I remember seeing this series on local television in New Orleans in 1955 when I was seven years old.It was one of my favorites then, but I haven't seen it since. I just finished looking at it on IMDb.I am glad to see that it still holds up pretty well.Too bad that there aren't more episodes.
One thing that no one has mentioned is that this is one of the few interpretations of Holmes that show the stereotypical Holmes. Most of them avoid the "traditional" image, like they are ashamed of it. But here it is played to the hilt. Deerstalker hat, caped coat, pipe, the works. Just like you always see in cartoon versions of Holmes.One of the Basil Rathbone movies shows Holmes reaching for his deerstalker hat, and Watson says something like"Oh really Holmes, not THAT!", and Rathbone takes another hat. But this series GLORIES in the stereotypes,with splendid results.The sets are pretty good, and 221B Baker street looks just like you expect it to be. The street is obviously a studio street,just like in 40's movies, but convincing.The Victorian atmosphere is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Howard, Crawford and Duncan are all excellent in their roles, and it is a pity that they didn't do any Holmes movies. The plots are simple and easy because of the half hour format,but you can't have everything.I think that the black and white filming definitely helps.20 or 30 years later Sheldon Reynolds did another Holmes series, with British actors filmed in POLAND! It was TERRIBLE!
By the way, my earliest exposure to the Holmes stories on TV was a few years earlier, a children's version in which the characters were played by chimpanzees!
