The Speckled Band

This was certainly one the better episodes; containing a beautiful and modest damsel in direst need of male protection from an extraordinary eccentric overbearing brutal villain who is faced up to by Holmes (Jeremy Brett) at his coolest and most urbane. The damsel is, by a mere hair, saved and the villain receives not a hair less than his just desserts. A thrilling, chilling full-blooded and most satisfying rendering of Conan Doyle's story.

But of all the Watsons there have been, from the elderly duffer and comic buffoon (Nigel Bruce in the 1940s' film versions) to younger and smarter ones, I can never reconcile myself to David Burke. A respected actor but as Watson he always gives - or perhaps was asked to give - too broad a performance with an absolute absence of nuance, rather as if in a boistrous stage farce. Holmes was of course a consummate judge of character and that, we must presume, included the person he wished to have as his close companion both at times of highest challenge and at times when he was at his lowest ebb. Holmes was an obsessive and a loner who struggled with his demons. So outstanding were his intellectual powers that he had no need of lesser brains - there were very few indeed he considered his equal - Moriarty, "The Woman" and perhaps in a different way, his brother Mycroft. Foreign royalty, the Prime Minister came to him on questions of ultimate importance. Holmes is under no misapprehension about his own abilities. That is the point of Holmes - at what he does he is the best. David Burke's quirky Watson sometimes tries to outguess Holmes. I do think that Holmes would have found such a Watson both extremely irritating and a liability. Edward Hardwicke in contrast is all those things that Holmes needed: completely predictable, utterly dedicated and loyal, never ever challenging but tactfully doing the decent thing when Holmes' manners and sensitivity to others feelings were lacking. It is in fact a portrayal of a successful marriage where one is brilliant, difficult, histrionic and uncompromising and the other is quiet supportive and understanding. It is the only kind of relationship Holmes would have needed or wanted.

The Speckled Band is without doubt one of the standout episodes from the fantastic Granada series. It's difficult watching this episode not to get drawn into the plot, which has to be one of the best Conan Doyle wrote, which of us doesn't possess a phobia or at least an unease when it comes to snakes. I won't go into the specifics of the death, just in case, but it must be one of the most cruel, horrific deaths that Conan Doyle wrote, it really is the stuff of nightmares.

As always we are treated to some fantastic production values, everything is very slick, impeccable period detail, some lovely costumes, it really is a pleasure to watch. The debate will forever continue over Hardwicke vs Burke, personally I've always been impartial, what I would say is the Brett/Burke combination is at its high point here, the characters are so easy with one another, the relationship strong and the results fantastic.

The episode was wonderfully cast, Jeremy Kemp was perfectas Dr Grimsby Roylott, his appearance somehow fitted the character, as did the velvet voiced Rosalyn Landor, who beautifully portrayed Helen Stoner.

I cannot pick up on a single fault with this episode, it's one of a handful of episodes I would gladly score a 10/10.

The Speckled Band is considered one of the best of the Sherlock Holmes stories. I know that if for no other reason that way back in the day when I was in high school it was this short story that was used in one of my English classes as an example of creating an enduring character in literature. In this one the character is the most celebrated detective in the history of fiction.

Jeremy Brett as Holmes and David Burke as Watson get involved in the murder of Denise Armon when they're hired by her twin sister Rosalyn Landor who feels quite certain she's next. She lives with her stepfather Jeremy Kemp who is a doctor and who served in the Indian army as did Dr. Watson back in the day.

In this particular short story Arthur Conan Doyle does give you a nice group of suspects though he does lean in his writing towards the culprit. The dying words of Armon are the title of this mystery and once Holmes figures it out, he'll also know how the homicide was committed and inevitably who the perpetrator is.

Forensics is always important in Sherlock Holmes stories and probably more so in The Speckled Band than others. If you choose to view this episode, you'll see what I mean.

I first came upon the Holmes story "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" in high school, as well as having Conan Doyle's historical novel "The White Company", which I've mercifully forgotten completely, as required reading.

I saw this episode when it was recently telecast on the City University Station (CUNY) in their summer Holmes series mostly from the Grenada versions.

The rather familiar early episode both in the Conan Doyle canon and in the Grenada Brett series almost looks that you have to be a Jeremy-something to work on this series as in the listing below of the dramatizer as well as the villain: dramatized by Jeremy Paul, Dr. Grimesby Roylott: Jeremy Kemp with the main actresses: Helen Stoner: Rosalyn Landor and Julia Stoner: Denise Armon

A quite straightforward approach here with Watson being played by David Burke. Perhaps it's because I was more familiar with Edward Hardwicke's Watson, that I much preferred him over Burke and I rather miss him here. But all of the acting was excellent especially by the two Jeremies and Ms. Landor. Rosalie Williams, as usual, played Mrs.Hudson, the landlady.

The suspense is nicely sustained to the end even if you are familiar with the story and I highly recommend this version.

Of all episodes, this is the most terrifying and chilling story. Because an individual's twisted mind and greed goes to the extent he does not hesitate taking the lives of two innocent step daughters. Jeremy Brett is of course excellent in sensing the danger and empthasies the horror faced by Helen Stoner the part excellently played by the young actor Rosalyn Landor. David Burke as Watson in the first season supplements well with Holmes' characterThe ending is rather horrifying considering 80s.