The Norwood Builder

A young solicitor is visited by a retired builder, who apparently wants to leave his whole wealth and state to him in his will. The builder is found dead that very night, and all suspicion naturally falls on the young fellow. But before he's caught by the police, he's able to reach Sherlock and ask for his help.

This is one of my two favorite episodes from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which curiously have the lowest ratings of the series on imdb (the other being The Greek Interpreter). Just like The Greek Interpreter introduced Charles Gray as Mycroft Holmes, this one introduces Colin Jeavons as the unimaginative, slightly annoying but mostly lovable Inspector Lestrade. Jeavons brings a strange quality to Lestrade that I'm not sure was entirely present in the written works: Although he often ends up looking ridiculous after his incompetence is exposed next to Sherlock's brilliance, he's not that much incompetent. For me, the the TV series Lestrade is much better than the written story Lestrade, and it's a rare achievement to improve over the source material.

It's a wonderful story, with revelation after revelation, including possibly the best deductions Holmes makes. Definitely a must watch.

The Norwood Builder belongs to my favorite Sherlock Holmes stories.It is the first time when Inspector Lestrade appears - he is such a great character!It is a pleasure to watch his way of investigation, he is so self-assured and narrow-minded that he tries his best to hinder Holmes and insult him.Their duel of words is very entertaining.Just watch the various expressions on the face of Holmes - simply marvelous! My other favorite is the scene where Holmes finds the witness for Lestrade.I cannot express how much I love Jeremy's smooth, velvet voice! As he shouts 'Fire'...it is soooo masculine, powerful and overwhelming!And he looks absolutely awesome: he is tall, elegant, aristocratic and graceful like a giant cat.

Colin Jeavons was an excellent choice for Lestrade, and in the later episodes we can see a kind of friendship between him and Holmes. David Burke is as good as always, and the supporting cast is fine too.

I highly recommend this Holmes tale, it is worth watching!

John McFarlane is sought by the police for the murder of Jonas Oldacre. Shortly before he is arrested he approaches Sherlock Holmes detailing the events of the evening in question and protesting his innocence. Once Inspector Lastrade arrests McFarlane, Holmes and Watson gather evidence but things don't look good for McFarlane.

Not a famous Sherlock Holmes mystery but it should be. Very clever plot with a surprising twist. Very intriguing.

As always the performance of Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes takes the episode to another level. His facial expressions, mannerisms, everything are just perfect for the role.

In many ways, Jeremy Brett was the quintessential Sherlock Holmes. The nuances which he brought to his portrayal of the master detective were brilliant. While other Holmes stories are better known, I found this one to be extremely well done.

David Burke was very good as Watson, bringing both personality and charisma to the time-honored role. The period flavor, casting and adaptation here were excellent.

For those new to the Holmes series, this entry will be well worth a look. For avid fans, Brett's take on the consulting detective is satisfying and memorable. Enjoy....... The game is afoot !

The Norwood Builder was a neat and intriguing story however in some ways - without extravagant settings, The Nation In Danger or grand international villains - a plain one. There appears to be less to work with. But this immaculate production instead so nicely takes us through a series of different moods as the story unfolds: Holme's restrained powerful dislike of Lestrade's provocative condescension, the latter's premature triumphalism, Holme's near despair and fear that his failure will result in an innocent man going to the gallows. But finally when all appears lost, a genuinely jaw-dropping ending when Holmes, the master magician, is able to once again summon all his powers and conjure up, to the amazement of Lestrade and viewer alike, the villain in a puff of smoke. Holmes' magnanimity in allowing Lestrade the entire credit is a stylish conclusion. The production gives us not just a clever Holmes but a completely masterly one.