Was SHERLOCK's 'The Abominable Bride' a marriage made in heaven?

I haven't reviewed the New Year's Day Sherlock special here, partly because Frank Collins did a thoroughly decent job of it for Frame Rated. I don't really have too much more to add. But I thought I'd say a few words, nevertheless, because I know some people are curious—and I've covered all nine of the previous instalments. So, "The Abomindable Bride"...

Frame Rated: 2016 TV Preview

It's already slightly out-of-date because Sherlock aired yesterday, but here's a link to my '2016 TV Preview' feature at Frame Rated from a few days ago. 8 must-see television shows that are debuting (or returning after long absences) between now and March. Click here!

Trailer: BBC1's SHERLOCK - Christmas Special

The BBC have released the full-length trailer for this year's SHERLOCK special at Christmas. In an unusual move, the entire episode will transplant Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Watson (Martin Freeman) to 19th-century London, apparently with no rhyme-or-reason. Just go with it, OK? Anyway, this looks fun, but there's no real insight into what the storyline is. The trailer just exists to make people double-take that the 'modern Sherlock update' has undone its own concept, to become just another iteration of a Victorian-era Sherlock Holmes. Does that sound too cynical? I don't mean it to be. It'll be amusing to see Cumberbatch and Freeman in more traditional roles, and the Victoriana will be like a warm blanket on a hopefully chilly Christmas evening. What do YOU think? Excited by this special, or a little nonplussed?

SHERLOCK's festive special takes place during Victorian times!

When Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman were photographed in Victorian garb as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, most people assumed their SHERLOCK characters would be attending a fancy dress party during this year's Christmas Special, or we'd be treated to a fun dream sequence paying homage to the character's 19th-century roots. It turns out neither of those fan theories are true! Instead, the show's Christmas special will take place in Victorian London... just because.

Digital Spy: BROADCHURCH and the business of keeping secrets on TV

Over at Digital Spy yesterday, I wrote an article looking at 6 television shows that managed to keep huge secrets from their fanatical audiences, thus maintaining big surprises when important episodes aired. Take a look! And share if you enjoyed reading it.

Video: Norwegian SHERLOCK parodies 'Oklahomo' & 'Mind Phallus'

Norwegian comedians Vidar Magnussen and Bjarte Tjøstheim have made two parodies of the BBC series SHERLOCK, which I'd like to share with you because they're well-made and contain fun moments: "Oklahomo" (above) and "Mind Phallus" (below)...

Digital Spy: 12 Fantasy Television Crossovers

Over at Digital Spy today, it's my latest article. This one fantasises about 12 "crossover" episodes of past and present TV shows, that would be extremely unlikely but incredibly fun to watch. Dexter meets Hannibal? Sherlock travels to Fargo? Justified visits True Blood? Click through to read more, and remember to share if you enjoy it!

SHERLOCK will return, with a bonus Christmas special!

Most of the discussion about Sherlock concerns when it's coming back! It airs so briefly when it does return, that within a month fans are back to wondering when the next three episodes will be. Well, wonder no more!

TV News: Fox's pilots, AGENT CARTER, AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D, DEXTER, THE FALL, JUSTIFIED and SHERLOCK

Sometimes lots of television news breaks in a week (certainly during the Television Critics Association tour over in the US), so I've condensed some of the most interesting pieces below...

MSN TV: SHERLOCK, 3.3 - 'His Last Vow'

Today over at MSN TV: I've reviewed the third series finale of SHERLOCK, "His Last Vow", which sees Sherlock and Watson up against a creepy master blackmailer...

You know what Sherlock's been missing this year? A great villain. The first series had the lurking menace of Moriarty, which led to the master criminal becoming the focus of the second series (which even threw in femme fatale Irene Adler). In comparison, series three hasn't presented Sherlock with memorable villains who posed either a physical threat or mental challenge, but that all changed with His Last Vow. This finale brought Sherlock back to its thrilling best, ending the run on a high.

Continue reading at MSN TV...

SHERLOCK, 3.2 – 'The Sign of Three'

written by Stephen Thompson, Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss | directed by Colm McCarthy

Each series of Sherlock's low-point has been the middle episode, sandwiched between two better 90-minutes that work to distract from its shortcomings. Stephen Thompson has been responsible for one already (together with a handful of trifling Doctor Who episodes), so your first reaction is to wonder why he keeps being asked to write more. Of course, it could just be that Thompson does his best with an assignment from creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss that's always going to cause problems.

MSN TV: BBC1's SHERLOCK, 3.1 - 'The Empty Hearse'

Over at MSN TV today: I've reviewed the third series premiere of BBC1's SHERLOCK, where the great detective came back from the dead...

How did he do it? How did he fake his death? That was the question. The answer? Well, that's another matter. It's been two years since Sherlock "died", and a moustachioed Watson is now engaged to Mary Morstran (Martin Freeman's real-life partner Amanda Abbington). However, his life is about to be turned upside down again because Sherlock must return. And return, he does.

Continue reading at MSN TV...

2014: Television To Look Forward To

As has become tradition, I've compiled a list of the big new shows that will help make the loss of 2013 more bearable. 2014 looks to be shaping up rather nicely (if noticeably full of dark subject-matter), if the below mix of pilots and commissioned series make good on their potential. As always, I'm sure I've missed some gems, so feel free to add some of your own choices as a comment. If I strongly agree with any oversights, I will add hastily them and claim they were included all along.

Video: SHERLOCK mini-episode – 'Many Happy Returns'

As a primer for Sherlock's return on New Year's Day, the BBC have released a seven-minute appetiser called "Many Happy Returns". This gives us some insight into what the supposedly dead Sherlock Holmes has been doing since he faked his own demise...

Video: WHOLOCK - Doctor Who meets Sherlock Holmes

The same fan who created the astonishing fake Doctor Who 50th anniversary trailer is at it again! Embedded above is his latest effort; which uses all manner of digital trickery to create a short crossover for Doctor Who and Sherlock, as Matt Smith and Benedict Cumberbatch get to share a scene thanks to the wonder of CGI. This is a lot rougher than his previous video, as it's far more ambitious in telling an actual story with "performances" cribbed from various bit of footage, but it's still a marvellous effort... and gives you a flavour of what a genuine crossover episode might be like.

Update (15/12/13) - below is a video of how the video was achieved, which just makes it even more impressive:

Trailer: SHERLOCK - series 3

The BBC have released the official trailer for Sherlock's third series, which premieres on BBC1 this New Year's Day (and 19 January on PBS Masterpiece over in the US). It looks good and I'm a fan of Benedict Cumberbatch's tetchy and supercilious approach to playing Holmes, but coming two years after the last episode... has excitement over the "how did Sherlock fake his own death?" mystery blown over? I'm still curious to know what the explanation is, but it's a shame this show can't be produced any quicker. A six-month wait for the answer would have been fair, or a year at the absolute most... but 24-months? The answer had better be suitably brilliant, Mr Moffat and Mr Gatiss...

SHERLOCK series 3 premiering New Year's Day; THE WALKING DEAD's UK premiere shortened for 2014

The BBC have confirmed the third series of Sherlock will début on New Year's Day, exactly as the second series did back in 2012 (but does this mean it's airing on Wednesday evenings for the entirety of its three-week run?) American viewers will have to wait almost a month, as PBS won't broadcast it until 19 January 2014.

Fox UK have also announced their plans to reduce the gap between US and UK broadcast of The Walking Dead. Currently, British fans wait five days for a Friday night premiere, but Fox UK will begin showing episodes on Mondays (the day after their US début on AMC). I'm not sure what has encouraged this change, but I'm sure piracy has a lot to do with it. Or to protect the audience from spoilers? It'll be interesting to see if Fox UK see an upswing in ratings next year, now Brits only have 24-hours to wait—as Sky Atlantic treat Game of Thrones.

Trailer: SHERLOCK - series 3; DOCTOR WHO - 2013 Christmas Special

The BBC wisely chose to premiere the trailer for Sherlock's third series after last night's Doctor Who anniversary special, so I've embedded it above. There isn't much you can speculate on based on the footage here, but it does enough to get me excited for the show's return. No idea when that'll be exactly, but the smart money's on early-January.

Autumn/Winter 2013: What to Watch

The start of the 2013/14 TV season is almost upon us, with UK and US channels ready to launch a slew of new shows together with their returning favourites. It promises to be a busy few months for telly addicts, but what will I be watching from now until Christmas? In chronological order, let's take a look...

Trailer: BBC - Original British Drama

The BBC have released another of their 90-second trailers for the original drama they have in store this autumn/winter. Old favourites like Sherlock and Ripper Street are in attendance, but there's also new content like Musketeers (a remake of the Alexandre Dumas novel), Great Train Robbery (a miniseries retelling the famous story of the 1960s heist), Quirke (a 1950s Dublin-set crime drama starring Gabriel Byrne), By Any Means (a drama about a group of maverick cops, starring Warren Clarke, Amy Nuttall, Nick Moran, and David Harewood), What Remains (the currently-airing drama about a couple who discover a corpse in their loft), and Escape Artist (about a brilliant lawyer, played by David Tennant, who comes to regret keeping a notorious gangster out of prison).