BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Mark Gatiss Speech to Sherlock Holmes Society of London, 2006

**Posted by BrettHolmes** September 26, 2014 2:09 pm

This is a speech made to the group several years before he did "Sherlock" and I just happened to find it on this blog. Really insightful and really funny.

http://mycroft-brolly.livejournal.com/1373.html

**Posted by Russell** September 26, 2014 5:52 pm

That's great! And so very Mark.

**Posted by Liberty** September 26, 2014 6:08 pm

Thank you for posting this! Mark Gatiss sounds such great fun. I love the story about him buying "Adventures" in 1977 instead of the Star Wars book. And that he used to read Enid Blyton (if that's true)!

Last edited by Liberty (September 26, 2014 6:08 pm)

**Posted by A lovely light** September 26, 2014 11:59 pm

Wow,

"Through a fug of tobacco we began to discuss the question: could Holmes be brought alive for a whole new generation?

A young army doctor, wounded in Afghanistan finds himself alone and friendless in London. Short of cash, he bumps into an old medical acquaintance who tells him he knows of someone looking for a flat-mate. This bloke’s alright but a little odd. And so Dr John Watson- wounded in the taking of Khabul from the Taliban meets Sherlock Holmes, a geeky, nervous young man rather too fond of drugs who’s amassed a lot of out-of-the-way knowledge on his laptop... It’s only a thought. A beginning. But it’s got us both very excited. If my young self- who dreamed of silver-topped canes and monkey glands and vitriol throwing- could hear me now he would thrill with horror. But to prove Holmes immoral it’s essential he’s not preserved in Victorian aspic but allowed to live again!"

The seed was there already for so many years!

**Posted by tonnaree** September 27, 2014 12:59 am

So let it be written, so let it be done!

**Posted by Liberty** September 27, 2014 6:25 am

I think he must have meant "immortal" not immoral!

**Posted by Whisky** September 27, 2014 12:31 pm

Liberty wrote:
I think he must have meant "immortal" not immoral!

oh god I totally didn't see that when reading... :D

**Posted by besleybean** September 27, 2014 2:38 pm

Hey that's my pal's blog!
She's a huge Mark fan and fellow member of the society...
But I wonder if that's her typo!

**Posted by La Jolie** September 27, 2014 2:57 pm

That speech is a little gem. Thank you for posting the link!

I think it was quite risky to make their plans for a contemporary Sherlock Holmes public at such an early date. What if anyone had stolen their idea and got there first? Unthinkable...

**Posted by besleybean** September 27, 2014 2:59 pm

Although for some, Elementary stole their thunder afterwards.

**Posted by Lilith** September 27, 2014 3:25 pm

That was a highly enjoyable read! As for Elementary .. I gave it another try last night and I can't get into it at all. Our Sherlock forever!

**Posted by besleybean** September 27, 2014 3:29 pm

Sherlock is best, but I do like the bits of Elementary I've seen.

**Posted by REReader** September 28, 2014 9:55 pm

I would probably like Elementary if they didn't call the characters Holmes and Watson, because they bear no resemblance to the original Holmes and Watson at all, and I find that very grating. It's just a good police procedural--but not an adventure series at all.

Last edited by REReader (September 28, 2014 9:56 pm)

**Posted by besleybean** September 29, 2014 5:35 am

I think the use of Jonny was very pointed too and he is very like Benedict.

**Posted by REReader** September 29, 2014 8:59 pm

If they had named him House (okay, not actually House, but some name not Sherlock Holmes) I might've have gone along with it--they could even be jokey about the resemblences. But they really didn't seem to make any effort to match their characters to the canon stories, just keeping the "outward limbs and flourishes."

Last edited by REReader (September 29, 2014 9:00 pm)

**Posted by besleybean** September 30, 2014 5:34 am

I think for Sherlockians it's just knowing the behind the scenes politics of how the series came about..
I always have to explain this to my family who are Elementary fans.
If I hadn;t known that the BBC team were 1st approached, I could watch Elementary and just love it.
My family all like Sherlock, too,
I gave my parents my old series of DVDs and they love them.
My sister is getting my next lot!

**Posted by REReader** September 30, 2014 8:05 pm

Maybe? I dunno.

And yay for spreading the love! I've infected my mom.