10 Best Sherlock Holmes TV Shows Of All Time, Ranked

It’s been almost 140 years since Sherlock Holmes made his literary debut and the master of deductive reasoning continues to be an absolute icon for the mystery genre. This includes a whole line of television shows that just cement how timeless Arthur Conan Doyle’s character truly is. Series based on Sherlock keep audiences tuning in and have made major stars out of actors taking on the role, most notably Benedict Cumberbatch’s modern turn as the detective. Simply put, Sherlock Holmes hasn’t diminished in relevance or staying power in well over a century and whenever the character appears in a new show, he’s got our full attention.

Some of the best detective TV shows ever made are often directly influenced by Doyle and his iconic super-sleuth. That said, we’re focusing on shows starring some variation of Sherlock Holmes himself, reinvented for different audiences and cultures. There is a deceptive amount of malleability to Sherlock, whether he’s in classic Victorian London or even the far-future. These are the 10 best Sherlock Holmes TV shows of all time ranked, providing their own twist to the literary hero.

Let’s start off with what is arguably the biggest departure of the Sherlock Holmes license on television on this list, the animated series “Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century.” Premiering in 1999, the show opens with New London terrorized by a clone of the original James Moriarty (Richard Newman). In response, police inspector Beth Lestrade (Akiko Morison) uses advanced cellular regeneration technology to resurrect Sherlock Holmes (Jason Gray-Stanford) to combat this resurgent threat. As Sherlock acclimates to this futuristic society, he is accompanied by an android (John Payne) programmed to resemble and evoke the personality of John Watson.

It’s fun seeing how much of the classic Sherlock Holmes lore is translated to fit this Saturday morning cartoon sci-fi show. “Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century” ran for two seasons, providing a surprisingly robust futuristic vision of its approach to Doyle’s work. This includes several episodes directly adapting some of Doyle’s stories, albeit within the sensibilities and sci-fi spectacle of the animated show. A young viewer-friendly take on the familiar mythos, “Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century” is a great gateway into its detective’s usual antics.

Admittedly, a medical procedural might not seem like the most logical direction to take a Sherlock Holmes show, but “Watson” makes it work. Premiering in 2025, the show stars Morris Chestnut as John Watson, who opens his own medical clinic in Pittsburgh after the apparent death of his best friend Holmes. Watson finds himself putting his own deductive reasoning to good use, solving all sorts of unusual medical mysteries. Just as the genius physician begins to put down roots, faces from his past like Professor James Moriarty (Randall Park) and the mysterious Sherlock Holmes (Robert Carlyle) resurface.

“Watson” plays out like a cross between the medical drama “House” and classic Sherlock Holmes elements and characters. What makes this synergy work is the grounding performance by Chestnut, who keeps the odd mishmash from becoming too ludicrous with his self-assured presence. Unfortunately, this only went so far and “Watson” was cancelled after two seasons, closing the show on a medical cliffhanger for its eponymous protagonist. An all-too short-lived modern twist on the literary property, “Watson” took its title character outside of his perpetual sidekick status.

One of the boldest reimaginings of Doyle’s classic crime-solver is in the Japanese series “Miss Sherlock,” which premiered in 2018. Set in present day Tokyo, the show centers on Sara “Sherlock” Shelly Futaba (Yūko Takeuchi) and her roommate and physician Wato Tachibana (Shihori Kanjiya). The duo provide consulting work for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, delving into cases that have the authorities thoroughly baffled. Several of the cases the pair take on involve the shadowy syndicate Stella Maris, headed by a mysterious mastermind (Yuki Saito) intrigued by Sherlock.

With its modern setting and tight focus on its leads, “Miss Sherlock” feels just as influenced by the 2010 BBC “Sherlock” as it does Doyle’s novels. At the same time, and in no small part because of its setting, the series feels wholly its own unique take on the tropes and characters. Takeuchi and Kanjiya are both particularly good in their respective roles, evoking the iconic partnership more than just standing as gender and culturally swapped archetypes. Running for a tight eight episodes, “Miss Sherlock” gets the job done and showcases how universal the famous detective’s world truly is.

The 2000 BBC series “Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes” takes an interesting approach to Doyle by examining the man behind the literature and his inspirations. The show’s protagonist is Arthur Conan Doyle himself, played at different stages of his life by Robin Laing and Charles Edwards. Doyle works as a physician in 19th century Britain with his mentor Joseph Bell (Ian Richardson), a veteran surgeon and medical educator. Bell assists with various mysteries, providing his valuable insight and deductive reasoning, directly inspiring Doyle’s later work as a crime author.

All the familiar tropes within Doyle’s literary work is apparent in “Murder Rooms,” albeit under the verisimilitude of depicting its protagonist’s prior career. The real standout is Richardson, perhaps best known to American audiences for starring in the original British version of “House of Cards.” Instead of a conniving politician, Richardson is playing a wise and sharply observant personality that clearly leaves a deep impression on his protege and subsequent writing career. A self-aware origin story wrapped inside facsimiles of real-world figures, “Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes” maintains the period piece mystery appeal of its property.

Appropriately enough, there is just something about British TV shows that get to the core of Sherlock Holmes better than most televised adaptations of the character. As far as classic depictions of the detective and his world, the ’60s leaned into the lore’s distinct iconography better than most Masterpiece Theatre fare. 1965 launched a two-season adaptation on BBC simply titled “Sherlock Holmes,” with Douglas Wilmer playing the hero in the first season and Peter Cushing in the second. Working with John Watson (Nigel Stock) across 29 episodes, the series directly adapts Doyle’s stories for the screen.

As far as faithful translations of the actual literary stories go, it’s hard to top the 1965 BBC “Sherlock Holmes.” The series really coalesces with its second season, largely because of Cushing taking the reins of the eponymous role with classically trained aplomb. Cushing had previously played Sherlock on the big screen in 1959’s “The Hound of the Baskervilles” and he reprises the role masterfully for television. A classic bit of ’60s British television, “Sherlock Holmes” does its source material justice, especially when Cushing takes the helm.

Among the allies Sherlock Holmes employs to keep himself appraised of matters around London are the Baker Street Irregulars. The ensemble is a group of teenagers and adolescents around the British capital providing a more grounded perspective on goings-on throughout the city. The group takes center stage for the 2021 Netflix original series “The Irregulars,” which also offers a supernatural twist on the mysteries the young crime-solvers get involved in. In this series, the Irregulars coordinate more directly with John Watson (Royce Pierreson), with Sherlock (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) racked by grief and addiction.

The shift in perspective and emphasis on paranormal mysteries are distinct alterations to familiar mythos but “The Irregulars” integrate them well. This is aided by an evocative period piece setting and an earnest young cast, bringing coming-of-age drama to the supernatural stakes. Unfortunately, “The Irregulars” was cancelled at Netflix after a single season, though it does offer a conclusive ending. Another imaginative take on Doyle’s characters and Victorian London, “The Irregulars” is perfect to binge over a long weekend, especially for Sherlock Holmes fans.

After reinvigorating Sherlock Holmes on the big screen with two movies starring Robert Downey, Jr. as the famous detective, filmmaker Guy Ritchie explored his origins on television. The Prime Video original series “Young Sherlock” follows a teenage Holmes as he attends Oxford University in the 1870s. Played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin, the university student is much more rambunctious than the reserved detective he will grow up to be. Joining Sherlock in his early mystery-solving is his older brother Mycroft (Max Irons) and his newfound friend James Moriarty (Dónal Finn).

Retaining Ritchie’s stylish filmmaking sensibilities, “Young Sherlock” provides a fresh, young adult take on Doyle’s classic characters and the types of stories they get into. Similar to the Downey-starring movies, the show isn’t stuffily confined to the literary source material, with “Young Sherlock” boldly changing major pieces of the lore to craft its own story. These alterations work for the world that the series builds, often staying true to the spirit of the characters while distinguishing it from other adaptations. A slickly executed origin story for its titular Victorian intellectual, “Young Sherlock” is a rollicking fun approach to the familiar figures.

Sherlock Holmes comes to present day New York City in the procedural series “Elementary,” with Jonny Lee Miller playing the detective. Premiering on CBS in 2012, Sherlock is joined by Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) to help him with his substance abuse issues after being remanded from London. Because of her work with Sherlock’s rehabilitation, Watson accompanies him as he resumes providing consulting work, this time with the New York Police Department. More than just helping Sherlock overcome his opiate addiction, Watson becomes an invaluable ally in his casework, especially with the resurgence of his old adversary.

“Elementary” consistently provided a solid procedural twist on the classic story through the show being cancelled after seven seasons. A lot of this comes from the show’s core premise focusing on a Sherlock in recovery, changing up the dynamic between him and Watson in the series. This makes the lead detective a much more nuanced and vulnerable character, something Miller plays up marvelously with his performance. Taking the opportunity to provide a unique perspective on Sherlock’s family with its modern-day Manhattan setting, “Elementary” is a wonderful blend of procedural action with Doyle’s characters.

The project that made a household name out of star Benedict Cumberbatch is the 2010 BBC series “Sherlock,” a 21st century reimagining of the iconic detective. The show opens with Holmes (Cumberbatch) as a consulting detective for London authorities. Joining Sherlock is his combat medic best friend John Watson (Martin Freeman) and older brother Mycroft Holmes (Mark Gatiss), who runs the British government’s intelligence apparatus. Sherlock confronts a series of criminal masterminds as deviously cunning and sharp as his deductive reasoning skills, including the sinister Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott).

Cumberbatch presents his iteration of the titular role, in the character’s own words, as a high-functioning sociopath, utterly driven by the intellectual challenge with little empathy informing his action. Freeman’s Watson provides the complementary heart, a bit more abrasive than past incarnations of the character but still maintaining a close friendship with Sherlock. It’s through these two that the show wisely provides its updated perspective on Doyle’s classic tales, keeping the core of the mysteries with modernized sensibilities. Though Benedict Cumberbatch has poured cold water on the possibility of more “Sherlock” beyond Season 4, the completed episodes tell a satisfying story worth revisiting in full.

Who would’ve thought that the finest television adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective would come out of the Soviet Union? Starting in 1979, the Soviet production studio Lenfilm released a series of television movies under the banner “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.” Starring Vasily Livanov and Vitaly Solomin as Sherlock and Watson, respectively, the duo appeared in 11 episodes across five TV movies. Despite the obvious change in language, these adaptations retain the Victorian England setting while faithfully retelling Doyle’s stories.

What makes “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson” stand out in comparison to other adaptations of the character is a cinematic-level production combined with source material fidelity. Livnov and Solomin inhabit their respective roles so thoroughly that the viewer looks past the fact that they’re speaking in Russian, while their friendship provides an appealing emotional core. But beyond the central duo, the episodes offer fresh and fun depictions of the classic stories hewing closely to the spirit of the text. An adaptation that needs to be seen by every fan, “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson” is one of the best shows to come out of Russia.