The great debate took place at Undershaw, the former home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and featured more than a dozen Sherlock Holmes experts, a visit to The Art of Sherlock Holmes in Florida and a performance from Ben Cardall, The Deductionist.

1. The Great Debate 2019
Stepping Stones School, Undershaw 25th May 2019
https://www.facebook.com/GreatSherlockHolmesDebate/

2. The Great Debate – Agenda
Part 1 - The Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens,
Live from - West Palm Beach
Part 2 – The Great Sherlock Holmes Debate,
Live from Undershaw, UK (slides included)
Part 3 – The Deductionist, Live from Undershaw, UK
Videos available on YouTube:
http://bit.ly/TheGreatSherlockHolmesDebate2019Videos

3. The Great Debate - Sponsors

4. The Great Debate – MX Publishing
• World’s largest Holmes Publisher
• MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes
Stories – 15 volumes so far – royalties
to Stepping Stones School
www.sherlockholmesbooks.com

5. The Art Of Sherlock Holmes
The Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens,
Live from West Palm Beach

6. Undershaw around 1900

7. Undershaw around 2013

8. Undershaw now – Stepping Stones School

9. The Great Debate – The Lineup
• Granada (Jeremy Brett) Bonnie MacBird
• Elementary (Jonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu Richard Ryan
• Young Sherlock Holmes Amy Thomas
• Basil Rathbone Dan Andriacco
• Miss Sherlock (Japan) Derrick Belanger
• The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes Janina Woods
• Warner Brother Sherlock Holmes Mary Platt
• Holmes and Watson (2018 – Will Ferrell) Mattias Bostrom
• Denis Smith (Traditional Pastiches) David Marcum
• BBC Sherlock Jay Ganguly
• Hammer Sherlock Holmes Steven Philip Jones
• The Great Mouse Detective Paul Hiscock
• BBC TV 1964-65 Catherine Cooke

10. Panelist – Bonnie MacBird
•Mad about Holmes since age 10
•Author of 3 traditional Holmes novels for
HarperCollins: ART IN THEBLOOD (2015), UNQUIET
SPIRITS (2017), and THE DEVIL’S DUE – coming in
October
•Published in The Strand, and many anthologies
•Former screenwriter,(TRON) studio executive, Emmy
winning producer, actor, playwright
•BSI, ASH, SHSL, etc. Founder of The Sherlock
Breakfast Club in Los Angeles
www.macbird.com @macbird

11. Granada – Jeremy Brett
• Jeremy Brett…and David Burke/Edward
Hardwicke - stellar cast
• Perfectly captured Holmes’ exuberance,
theatricality, mercurial emotions, brilliance,
power and vulnerability – and Watson’s love
for his friend
• Posh elegance, wit, humour
• True to canon-especially early days
• Victorian setting deliciously rendered
Subtle, satisfying trip in time, with this unusual,
posh, attractive, brave, vulnerable (bipolar?)
character played by an unusual, posh,
attractive, brave, vulnerable bipolar actor.
With flair.

12. Panelist – Richard Ryan
• New Yorker Richard Ryan is an editor and a
writer of Holmes fiction
• Award winning Holmes pastiches ‘Vatican
Cameos’, ‘Stone of Destiny’, ’Druid of Death’.
• His fourth novel ‘Merchant of Menace’ is
published in September 2019
Richard with Lee Child who endorsed
his novel ‘Vatican Cameos’

13. Adaptation – Elementary
• Holmes is quirky, still haunted, still socially
awkward, but still gifted with keen
observational and deductive powers.
• The show takes static elements from the
Holmes back catalogue and wraps its plots
around those elements, resulting in a
synthesis of sorts.
• Elementary simply requisitions the necessary
pieces for any given episode and then
deploys on a more familiar board.
• the writing is tight, the acting is flawless and
the relationship between Holmes and
Watson is perhaps the most human of any of
the various iterations.

14. Panelist – Amy Thomas
• Member of the Baker Street Babes
Podcast.
• Author of The Detective and The
Woman Series.
• 221b Con Young Sherlock
Holmes panelist.
www.girlmeetssherlock.wordpress.com

15. Adaptation – Young Sherlock Holmes
• Holmes’s early life has always been a topic of
wide speculation.
• Films that portray Holmes as a child or teenager
make him more accessible to a new
demographic.
• Essential character qualities and relational
dynamics are preserved.
• Serves as an alternate universe entry point for
children into the lifelong pursuit of Sherlock
Holmes.

16. Panelist – Dan Andriacco
• Author of 15 books in the mystery genre
• Works include pastiches and other fiction
featuring Sherlock Holmes and his world
• Articles published in 10 Sherlockian journals
• Most Scandalous Member (leader) of the
Tankerville Club scion society
• Program director for the Holmes, Doyle, &
Friends annual symposium
• Frequent speaker at Sherlockian gatherings
www.danandriacco.com

17. Adaptation – Basil Rathbone
• The first Sherlock Holmes for two
generations of Sherlockians.
• He looks like Holmes.
• He sounds like Holmes.
• He acts like Holmes.
• Starrett called him “unforgettable.”
And therefore, despite the regrettable quality of
some of the later films, BASIL IS BEST and
certainly doesn’t go too far.

18. Panelist – Derrick Belanger
• Sherlock Holmes author and publisher
(Belanger Books)
• Only publisher licensed to release the original
and new Solar Pons books
• #1 best sellers include Sherlock Holmes: The
Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance,
Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the
Primal Man, Attack of the Violet Vampire, and
A Study in Terror Volumes 1 and 2.
www.belangerbooks.com
https://www.amazon.com/Derrick-
Belanger/e/B00LG13FY0
This Photo by Rhea Belanger is
licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

19. Adaptation – Miss Sherlock
• Brilliant Update – 21st century Japan
• Canonical
• Modern, but respectful
• Great cast
And therefore… Miss Sherlock does NOT
Go too far in its adaptation of
Sherlock Holmes!

20. Panelist – Janina Woods
• Game Designer
• Virtual & Augmented Reality Developer
• German, living in Switzerland
• Writing historical crime & scifi
• Mycroft Holmes series
https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B07FH7XQS1/

21. Adaptation – The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
• Captures the comedic tone of the canon
• A strong woman besides Irene Adler:
Gabrielle Valladon
• Explores Holmes’ and Watson’s sexuality
• Shows Holmes as a spectacular failure
• Gives Mycroft a more active role, but shows
that even he is fallible
• Every main character has failed
• Makes everyone appear very human
The film is a great addendum to the canon,
showing the characters not as a new interpretation
but rather with more depth and humanity.

22. Panelist – Mary Platt
• That’s me on the left. Not sure who that guy is.
• Co-leader of Sherlock Breakfast Club, Los Angeles
BSI scion society.
• Sherlock Holmes blogger and essayist published in
two recent books by the Baker Street Babes and
Studious Scarlets Society.
• Working on book on the RDJ Holmes movies.
• Arts/entertainment journalist published in the Los
Angeles Times, Orange County Register, Art of the
Times, etc.
• @maryaplatt Tumblr: hedgehog-goulash7

23. Adaptation – Warner Bros/RDJ
Sherlock Holmes
• Loving, respectful tribute to canon
• Capable and smart Watson
• Stellar production values
• Downey’s heartfelt Holmes
• Action-adventure genre – it works!
Two global blockbusters (and a third on
the way!) that focus on all the reasons
Doyle called his stories “adventures.”

24. Panelist – Mattias Bostrom
• Author of the non-fiction book From Holmes
to Sherlock: The Story of the Men and
Women Who Created an Icon
• Winner of Agatha Award, finalist for Edgar
Award, Anthony Award, Macavity Award, etc.
• Monthly podcast Talk About Sherlock
• Main editor of the book series Sherlock
Holmes and Conan Doyle in the Newspapers
• Lives outside Stockholm, Sweden with wife
and two gorgeous daughters
Link to www.mattiasbostrom.se

25. Adaptation – Holmes and Watson
• Of course it went too far – that’s the whole
idea!
• It’s not a Sherlock Holmes film, but a SILLY
Sherlock Holmes film, and must be seen as that
• Silliness was what made Holmes a popular
culture icon in the 1890s – we have nowadays
gone too far in making Holmes too non-silly!
• The film has a lovely Watson, an unexpectedly
believable Holmes, and it’s a warm film with
plot twists that are great – in its own silly
boundaries

26. Panelist – David Marcum
• Sherlockian Author, Editor, and Essayist: The Papers of
Sherlock Holmes; Sherlock Holmes and A Quantity of Debt;
Sherlock Holmes: Tangled Skeins, The Papers of Solar
Pons, etc.
• Creator and Editor: The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes
Stories, etc.
• Married 31 years with one son
• Civil Engineer in eastern Tennessee, USA
• Collector, reader, and chronologicizer of thousands of
Traditional Canonical Pastiches for over forty years
• Plays The Game with deadly seriousness . . . .
• MEMBER: The Sherlock Holmes Society of London, The Nashville Scholars of
the Three Pipe Problem, The Occupants of the Full House, The Diogenes Club of
Washington, D.C., The Tankerville Club, The Sherlock Holmes Society of India, The
Praed Street Irregulars, The Solar Pons Society of London, and The Diogenes Club
West (East Tennessee Annex)
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/David-Marcum/e/B00K1IKA92Website:
Blog: A Seventeen Step Program
http://17stepprogram.blogspot.com/
David Marcum beginning a Traditional
Sherlock Holmes Pastiche in
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Study, Undershaw

27. Adaptation – Traditional Pastiches
Traditional pastiches
Sticking With The Original Holmes Can’t be Going Too Far
• Traditional Canonical Pastiches Provide additional information
the Original Sherlock Holmes
• They are part of the Three-Legged Stool:
• The Canon
• Sherlockian Scholarship
• New Adventures beyond The Original Sixty
• Provides a path to the original Holmes for new Converts
• Supplies more adventures for when the pitifully few sixty narratives of
Canon are simply not enough.
• Many people currently discover new adventures in Watson’s Tin
Box – Some just one or two, others quite a few (see “Traditional
Pasticheurs” List)
• One author who has been doing it amazingly well before all of us . . .
O. Smith
Denis O. Smith – Master Pasticheur
• First began writing pastiches in 1982 – Two years before the premiere
Granada TV show
• Has written 43 pastiches (so far – Fingers crossed for more!)
• Originally in self-published chapbook format (5 volumes –
Diogenes Press)
• The Chronicles (4 volumes – Calabash Press)
• The Lost Chronicles (2 volumes – Running Press and
• A Novel and The Further Chronicles (MX Publishing)
• A number of other appearances in various anthologies and
magazines
TRADITIONAL
PASTICHEURS
Hugh Ashton
Deanna Baran
Derrick Belanger
S.F. Bennett
Nick Cardillo
Craig Stephen Copland
The Davies Brothers
Lyndsay Faye
Jayantika Ganguly
Paul D. Gilbert
Dick Gillman
Arthur Hall
John Hall
Mike Hogan
Craig Janacek
Bonnie MacBird
David Marcum (That’s me!)
Mark Mower
Tracy Revels
Roger Riccard
Barrie Roberts
Robert Stapleton
Tim Symonds
Donald Thomas
June Thomson
William Todd
Daniel D. Victor
Marcia Wilson
And Many Others . . . .
Denis O. Smith

28. Panelist – Jayantika Ganguly (Jay)
• Member, Baker Street Irregulars (Investiture:
"The Great Agra Treasure")
• General Secretary and Editor, Sherlock Holmes
Society of India
• Member, Sherlock Holmes Society of London
• Member, Ceska spolecnost Sherlocka Holmese
• Member, The Studious Scarlets Society
Link to Amazon (author) profile:
https://www.amazon.com/author/jayantikaganguly
Website: http://www.sherlockholmessociety.in/

29. Adaptation – BBC Sherlock
• Captures the Holmes-Watson dynamics well
• True to the spirit/essence of the Canon
• Major characters retain definitive
characteristics
• Clever, subtle canonical references
• Made by ardent Sherlockians: attention to
detail and universally appealing
• Pre-approved by the Sherlock Holmes Society
of London
And therefore, BBC Sherlock is the perfect sample
of a modernised canon, and appeals to Sherlockian
hearts!

30. Panelist – Steven Philip Jones
• Author of over 70 books, comics, and audio
dramas
• Holmes pastiches include graphic novels
Adventure of the Opera Ghost and Dr Jekyll &
Mr Holmes
• Novels include Lovecraftian and King of
Harlem
• Author of Clive Cussler Adventures: A Critical
Review
www.stevenphilipjones.com

31. Adaptation – Hammer’s Hound of the
Baskervilles
• Dramatically Right
• It’s Really Watson!
• Peter Cushing’s Holmes
• It’s SHSOL approved!
A solid, respectful, and just plain gorgeous
adaptation of ACD’s Gothic classic.

32. Panelist – Paul Hiscock
• Author of crime, fantasy and science fiction
stories
• ‘The Clerkenwell Shadow’ in The MX Book of
New Sherlock Holmes Stories Volume XIII
• ‘The Deductive Man’ in Sherlock Holmes:
Adventures in the Realms of Steampunk
• ‘The Witchfinder’ in The Obverse Book of
Detectives
• and more…
www.detectivesanddragons.uk

33. Adaptation – The Great Mouse Detective
• A fitting challenge
• Beneath the shadow of the master
• From Baker Street to Big Ben
• Deductions, disguises and daring do
• A loyal companion and a ruthless villain
This is a charming family film with surprising
depth and a perfect way to introduce
Sherlock Holmes to new generations.

34. Panelist – Thomas Fortenberry
• Currently resides in Charlotte, NC,
• A Pushcart Prize-nominated author, editor,
and former publisher of Mind Fire Press (both
a literary arts magazine and books). He has
been published in most styles and genres
from fiction to nonfiction, comic books, poetry,
and screen-/teleplays, though he prefers SF,
adventure, and mystery. He has been a
judge of numerous literary contests, including
the Georgia Author of the Year Awards and
the Robert Penn Warren Prize for Fiction.
• He discovered Sherlock Holmes as a child,
but did not begin writing original Holmes
stories until 2015

35. Adaptation – Detective Pikachu
• Holmes is the original detective, yet it is vital to have
modern, far-reaching adaptations, (Great Mouse
Detective to Star Trek: Next Generation Data)
• Pikachu is derived from a Japanese game/media
concept, geared towards children
• Though the movie was not a direct retelling of SH, it
effectively utilized the imagery of Sherlock Holmes
and tropes of mystery. Like Cyberpunk
(Bladerunner) it employed the style/atmosphere of
noir to introduce mysteries to new generations in a
new way.
• The key to unlocking Mystery across cultures is
symbolic: the deerstalker, the pipe, the silhouette.
Iconic imagery works in any medium/genre/version.

36. Panelist – Catherine Cooke
• Joint Honorary Secretary, The Sherlock
Holmes Society of London
• Librarian, Westminster Libraries’ Sherlock
Holmes Collection
• BSI The Book of Life; ASH An Idler of the
Empire
• Regular contributor to Sherlockian books and
journals
• Winner of The Morley-Montgomery Award
(BSI) and The Tony & Freda Howlett Literary
Award (SHSL)
https://trib.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/client/en_GB/wcc/
?rm=SHERLOCK+HOLMES0|||1|||0|||true&dt=list

37. Adaptation – BBC Television 1964-1965
• The first British Holmes television series
• Redolent with atmosphere
• Faithful to the text
• Captured the essence of Holmes
• Solid, believable Watson
“Possibly the best and most accurate
Sherlock Holmes ever”
“The only actor who ever got it right”

38. In case you haven’t guessed, we believe that
“All Holmes is good Holmes”
Any adaptation that brings new fans to the canon is a good
thing. From Brett to Pokemon, Sherlock Holmes is the greatest
character in history and long may that continue.
However………
Summary

39. Until the 31st May, it’s the fans turn to vote
https://www.facebook.com/GreatSherlockHolmesDebate/
Let us know which adaptations you feel crossed the line (if any).
Vote from 9.00 pm UK time 25th May until 31st May.
Time To Vote