BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Nods to Canon & Other SH Works

Sherlock Holmes · January 4, 2016 4:12 pm

I thought we could compile a little list in conjunction with the Sidney Paget thread.

- The guy in the Diogenes was named Wilder (as in Billy or Gene, right?)
- Mycroft had a second appointment with Mr Melas
- I'm pretty sure that in the final scene, there is an artwork of ACD bottom right frame to where Watson is sat.

nakahara · January 4, 2016 5:15 pm

A reference to a Granada version Mycroft:

Plus, the note with the words "miss me" being found on the body after Sherlock examined it already is a direct reference to a "Norwood Builder". In that story, the clue which only appeared after the place of the crime was already examined indicated that the crime was an "inside job". And it was the same here - Lady Carmichael proved to be a murderer of her own husband.

Last edited by nakahara (January 4, 2016 5:16 pm)

Liberty · January 5, 2016 11:53 am

When Sherlock looks at the newspapers in his mind palace, there is a story about Viscount Hummersknot being the victim of a vitriol attack. It's probably a reference to The Illustrious Client, where there's a vitriol attack by a woman on a man who has wronged her.

ukaunz · January 5, 2016 7:14 pm

Surely the scene with Mary disguised in the mourning outfit with her face hidden is a reference to The Veiled Lodger?

Russell · January 5, 2016 7:16 pm

I was so excited watching this, and being happy I knew enough canon/stories to catch so many of them (pointing them out to my friend as they popped up, of course!) ! And likely still plenty I didn't, due to not watching the 'classics' much! Good ones so far. Any others?

And don't forget Sherlock calling Watson his 'Boswell', keeping his tobacco in a persian slipper, the letters held by a knife (again), beating a corpse for experiment (again), the numerous word-for-word quotes as mentioned, the stained glass on their front door having a Hound, and snakes on it (from Blue Carbuncle), Sherlock mentioning Lestrade's colleague Gregson, the '7 percent solution', and the 5 orange pips/KKK. 'Ricoletti' being from a story was already mentioned when speculating about the special (although I saw a neat tidbit that apparently the club Mr. Ricoletti walks out of had a sign in asian letters, that meant 'The Club Foot' (as in, 'The case of Ricoletti of the club foot and his abominable wife)

REReader · January 6, 2016 2:57 am

And of course there is Mycroft's weight:

Mycroft Holmes was a much larger and stouter man than Sherlock. His body was absolutely corpulent, but his face, though massive, had preserved something of the sharpness of expression which was so remarkable in that of his brother. His eyes, which were of a peculiarly light, watery gray, seemed to always retain that far-away, introspective look which I had only observed in Sherlock’s when he was exerting his full powers.

“I am glad to meet you, sir,” said he, putting out a broad, fat hand like the flipper of a seal. “I hear of Sherlock everywhere since you became his chronicler. By the way, Sherlock, I expected to see you round last week, to consult me over that Manor House case. I thought you might be a little out of your depth.”

(Didn't Mycroft in the show also say something about expecting to Sherlock to consult with him over a case?)

And then there is the young pageboy--Watson speaks of Billy the page in several stories.

Last edited by REReader (January 6, 2016 2:59 am)

diva · January 6, 2016 11:37 pm

Liberty wrote:
When Sherlock looks at the newspapers in his mind palace, there is a story about Viscount Hummersknot being the victim of a vitriol attack. It's probably a reference to The Illustrious Client, where there's a vitriol attack by a woman on a man who has wronged her.

Thank you! I immediately felt that this newspaper clipping reminded me of something I had read before but was not sure what exactly. I took a screenshot to investigate further but didn't get around to look it up.

I wonder what we might find in the other clippings. Loved the visuals in that scene, such a brilliant way to translate the visual style of modern Sherlock to the Victorian version.

REReader · January 6, 2016 11:54 pm

Come to think of it, the meditation pose in that scene is a canon callback--one of the places Holmes went to after Reichenbach was Tibet, and it's probably the only place he'd have learned lotus position in the Victorian era!

Russell · January 7, 2016 5:59 am

REReader wrote:
(Didn't Mycroft in the show also say something about expecting to Sherlock to consult with him over a case?)

And then there is the young pageboy--Watson speaks of Billy the page in several stories.

Ha, yes! Laughed at their use of canon Mycroft, but nice to see the quote… really did keep to description! And yes, he did. Pretty much immediate comment as to Sherlock consulting/letting him know the results of one from past week, and whether he was right about a person (he was), and another canon reference of knowing exactly what happened but needing Sherlock to check because he 'hated legwork'.

ukaunz · January 7, 2016 6:04 am

Didn't Jeremy Brett assume the same meditation pose in one of the Granada episodes? In his dressing gown too, if I recall.

nakahara · January 13, 2016 11:53 am

The origin of Watson´s careless maid:

http://cupidford.tumblr.com/post/137093259400/finalproblem-a-scandal-in-bohemia-wedlock

Harriet · January 13, 2016 12:30 pm

REReader wrote:
Come to think of it, the meditation pose in that scene is a canon callback--one of the places Holmes went to after Reichenbach was Tibet, and it's probably the only place he'd have learned lotus position in the Victorian era!

Not exactly - Yoga was already kind of fashionable in some circles during the Victorian era, and it's not a lotus position but a cross-legged position, tailor style. (Which is similar to another asana, though - Sukhasana, a beginner's position.)

Buddy2Blogger · January 16, 2016 3:10 am

Mark Gatiss included a number of nods to Arthur Conan Doyle's Canon.

Check out my compilation:

http://buddy2blogger.blogspot.com/2016/01/sherlock-canonical-references-the-abominable-bride-nods-original-stories-novels-arthur-conan-doyle.html

B2B.

ukaunz · January 16, 2016 6:17 am

Very impressive, it's great to see all the references in the correct order of appearance in TAB. I haven't had a chance to read them all yet, but you have a typo in number 28. "Verner" instead of Vernet. I wonder if it would be worth including the visual references in your list, eg. the Persian slipper, the jackknife in the mantelpiece, the V.R. in bullet holes in the wall etc.?

Buddy2Blogger · January 16, 2016 6:33 am

Thanks! It was so much fun writing the post

I will make the correction for "Verner". Regarding the visual references, I will include them in my review post.

B2B.

Harriet · January 16, 2016 9:09 am

We have a thread for canonicai nods already: http://sherlock.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=6718
Pls use that one.

ukaunz · January 18, 2016 10:22 am

Sherlock Holmes wrote:
I thought we could compile a little list in conjunction with the Sidney Paget thread.

- The guy in the Diogenes was named Wilder (as in Billy or Gene, right?)
- Mycroft had a second appointment with Mr Melas
- I'm pretty sure that in the final scene, there is an artwork of ACD bottom right frame to where Watson is sat.

I just worked out that Diamond (the steward on the plane) is a nod to I.A.L. Diamond, writer of TPLoSH,
and Constable Rance is from ACD story A Study in Scarlet.

I think the picture you spotted is meant to be the "unframed portrait of Henry Ward Beecher" mentioned in The Resident Patient.

Last edited by ukaunz (January 18, 2016 10:25 am)

nakahara · January 18, 2016 10:25 am

Very nice and thorough compilation. Kudos!

You could also add that Sherlock searching for another body buried under the body of the bride is a reference to "Adventure of Lady Frances Cairfax".

ukaunz · January 18, 2016 10:28 am

Ooh, good one nakahara. I was just finding a few new references myself, and discovered that the policemen who witnesses the bride shooting her husband, PC Rance, is straight out of the story A Study in Scarlet.

nakahara · January 18, 2016 10:31 am

ukaunz wrote:
Ooh, good one nakahara. I was just finding a few new references myself, and discovered that the policemen who witnesses the bride shooting her husband, PC Rance, is straight out of the story A Study in Scarlet.

Wow, never noticed PC Rance myself. Very good observation. And just another proof that TAB is very rich on canon references.