NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Severin Films Blu-ray (July 2024): Severin Films have transferred six episodes of the 1968 TV series Sherlock Holmes, produce by the BBC, to two dual-layered Blu-rays. It is cited as being "restored from BBC tape protection masters". This was originally released in Severin's "Cushing Curiosities" multi-Blu-ray set. There were 29 episodes of the series, with Peter Cushing and Douglas Wilmer as Sherlock Holmes, with a handful not surviving or missing succumbing to tape-wiping and "junking" practice. We covered 13 episodes, with Wilmer, on DVD - reviewed HERE. They are based on some of the fifty-six short Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The first Severin Blu-ray has A Study In Scarlet and The Hound Of The Baskervilles parts 1 and 2. The second Blu-ray has The Boscombe Valley Mystery, The Sign Of Four and The Blue Carbuncle. These were saved partly because they were chosen as samples of the series for distribution abroad. From BBC tape source - the quality is not stellar but is in 1080P. It looks typical of that format conversion with video artifacts/noise. It is what it is. I don't hear a PAL speed-up which I presume would have been 'original' when broadcast and the aspect ratio, I clock it in at around 1.25:1 for some reason. Anyway, without being too picky you get to see these rare Cushing as Sherlock episodes in the best transferred format. 

NOTE: We have added 56 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Severin Films use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel tracks (24-bit) in the original English language. These episodes were made fairly quickly and there are not many sound effects. It has a score by Max Harris who composed for a lot of TV including being in the music department for The Singing Detective etc. It's similar to the video being a shade scattered, minor hiss and/or hollow at times. I imagine in the lossless transfer this is the best we are likely to get. Severin Films offer optional English subtitles for all episodes on their two Region 'A' Blu-rays.

The Severin Films Blu-ray offers commentaries featuring featuring Kim Newman, author of Anno Dracula, Barry Forshaw, author of Brit Noir: The Pocket Essential Guide to British Crime Fiction, Film & TV and David Stuart Davies, author of Starring Sherlock Holmes: A Century Of The Master Detective On Screen. Kim and Barry provide numerous examples of similar cinema, Cushing, Hammer and this series history, the cast/crew and Stuart gives us everything cinematic in the 221B Baker Street setting. The six episodes are about 50-minutes each and the commentaries effectively fill the space with relevant detail. They are quite enjoyable. All episodes available with BBC 'Countdown Clock' perhaps more fully replicating the original television experience. Included is an 18-minute illustrated Peter Cushing audio interview with David Stuart Davies and 8-minutes of missing episode clips with optional commentary by Jonathan Rigby, author of English Gothic: A Century Of Horror Cinema, and Horror Historian Kevin Lyons (The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television.)

We have to appreciate that these six episodes are the only ones to survive from the 1968 Cushing-starred series. The tape-sourced image is not ideal but very watchable and it shouldn't be a surprise to Cushing fans that he makes a formidable Sherlock Holmes. Serious fans may have already opted for Severin's "Cushing Curiosities". Released simultaneously, HERE, from Severin is the individual Blu-ray disc of Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace - the West German-French-Italian international co-production directed by Terence Fisher, screen play by Curt Siodmak and starring Christopher Lee as Sherlock Holmes! Our review is forthcoming. These six episodes of the 1968 TV series Sherlock Holmes seems suited to fans of the fictional detective... and our lovable lead. To those we do recommend. There is plenty of value in the Severin Films double Blu-ray package with excellent commentaries and more. Don't let the image quality deter you - there is some keen sleuthing here, folks.

Gary Tooze