The Red Headed League

While not one of my favorites this one is certainly one of Granada's top Holmes adaptations. The story is slick, interesting, and elegantly unfolds itself. It starts out as a laughable case but it becomes serious with a bigger picture beginning to emerge and something sinister lurking beneath. It manages to be both a detective mystery and a crime story with nice touches of build up and humor. Professor Moriarty (played by Eric Porter, giving genuine meaning to word "diabolical ") makes his first appearance even though it is brief (although it was not in the original story). However, nothing is wrong with that as the series wisely used Moriarty sparingly and he would have a much larger role in the story right after this one "The Final Problem".

Sherlock Holmes is contacted by Jabez Wilson with a strange, harmless-seeming, chain of events. Mr Wilson is red-headed and was hired by the Red Headed League to perform a minor task each day for a very decent salary. To his surprise, however, the work is suddenly stopped and his employer is nowhere to be found. Though paid handsomely he feels he has been tricked in some way. Holmes initially finds the series of events amusing but after some contemplation sees a much more sinister plot in operation.

Another very intriguing Sherlock Holmes mystery. Like many of the Holmes stories the crime is not immediately apparent, as it hasn't been committed yet. Here Holmes needs to get ahead of the criminals to prevent a crime being committed.

The other interesting thing about this episode is that we are introduced to Holmes's nemesis, Professor Moriarty.

A man named Jabez Wilson consults Holmes with a curious case: Although he already owns an antique shop, for the last few weeks he had been employed by a certain Red Headed League to copy out the Encyclopedia Britannica. He accepted because the pay was very good and the job not that hard, but the most curious point was that he was chosen for the job because of the color of his hair. When the Red Headed League is suddenly dissolved, he contacts Holmes to find out what it was all about.

This episode has more humor than usual, but the standout moment is, of course, the introduction of Eric Porter in the role of Professor Moriarty. Roger Hammond provides the comic relief as the confused Jabez Wilson, and Tim McInnerny is very good as the noble criminal John Clay. It's a memorable episode for the imaginative crime, a must-watch for any fan of the series.

It's foolish to say this episode comes during a purple patch for the show, hard to imagine, but it does, almost every single episode in this series is great, this is perhaps my favourite. It is whimsical and amusing on the surface, but underneath it's cunning, sinister and fiendishly clever. The presence of Professor Moriarty always adds that extra something, and although he's not visible for very long, his presence is strong, I love Moriarty's final scene, where you see him utterly frustrated by Holmes. Holmes at his cleverest.

Wonderful characters all of them, I particularly loved Richard Wilson as Ross, donned in a red wig he was terrific. Tim McInnerny also brilliant, that great scene where he reveals his identity. Terrific music and production values as always.

Pay the proper wage! There's a lesson in that. 10/10

Holmes and Watson are intrigued by the peculiar comical case of Jabez Wilson. A down on his luck pawn broker, who at his assistant's behest applies to join The Red Headed League.

They will pay a princely 4 pounds per week to the right candidate for some nominal work. Copying entries from an an encyclopedia.

After a few weeks The Red Headed League suddenly disbanded. Wilson thinks he has been made a fool of. Holmes thinks something more serious is at play here and Wilson's assistant, who started employment for him at half wages, is the key.

I have read the short story and I watched this when it was originally transmitted. In all subsequent viewings I cannot overlook that this episode has been padded to the hilt.

Holmes at a concert, Holmes and some people waiting in the dark for someone to break into the vault. Even adding Professor Moriarty into the story so it can segue into the next story.

I did enjoy Eric Porter's sinister appearance. Roger Hammond is suitably comical as the bemused Jabez Wilson but this was struggling to fit its 55 minutes running length.

I do chuckle at the notion that some time in 1985. Every red headed man in England was employed as an extra by Granada Studios.