guy who had a criminal record, but was innocent of this caper.

When Holmes and Watson are called in the trail of the missing gem leads to some very interesting places and where the jewel wound up is pretty funny. And how it got there is a testimony to the quick, but faulty thinking of the real perpetrator. But as I said the perpetrator was not very bright.

The thing to remember is that it is Christmas time when this case occurs and that fact enters into Holmes's thinking when he finds the perpetrator. What to do with this fool, let's just say that Christmas enters his thinking.

You won't believe where the jewel was hidden.

This is one of Arthur Conan Doyle's popular Holmes mysteries and it is beautifully and tightly brought on screen. A delight from beginning to end. It features a nice Christmas setting, clever mystery, and a very satisfying ending. The production and photography are as usual splendid. Even Brett's performance is especially in this one, is excellent with him having Holmes at his snooty, twitchy best, I just love the scene where Holmes makes deductions about the black hat in the beginning of the show. Also, Holmes and Watson have great camaraderie in this one too as well, as I always enjoy their banter. In my opinion, this marvelous episode shows Granada and Conan Doyle at the top of their form.

No Christmas season would be complete without watching this marvelous adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Blue Carbuncle.

This is such a wonderful episode that descriptions tend to fail me. Everything and everyone is at peak form here. Jeremy Brett's performance as Holmes is absolutely delightful (even by Brett standards), as is Burke's Watson, and their interplay in this episode is among the very best in the series.

There is a great deal of humor to be found here, including some genuine laugh-out-loud moments...and, of course, a nice little mystery at the heart of it. The production design, as always, is excellent, and the direction top-notch. There is a very authentic feeling of Christmas here, and it really shines through. And it's nice to see that even the dour Sherlock Holmes has a bit of the Christmas spirit in him...in his own way.

A wonderful episode, from start to finish. I can't praise it enough. I could say more, I could be more specific, but I don't want to ruin the fun for any first-time viewers. See it for yourself and it will quickly become a Christmas tradition, as it has for me.

It is always nice to have seasonal themes and in this episode Christmas is alive and well in the streets of very late 19th century London. And at 221 1/2 Baker Street, Holmes is investigating, rather coyly, why a value gem has appeared in the guts of a Christmas goose.

The gem has been stolen from a wealthy widow and it is believed that a local plumber is the bandit. He has already been arrested and placed in jail. But with the stolen gem turning up in such as odd place, Holmes will investigate this case leaving no goose uncooked.

The story is wonderfully written and takes us, as viewers, into many different places as we track the goose's previous path along with Holmes and Dr Watson. But it will be an advertisement that will close this mystery and set the holiday season back into motion. Another fine episode as we close out the first season. Good watch.