As the summer seasons wind down, we bring you yet another week of Queue It Up here on Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday.  This week I bring you yet another BBC offering.

Sherlock.

I know.  The stories of Sherlock Holmes have been done many times.  I’ll be honest, I’m really only a fan of the Basil Rathbone ones and the latest movie retelling (I mean, Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law…how can I not be a fan?).  But the latest in Sherlock recreations has something exciting going for it.

It’s a contemporary retelling.  Imagine, what would Sherlock be like if there were Smartphones and the internet?

Sherlock is played by the brilliant (and brilliantly named) Benedict Cumberbatch (Hawking, Atonement).   He plays Sherlock as a genius as you would expect, but to the point of being a self described “high functioning sociopath”.  Watson, played by Martin Freeman (The Office, Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy) is a more everyday man, intelligent of course, but less cold and calculating.  He is also coping with PTSD.

The writers did a great job with keeping details true to form, yet making them modern. Some examples: Dr. Watson, who originally was injured and sent home form the Second Anglo-Afghan War, is now suffering a disability after his return from service in Afghanistan.  While Sherlock doesn’t smoke a pipe, he does use nicotine patches. Even the use of technology is consistent with the original Sherlock, who was known to use whatever devices were available to him in his deductions.

The dialogue is quick, there is action and intrigue, and the actors playing Holmes and Watson could not be better.  (Random fact: Dr. Who fans might be interested to note that Matt Smith originally tried out for the role of Watson – he obviously didn’t get it, but this led to his role as Doctor Who.)

Another reason you should queue this up?  It is only three episodes long.  If you are worried that we’ve given you too much to watch already, you can easily clear the series in one evening.  Should you find yourself wanting more, there will be another set of episodes released in 2012.

I give Sherlock another solid GTV.  Excellent acting, writing, action; this show has it all.

And now, a bonus!  As regular readers here may have noticed, I like exploring what the interwebs have to offer in the way of quality viewing.  So your bonus “what to watch” this week comes to you by way of Hulu.

Check out The Booth at the End, a sci-fi/psychological drama that poses the question “How far would you go to get what you want?”

The story follows several characters as they each approach a mysterious man in a diner who can fulfill a wish, so long as they complete the task he gives them and provide him with details.  You’ll likely recognize several of the actors, and Xander Berkeley (24, CSI), who plays the mysterious man in the booth, is excellent in his role.

I can’t tell you more than that.  You just have to watch.

Have you seen Sherlock?  Are you a fan of this version, or any of the other retellings of the classic team?  Are any of you checking out what the world of web series?

Now head over to Tiffany’s blog and see what is in her queue this week!

Come back next week when we review a few of our favorite FOX programs returning this fall – House & Bones.  Don’t forget to let us know what shows you are interested in hearing about by leaving a comment or using the #watchwed hastag.

 

The WatchWed Review System

GTV (Gourmet TV): Everything we want and more
MacTV (MacNCheese TV): Guilty pleasure. Not perfect, but is satisfies
JFTV (Junk food TV): It’s not great for us, but we’ll go back for seconds
SSTV (Still Simmering TV): It has potential, but the jury is still out
NIV (Nyquil Induced Viewing): Perfect for that late night television sleep timer
LOTV (Liver&Onions TV): Do we really have to explain? Blech