Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes became the most famous detective of the 19th century through the writings of Arthur Conan Doyle. In the 20th century his existence as a real person was a matter of debate.

Life and career
Holmes had several notable relatives: Siger, Sherringford, Mycroft and Genevieve. (NA: All-Consuming Fire)

In 1887, Holmes and Watson helped the Seventh Doctor battle the Old One known as Azathoth. (NA: All-Consuming Fire) Later in 1887, Holmes and Watson travelled to Cheldon Bonniface, 2010 to attend the wedding of Bernice Summerfield and Jason Kane, uncovering the schemes of the Master during the festivities. (NA: Happy Endings)

In 1888, Holmes and Watson met up with Iris Wildthyme and her six foot companion Panda. (IW: The Shape of Things)

In 1894, Holmes investigated The West End Horror (novel by Nicholas Meyer) and may or may not have encountered the Eighth Doctor at the time. (EDA: The Gallifrey Chronicles)

Having completed a second run of Holmes stories for publication in The Strand Magazine, Conan Doyle got tired of writing stories about the detective, and wrote a story in which a villain, Moriarty, caused Holmes' death. This failed to stick. (DWM: Character Assassin)


 * Historically, The Final Problem appears to have been written under a contract separate from the earlier stories that with it comprise The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, published in 1893. The Empty House, which explains how Holmes faked his death, was set in 1894. Moriarty appeared in NA: All-Consuming Fire and was (somewhat obliquely) mentioned as a real person in NA: The Death of Art and BNA: Ghost Devices.

Minor references

 * Perhaps in tribute to Holmes, the Fourth Doctor adopted the detective's trademark style of dress during a visit to 1883 London. (DW: The Talons of Weng-Chiang)
 * The Sixth Doctor and Frobisher came across an illusion of Sherlock Holmes in his study. The Doctor described Holmes as fictional. (DWM: Funhouse)
 * The Seventh Doctor quoted a saying of Holmes', to which his companion Ace described him as a fictional character. The Doctor asserted that you could still have spoken with him. (NA: Timewyrm: Revelation).
 * The Doctor lived for a year as practically a neighbour of Holmes as he lived in a house at 107 Baker Street in Victorian London. (BFA: The Haunting of Thomas Brewster)
 * Dyslexic child Elliot Northover often listened to audiobooks. It is implied he had an interest in Sherlock Holmes when he quotes, "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." (DW: The Hungry Earth)
 * The Fifth Doctor claimed to be an old friend of Sherlock's. (PDA: Warmonger)
 * The Second Doctor claimed to have met Sherlock. (PDA: Heart of TARDIS)
 * The Eighth Doctor had read Hound of the Baskervilles and quoted the book after being chased by a dog in Dartmoor. (EDA: Camera Obscura)

Holmes' status as fiction
A noted above, different accounts attribute disparate levels of "reality" to Holmes, variously suggesting that he existed as a real person named Sherlock Holmes, some that he never existed, and others that Holmes and Watson were authentic historical figures under different names, whose identities Watson's literary agent Arthur Conan Doyle concealed (NA: All-Consuming Fire). To further disguise the identity of his clients, Conan Doyle instructed his illustrators to dress 'Holmes' in the deerstalker and cape the Fourth Doctor had been wearing when the writer met him in 1880 (MA: Evolution). In accordance with this, the most substantial information regarding Holmes' encounters with the Doctor and his companions has been provided in the subjective form of diary entries written by Bernice Summerfield and 'Watson' (NA: All-Consuming Fire, Happy Endings).

Some who've made his acquaintance, such as Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart, still seem to regard him as not quite real (BFBS: The Final Amendment).

While specifically discussing Holmes in every instance, the Doctor has hinted (NA: Timewyrm: Revelation, EDA: The Gallifrey Chronicles) at some permeability between "fiction" and "reality".

General information
Many commentators, including Colin Baker, have noted a similarity between the characters of the Doctor and Holmes. Both character have enjoyed rare levels of popularity and longevity as British fictional characters in multiple media. Tom Baker played Holmes in a 1982 television serial adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles.

The version of Sherlock Holmes depicted on the cover of All-Consuming Fire is based upon arguably the most famous cinematic portrayer of the role, Basil Rathbone.

Crossovers in other works
The Kim Newman short story collection Secret Files of the Diogenes Club, a work which mixes the Sherlock Holmes and other continuities, features Newman's creation the Cold from his Time and Relative, set in the Doctor Who universe.

The Doctor, the TARDIS and Holmes (as well as his brother Mycroft and archnemesis Moriarty) all co-exist in Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen universe.

Big Finish's Sherlock Holmes
Beginning in 2009, Big Finish Productions began releasing a range of Sherlock Holmes audio dramas. In the first two episodes Roger Llewellyn played an older Holmes reflecting on his past adventures, with Nicholas Briggs playing the detective in more traditional Holmes adventures from episode three onward. Many cast and crew from the Big Finish Doctor Who audio stories have contributed to the range.

Steven Moffat's Sherlock
In 2010, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss created the BBC Wales series Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock and also featuring Gatiss and Russell Tovey in supporting roles. As of 2012, it consists of six 90 minute episodes written by Moffat, Gatiss and Steve Thompson.

Matt Smith had auditioned for the role of Watson, but was turned down before Steven Moffat cast him as the Eleventh Doctor.

Benedict Cumberbatch was rumoured to have been offered the role of the Eleventh Doctor and turned it down. He denied the rumour, claiming never to have been offered the role. He has expressed his interest in appearing in Doctor Who, but said that he doesn't want a one-off part.

Doctor Who actors who have played Sherlock Holmes

 * Tom Baker
 * Nicholas Briggs
 * John Cleese
 * Benedict Cumberbatch
 * Peter Cushing
 * Roy Hudd
 * Jonathan Pryce

Cleese, Rupert Everett, Matt Frewer and Christopher Lee, all of whom have played Sherlock Holmes, were all considered for the role of the Eighth Doctor in the TV movie.

Non-narrative info

 * According to The Brilliant Book 2012, a book that contains non-narrative based information; in an alternate universe where all history occured at once, Holmes hosted a reality TV show called Detects Factor. The book also states that the Eleventh Doctor feared that wearing a deerstalker hat may make people confuse him for Sherlock.