The concept for the series was created by Sandy Ross, a Scottish Television executive, who came up with the idea while skiing in Aspen, Colorado in January 1996.[4]DIC Productions and Scottish Television had previously worked together to create other series and this continued the trend. 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 millennium, the show's name was changed.[4]
Les Studios Tex was also confirmed to be working on the series, although they are not credited in the final product.[5]
Plot
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 none other than the 19th-century criminal mastermind Professor James Moriarty. She then discovers that this is not the original Moriarty, but rather a clone created from cells taken from his corpse, which Sherlock Holmes had buried in a Swiss ice cave after Moriarty's death in 1891. Lestrade knows that Holmes died of natural causes many years later and that his corpse is preserved in a glass-walled, honey-filled coffin in the basement of New Scotland Yard. She takes the body from the basement and delivers it to biologist Sir Evan Hargreaves (who resembles Holmes' creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), who has just invented a process of cellular rejuvenation. Hargreaves uses his process to return life and youth to Holmes's body so that the detective can again battle Moriarty. Holmes also returns to his old Baker Street rooms, which had been preserved as a museum. Lestrade's compudroid reads the original journals of Dr. John H. Watson and assumes his name, face, voice, and mannerisms in order to assist Holmes in both his crime-solving duties and his difficult assimilation to Great Britain in the 22nd century.
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 often assisted by the new Baker Street Irregulars: the football player Wiggins, the Cockney Deidre, and the paraplegic Tennyson, who communicates through electronic beeps (which Holmes understands after learning about 22nd-century advances in technology and Morse code). The primary villains are Moriarty and Fenwick (whom Moriarty has manipulated into being his loyal henchman), appearing as they do in almost half of the produced episodes.
Visually, the series is a blend of traditional 2D and 3D CGI animation.
Voice cast
Jason Gray-Stanford as Sherlock Holmes: The Great Detective himself, Holmes was brought back in the 22nd century to combat a memory clone of his nemesis, Professor Moriarty. Despite initial trouble with adapting to the era, he eventually acclimatizes quite nicely and learns to love this new era he has been bought to, and uses his knowledge of the future to often help his allies out of death traps. Holmes has taken to playing a hand-sized keytar in place of his classic violin. He commonly uses the phrase "eyes and brain" to encourage thinking or explain his reasoning.
John Payne as Watson: A compudroid that initially worked as Lestrade's assistant. He later read the original Dr. John H. Watson's journals, and Lestrade unknowingly made breakthroughs in a lot of areas that day. He was able to emulate his persona from them, which led to other breakthroughs. While not able to feel emotions as a human would eventually develop and learn how, Watson can vocalize and react realistically. In public, Watson dons a cloak to better fit in. He currently resides at 221B Baker Street with Holmes.
Akiko Morison as Inspector Beth Lestrade: A descendant of Inspector G. Lestrade, Holmes' old ally from Scotland Yard. Often annoyed with Holmes' constant disregard for protocol, she nonetheless appreciates his continued help, despite direct orders from Grayson. Holmes likewise respects Lestrade as an extremely competent officer, more competent than her ancestor.
Viv Leacock as Wiggins: The leader of the new Baker Street Irregulars. Wiggins was once a football player, but has since retired from the profession due to an injury. He has shown intelligence and reasoning skills that were enough to impress even Holmes. Wiggins is dedicated to follow Holmes' requests of the Irregulars.
Jennifer Copping as Deidre: Another of the Irregulars, who is a fashionable young woman with a Cockney accent. In contrast to the more outlandish rest of the cast, she provides the perspective of a more typical member of New London society.
Richard Ian Cox as Tennyson: Another member of the new Baker Street Irregulars, who was left mute and partially paralyzed due to an accident. He is an expert in the arcades and gaming, and a genius and brilliant mind on a computer and keyboard.
Richard Newman as Professor James Moriarty: A memory clone of the original created by Fenwick, hoping to use him as a brilliant servant. However, Moriarty was able to outwit Fenwick and reverse the roles on him, taking this new lease on life to re-create his old criminal empire. Though Moriarty constantly fails, largely due to fallout of his schemes not having the same debilitating impact as in the 1800s; leaving him with nothing but setbacks. This is also because Sherlock is there.
Ian James Corlett as Martin Fenwick: A deformed and insane French scientist who specializes in cloning. He created a clone of Moriarty to do his bidding, but he ended up being reduced to the lackey in their relationship. Whether he does this because he knows that Moriarty could devise a horrible and painful way to dispose of him, or because he has been brainwashed by Moriarty, has never been revealed.
William Samples as Chief Inspector Charles Grayson: Lestrade's superior who distrusts Holmes and is reluctant of him interfering with his cases, due to him being born at a different age.
Jo Bates as a newscaster who appears on broadcasts in the episodes, which provide clues in much the same way newspapers did in the original stories.
The show premiered in the United Kingdom in the late spring of 1999 on CITV and then premiered in the fall in the United States. In the U.S., the series was split into two seasons, with the first airing on Fox Kids, and the other which was planned to air on Kids' WB in 2001,[7] but instead aired on broadcast syndication. All 26 episodes were originally planned to air in the United States on PAX alongside fellow-DIC show Archie's Weird Mysteries as part of an hour-long block,[8] but was moved to air on Fox Kids.
Only the first 13 episodes were broadcast on ITV in 1999, ending with "The Musgrave Ritual" in August. In the U.S., 17 episodes were broadcast on Fox Kids starting in September 1999, in a different order, and ending with "The Man with the Twisted Lip".
The remaining episodes aired in 2001 in the U.S.[9]
"The Man with the Twisted Lip" is Season 1 Episode 17 and ended the 1st Season in 1999, BUT in 2001, Season 2 of Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century Started With "The Secret Safe" and Finished 8 Episodes Later in 2001 Called "A Case of Identity".
In 1891, Sherlock Holmes battles his nemesis Professor Moriarty over the Reichenbach Falls, leading to their supposed deaths after they fall off the bridge. In May 2103, Beth Lestrade, descendant of Inspector G. Lestrade, Holmes' old ally from Scotland Yard, notices deranged French scientist Martin Fenwick making a getaway with a man who looks exactly like Moriarty. Unable to convince her boss, Chief Inspector Charles Grayson, of the possibility of Moriarty somehow returning from the dead, she breaks into the New Scotland Yard basement, where the body of Holmes had been preserved in honey; the detective had survived the fall and later retired, becoming a beekeeper in his later years. She takes him to a biologist named Sir Evan Hargreaves who has developed a process of cellular regeneration, which restores Holmes' youth and revives him. Lestrade gives Holmes some educational videos to bring him up to speed on the advancements in the world since his era. She also has her compudroid Watson read Dr. Watson's journals to learn how to better assist Holmes, with the compudroid emulating Watson's persona.
Holmes leads Lestrade to an ice cave, where Moriarty's body is preserved in ice; however, they set off a trap that seals off the cave, leaving them unable to investigate further. In the meantime, citizens that have normally shown no criminal intent have suddenly begun stealing different pieces of technology without even knowing why. Holmes takes interest in the case, meeting a trio of children, whom he makes his new Baker Street Irregulars. With their help, Holmes finds that Fenwick is using a device to turn citizens into criminals to steal things that he needs; they destroy the machine, along with a portion of the old railroad. During the fight, Holmes comes to accept the robot Watson as his new companion. Later, Holmes moves back into his old lodgings and Watson gets an upgrade, receiving a prosthetic mask that mimics the original Dr. Watson's face.
A trio of children on a field trip to a Moon base vanish. Along with this are sightings of a demonic dog on the Moon, simply called the Hound. Holmes investigates, learning that the Hound is simply a hologram based on old superstitions. The case of the missing children leads to the discovery that Moriarty had kidnapped a child to lure her father to the Moon base, so he could gain access codes to blow it up. During their confrontation, Holmes reveals that this Moriarty is a clone created by Fenwick (he had found a small drilled hole in the ice leading to Moriarty's hand in the previous episode), who intended to use the clone as his brilliant slave, but Moriarty had outwitted Fenwick and become his master. Holmes manages to shut down the reactor, while revealing that he had Watson remotely reprogram Moriarty's getaway vehicle to go to the Yard. Unfortunately, upon reaching Earth, Moriarty managed to escape before the Yard could capture him.
In July 2103, Holmes and Moriarty are apparently vaporized after falling into a laser grid. Watson and Lestrade investigate the case of Ronald Adair, a competitor in a laser-shooting tournament who was found frozen solid. He was frozen by a shooter with a ranged freezing weapon. It is revealed that Holmes and Moriarty survived, and the same shooter is after Holmes.
An argument is overheard between James Barclay and his wife, Nancy. Mr. Barclay disappears and Mrs. Barclay is found unconscious. Holmes and Watson interview Mrs. Barclay's friend while Lestrade looks into Mr. Barclay's company, Biotech. The case also involves Victor Morris, who was genetically altered as the result of a sabotaged experiment.
Holmes and Watson investigate after Lestrade suddenly becomes mindlessly aggressive during the investigation of a nanotechnology theft. The neurosurgeon Culverton Smith says she has had a mental breakdown, but Holmes is sceptical. Holmes soon appears to have a breakdown himself.
Lestrade asks Holmes and Watson to help investigate a vampire that has been seen draining data from government and bank computers. Moriarty intends to recruit the vampire as an ally.
In August 2103, a theft occurs at a biotechnology company. Holmes finds an odd snake scale at the scene. This leads him to Dr. Grimesby Roylott, an expert on snakes who may have been involved in the incident.
A married couple, Hilton and Elsie Cubitt, are found unconscious. One of the clues about what happened to them is an email with a code in the form of a cartoon.
Moriarty's henchman Fenwick steals the Musgrave Sword, which has a cryptic ritual inscribed on it, from the British Museum. Holmes investigates and deciphers the ritual using a replica of the sword.
The Blue Carbuncle is a popular toy on sale at Christmastime; however, the last one to be sold is more of a collector's item that even the buyer thought.
Holmes investigates the disappearance of Silver Blaze, a racing spacecraft which is supposed to be piloted by John Straker in the upcoming Asteroid Belt Grand Prix.
Joseph Openshaw, an "anti-tech" who dislikes modern technology, is startled when he receives five orange seeds and is apparently poisoned. He sends his young son John to bring Holmes to him. Holmes insists on bringing Watson along despite objections from John and John's Uncle Elias, who also dislikes modern technology.
A restaurant owner named Carter Wilson is chosen to join the Red-Headed League, an exclusive society of red-headed men. Holmes is intrigued and investigates the League.
A burglary occurs at 10 Downing Street. It appears that only an African doll was taken, though Holmes suspects that the security system plans in a hidden safe were copied. A reclusive man called Lord Bork appears to be involved.
A holodisc containing a security code is stolen from an intelligence agent named Mark Trenton. Holmes is brought in by the intelligence agency to find the disc. Trenton's wife and another agent named Edward Lucas appear to be connected to the case.
Victor Trevor comes to Holmes believing his father is being blackmailed by a man named Hudson. Victor found a cryptic message in his father's papers which contains the words Gloria and Scott. Following the clues, Holmes discovers that Mr. Trevor was once (falsely) convicted and transported on a prison shuttle, the Riley (the ship's full name was the Gloria Scott Riley). However, a fellow prisoner started a riot on the spaceship and left it adrift in space while he and the other prisoners fled to Earth and started new lives.
One of the last six Napoleon Excelsior cars ever built is vandalized, though nothing is taken and only the decorative crystals on the luxury car are damaged. Another of the cars is also vandalized in the same manner. Holmes believes that there is something deeper about these incidents, perhaps going back to the manufacturing.
Alice, Lestrade's friend from College, is engaged to Professor Jacob Presbury. Holmes investigates after a strange gorilla-like creature appears at Alice's window. Meanwhile, Edith, Lestrade's other friend from College, is Professor Presbury's daughter and believes Alice is after her inheritance.
The Beryl Board, a new processor, was stolen from the home of Alexander Holder, where Holder was keeping the board as collateral for a loan. Holder's son was caught with a piece of the board and arrested for the theft, but Holmes believes he may be innocent.
Moriarty and Fenwick steal the Mazarin Chip, a microchip which can be used to create virtual environments instantly, and kidnap the Prime Minister. Holmes uses a waxwork likeness of himself to catch Moriarty in a trap.
Lestrade is told she must work with a rookie partner, Constable Abner Angel. Holmes searches for a jewel thief named Linus Beaumont who escaped after being caught by New Scotland Yard.
Home media releases
On 24 September. 1999 1999, Vision Video and Universal Studios Home Video UK released a VHS tape of the 6 Episodes of the 1st series in their original production order in the United Kingdom.[10]
In 2002, Lions Gate Home Entertainment and Trimark Home Video released Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century: The Fall and Rise of Sherlock Holmes, a VHS/DVD which, like the U.K. VHS, consisted of the first three episodes in a feature-length format. The episode "The Sign of Four" was also included on the DVD version.
In 2003, Sterling Entertainment released another VHS/DVD of the series titled Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century: Out of This World. The release contained the episodes "The Sign of Four", "The Adventures of the Dancing Men" and "Silver Blaze", with the episode "The Gloria Scott" as a bonus episode on the DVD.
In February 2012, Mill Creek Entertainment released Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century... On the Case on DVD in the US, consisting of the first 10 episodes of the series in their original production order, and also containing an episode of Stargate Infinity. They also released a DVD box set called Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century: The Complete 26-Episode Series, containing all 26 episodes alongside five bonus episodes from other Cookie Jar-owned series.[11]
Mill Creek re-released the complete series on DVD in Region 1 as Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century: The Complete Series in April 2018. This version also came with a digital download code.[12]
Since 24 September 1999, Vision Video and Universal Studios Home Video UK never released anymore VHS tapes of Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century in the United Kingdom.
To this day, none of the companies that released Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century on physical media never released a complete series of 26 full episodes on DVD in Region 2 in the United Kingdom.
^Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 735–737. ISBN978-1476665993.
