Sherlock Holmes - Indagini dal futuro

This series is interesting but can be confusing at times. It has a lot of potential but it hasn't come through yet. Holmes's wit and keen senses are displayed very well but you still get the feeling that that person isn't quite the real Sherlock Holmes. I'll continue to watch this show despite the occasional bewilderment it causes and just hope that it gets better. You don't have to like it but you should give it a chance.

Wonderful animated "steampunk" that mixes late 19th century literature with futuristic fantasy. Like the SciFi Network's live-action THE SECRET ADVENTURES OF JULES VERNE, this isn't about the original novels so much about the spirit and adventure of the characters. When authors like Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and H.G. Wells, etc...penned their classics, it was a time when the world was opening up new avenues of exploration on every continent, and new avenues of discovery in laboratories and workshops. It was the dawn of the 20th century and they educated us not only to "what is"...but to "what if". As we seek new discoveries and new adventures in the future we hope there will be literary figures that take us there first that are up to par with the immortal Holmes, Fogg, and Lord Greystoke. This series has chosen one of the best to take us into the 22nd century and perhaps will introduce younger viewers to Holmes and inspire them to read Doyle's original novels. That much better than inspiring them to collect Pokemon cards.

For the sake of completeness of my Holmes project, I watched a couple episodes of this.

The fancy is that Holmes is placed 200 years in his future. The future setting allows the animators to use all sorts of visual shorthand for sets and situations. The appropriation of Holmes allows the writers existing stories that can be reduced to skeletal plots. These two devices were likely important to the decision to go, as they would greatly reduce costs.

This was inspired by Sherlock Holmes in the 23rd Century (of the decade before), an even cheaper production with even more abstract notions of a future.

When characters and story structures reach this level of reuse, like Frankenstein, it is because they have such power that all one has to do is reference them by sketching, and the viewer fills in details.

The amazing thing is the ends of the thing. The production itself is the scantiest, cheapest thing possible and the external reference is one of the richest.

This "new" Sherlock Holmes (‘Sherlock Holmes In The 22nd Century') is without a doubt AWESOME. It's among the very best animated shows I've ever seen. I'd buy this entire series on DVD in a heartbeat that's how much I love watching it. I already have the four-episode DVD and it's a good thing that DVDs don't wear with play because this copy would be worn out by now. I watch those four episodes over and over and over... Seeing as I'm writing this in 2003 and the shows were created in 1999 does nothing but reinforce my continued love for this series. I love the way hand-drawn animation (i.e. people) is incorporated with computer-generated animation (i.e. vehicles). Visually, the series looks superb. The logic and explanations are not only rational, but also thought provoking, rooted, and justified in the stories and environments.

I would suggest watching the first episode of the series. It explains what is going on with the characters. You'll find out why Watson's head is on an android body and all about what happened to Holmes himself. I was confused at first also, but the first episode cleared it up. The main thing I noted was the fact that they use the titles of the original stories and then update them for the time period they take place in. You may understand what's going on better if you read Doyle's original stories. Read a Complete Sherlock Holmes if you can find it. They also have The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes as a separate volume. There may also be other volumes. Ask at a library for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Sherlock Holmes and they can direct you to the Call Number. If you want to buy a book, look under Mystery in the book store. Waldenbooks has a good selection. Good luck!