There’s oneSherlockepisode that most fans haven’t seen, but it’s a reminder of what made the show so great. As one of the most popular literary characters, Sherlock Holmes has been adapted to all types of media.The status of the rights to Sherlock Holmeshas allowed artists to make changes to the characters, resulting in interesting adaptations.
Among them is the BBC’sSherlock, created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat.Sherlockbrought the detective (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) and Dr. Watson (Martin Freeman) to modern-day London, along with the most notable characters and cases from the books.Sherlockran for four seasons, but its quality wasn’t consistent.
Despite its decline after season 2,Sherlockis one of the best recent and modern adaptations of the Great Detective, thanks to its approach, pacing, and performances. However,Sherlock’s actual first episode wasn’t as good as the pilot everyone now knows, but it’s the best reminder of what made the show so great.
Sherlock’s Unaired Pilot Is Not As Good As The Official One
Sherlock’s Original Pilot Wasn’t Good
Sherlockpremiered on BBC One in 2010, with a series of three episodes, which was the format that the show followed in its subsequent seasons.Sherlockstarted with the episode “A Study in Pink”, in which John Watson, an army doctor injured in Afghanistan, returned to London looking for a flat. John was taken to Sherlock Holmes, who was looking for a flatmate.
Despite Sherlock immediately showing off his deduction skills by reading John without knowing anything about him other than his name, John agreed to become Sherlock’s flatmate. What John wasn’t counting on was Sherlock dragging him to his current case, that of the death of a woman who was dressed all in pink.“A Study in Pink” was the episode that started it allforSherlock, but the episode everyone now knows wasn’t the original version.
Initially,Sherlockwas announced as a 60-minute drama, and the plan was for it to be the beginning of a season with six 60-minute episodes. The pilot was directed by Coky Giedroyc, but was rumored to be a disaster (viaThe Guardian).The BBC decided not to air the pilot and, instead, requested a reshootand three 90-minute episodes. Now directed by Paul McGuigan, “A Study in Pink” had the same story as the pilot but was rewritten and expanded, adding moments like John’s role in the climax and Mycroft’s (Gatiss) presence.
Although it had most of the original cast back, the final version of “A Study in Pink” had to recast some characters, most notably Sally Donovan.While the original pilot didn’t air, it was added to season 1’s DVD release, so it’s available to watch, but not everyone knows it exists (which is fine, as it’s not really a good episode).
Sherlock’s Actual First Episode Got Everything Right
The Final Version Of “A Study In Pink” Was A Big Improvement
There are some keydifferences betweenSherlock’s pilot and its first episode, and they are the ones that greatly improved the episode. One of the best scenes in “A Study in Pink” was when Sherlock texted Lestrade during a press conference, and the text messages (from Sherlock and the ones the audience received) were shown on screen.
By expanding the story, “A Study in Pink” had more space and time to properly develop the story and introduce some of the show’s key characters.
The pilot didn’t have the now iconic line about Sherlock not being a psychopath, instead being a“high-functioning sociopath”, and his process of solving the case was completely different. By expanding the story, “A Study in Pink” had more space and time to properly develop the story and introduce some of the show’s key characters. The pacing was a lot better, the story was better developed, the characters got to show their key traits, andit began to establish key dynamics, most importantly that between Sherlock and Watson.
“A Study in Pink” is the sixth highest-rated episode ofSherlockon IMDb, with a score of 8.9.
The episode also introduced Mycroft and the presence of Moriarty, who wasn’t even mentioned in the pilot. “A Study in Pink” also shared the spotlight with John, while the pilot was all about Sherlock. Although he’s the title character, John is as important to the show as Holmes, so adding his perspective and giving him a bigger role in the story and case was key to the episode’s and the show’s success.
The Best Things About BBC’s Sherlock Were Set Up In The Pilot
The Final Pilot Was Key To Sherlock’s Success
If the originalSherlockpilot had aired, and supposing it had led to the production of a six-episode show as intended, it probably wouldn’t have succeeded the way the show ultimately did.The original pilot set up the best things aboutSherlockbut didn’t do much to develop them, such as John’s arrival and first meeting with Sherlock, their first case together, and Sherlock’s process.
The unairedSherlockpilot had the basics of what would make the show so great, but it was missing the best things about it, both in terms of narrative and visuals. One of the most praised things aboutSherlock(though it later became a problem) was how it visually represented text messages andSherlock’s thought process, which weren’t present in the pilot.
It’s a huge relief that the BBC saw the potential inSherlockbut was aware that the pilot, as it was, wouldn’t work.
As mentioned above, Mycroft and Moriarty were also left out, and John’s role was significantly smaller. It’s a huge relief that the BBC saw the potential inSherlockbut was aware that the pilot, as it was, wouldn’t work, but giving the team behindSherlockthe chance to rewrite, expand, and reshoot the first episode ultimately saved the show.
