The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983)
British production starring Ian Richardson as Sherlock Holmes and Donald Churchill as Dr. Watson.
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a story we all know and love or at least should do. As one of the most Gothic horror like Holmes stories it has had various adaptations over the years the best of which is probably Hammer's 1959 version starring Peter Cushing as Holmes.
This version which i've only just found out was made for tv, not that it hinders as the best Holmes adaptations bar none are all television productions, which surprised me as the production values are of very high standard. Boasting a top notch cast including Martin Shaw, Brian Blessed and Denholm Elliott and wonderfully spooky sequences out on the moors at night this adaptation takes all the best parts of the story and embellishes them. It even adds scenes and characters (Blessed's Lyons was never in the book for a start) and brings the death of Stapleton to macabre life which Conan Doyle does not.
It's not perfect though. Martin Shaw has a dubbed American voice which not only sounds wrong as Shaw has a wonderful recognizable tone but is wholly unnecessary, i also wasn't keen on Churchill's Watson who as with Nigel Bruce in the Rathbone films tended to bumble along in dim witted fashion. However any flaws in Watson are more than made up for by Ian Richardson whose portrayal of Holmes with a twinkle of mischief in his eye is excellent and i would have loved to see more of him in the role.
Whilst i suppose a little unremarkable, but that's more to do with the story itself than this actual adaptation (I never like the fact Holmes goes missing from a large chunk) this is a solid production and well worth seeking out for Holmes fans or lovers of the Gothic.
Ian Richardson as Holmes and Edward Judd as Barrymore.