Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century

Lore & Background

The series was conceptualized by Sandy Ross, a Scottish Television executive, while skiing in Aspen, Colorado in January 1996. DIC Productions and Scottish Television, who had previously collaborated on other series, produced the show. Some issues were raised about language carrying different connotations between cultures, but alternative action and dialogue were used to overcome this. The series was originally planned to be called Sherlock Holmes in the 21st Century, but as the planned air date of September 1998 was near the new century, the show's name was changed. Les Studios Tex was also confirmed to be working on the series, although they are not credited in the final product.

Set during 2103 in New London, Inspector Beth Lestrade of New Scotland Yard is chasing the grotesquely deformed French rogue geneticist Martin Fenwick, when she realizes that his companion is a clone of Professor James Moriarty created from cells taken from his corpse. Lestrade knows that Holmes's corpse is preserved in a glass-walled, honey-filled coffin in the basement of New Scotland Yard. She takes the body to biologist Sir Evan Hargreaves, who uses a process of cellular rejuvenation to return life and youth to Holmes's body. Holmes returns to his old Baker Street rooms, preserved as a museum. Lestrade's compudroid reads the original journals of Dr. John H. Watson and assumes his name, face, voice, and mannerisms to assist Holmes.

During the series, Holmes and Watson often work on retainer for New Scotland Yard, with Beth as their supervising officer and Chief Inspector Charles Grayson as hers, but they also work for private citizens. They are assisted by the new Baker Street Irregulars: the football player Wiggins, the Cockney Deidre, and the paraplegic Tennyson, who communicates through electronic beeps. The primary villains are Moriarty and Martin Fenwick. Each episode is inspired by one of the literary works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Visually, the series is a blend of traditional 2D and 3D CGI animation.

Reader's Guide

Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century represents a notable attempt to transplant the classic detective into a futuristic setting, updating the Victorian-era stories with science fiction elements such as cloning, compudroids, and cellular rejuvenation. The series was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for Special Class Animated Program, indicating recognition within the industry. Its production involved collaboration between DIC Entertainment and Scottish Television, and it faced challenges in navigating cultural differences in language. The show aired in the United Kingdom on CITV in late spring 1999 and in the United States on Fox Kids that fall, with a second season airing in broadcast syndication in 2001. The series adapted many of Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories, sometimes directly and sometimes with significant changes. Its legacy includes being part of the broader trend of reimagining classic characters for new audiences, and it introduced a generation of viewers to Sherlock Holmes through an animated, futuristic lens.

Did You Know?

• The series was originally planned to be called Sherlock Holmes in the 21st Century, but the name was changed because the planned air date of September 1998 was near the new century.
• Holmes's corpse is preserved in a glass-walled, honey-filled coffin in the basement of New Scotland Yard.
• The compudroid Watson dons a cloak in public to better fit in and uses a prosthetic mask that resembles Dr. John H. Watson's face.
• The series was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for Special Class Animated Program.