Sherlock reimagines Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Victorian detective for the present day, transplanting Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson into modern London while keeping the essential spirit of Conan Doyle’s original stories, first published from 1887 onward. Created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss — both lifelong devotees of the source material — the BBC series premiered in 2010 and quickly established itself as a distinctive, stylish take on one of fiction’s most adapted characters, swapping gaslight and hansom cabs for smartphones and CCTV without losing the deductive brilliance at the character’s core.
Unlike most television dramas, Sherlock told its story across just thirteen episodes over four series and one special, released between 2010 and 2017. Each episode ran to roughly ninety minutes, closer in scale to a feature film than a typical television instalment, and the gaps between series — often two years or more — became almost as talked about as the show itself, largely down to the rising film commitments of its two stars, who were increasingly in demand for major Hollywood franchises during the show’s run. Despite the sparse output, the show maintained an unusually devoted, patient fanbase throughout its run, with each new series treated as a genuine television event rather than a routine seasonal return.
Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance as Sherlock Holmes made him a global star, matched by Martin Freeman as Dr John Watson in a partnership widely regarded as one of the finest screen interpretations of the pair. Andrew Scott’s Jim Moriarty became the show’s standout supporting performance, an unpredictable, magnetic portrayal frequently cited among the greatest television villains of the modern era. Rupert Graves played Detective Inspector Lestrade, Una Stubbs was landlady Mrs Hudson, co-creator Mark Gatiss took on the role of Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft, and Amanda Abbington joined later series as Mary Morstan, rounding out a cast that balanced Conan Doyle’s classic characters with sharp, modern reinvention.
Sherlock became a genuine global phenomenon, winning multiple Emmy and BAFTA awards and sparking a renewed wave of interest in Holmes adaptations worldwide, including Warner Bros.’ own Sherlock Holmes films starring Robert Downey Jr., which arrived around the same period. Its cultural footprint extended well beyond television, from the ‘I am SHER locked’ phone code that became a minor pop culture reference point to the passionate ‘Sherlocked’ fan community that formed around the show during its run. Though the series concluded in 2017, it remains one of the most rewatched and referenced British dramas of the streaming era, and continues to introduce new audiences to Conan Doyle’s detective more than a century after he first appeared in print.
At Pioneer Signings, our Sherlock archive currently features an 8×10 Moriarty print signed by Andrew Scott, capturing one of the show’s most celebrated performances. Given how frequently Scott’s Moriarty is cited as a benchmark for television villainy, it’s a strong first piece for the franchise, and a natural draw for collectors who value the show’s villain just as highly as its hero.
We’re looking to build on this with signings from across 221B Baker Street and beyond as our Sherlock archive continues to grow.
