First Look: Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars

Time was when the tradition of the Sunday afternoon childrens’ drama serial was a much-cherished part of the schedules. With this new entry to the Sherlock Holmes pantheon, the Beeb has resurrected this grand tradition with some style and verve.

The Baker Street Irregulars are the gang of children employed (some would say exploited) occasionally by Sherlock Holmes to do the tricky jobs that he can’t achieve himself. As the story starts, the leader of the Irregulars has gone missing, presumed drowned, but his sister Sadie isn’t too sure. New leader, Finch, does a good job of keeping the gang together as they take on more work for the world’s most famous detective and his faithful sidekick, Dr Watson. Somebody from Holmes’s past is killing policeman, leaving a jade spoon on the body as a calling card – and the police soon have Holmes at the top of their suspect list. Placed under house arrest, the detective must rely on the Irregulars to help solve the mystery and clear his name. But another member of the gang has gone missing…

Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars has a sheen of quality running across the whole thing, from lovely period detail that easily matches Ruby in the Smoke, the top flight casting of Holmes and Watson, a gripping mystery and a raft of young turns who make this acting lark look easy. It’s a shame that the show has been scheduled just as the lighter nights are coming as this would be perfect to snuggle up to on a dusky autumn evening with a mug of hot chocolate.

Jonathan Pryce chooses to play Holmes straight down the line, when other actors might have followed a quirkier route given this is a drama for, you know, kids. His take on Conan Doyle’s creation adds a calm authority to proceedings that ensures things will be taken seriously (and he might have a pipe, but he never puffs!) Pryce’s friend Bill Paterson gives Watson a nicely Celtic air and the genuine off-screen friendship between the two actors helps to create a memorable pairing.

As for the Irregulars, each member of the cast distinguishes themselves, most notably Aaron Johnson as Finch and Alice Hewkin as Tea Leaf. There’s no mawkishness and awkwardness in any performance and they provide a motley gang of new heroes for a young audience. Even if they are thieves subsidised by an adult who should really know better (in other words, don’t copy this at home, kids.)

The script (which never underestimates the audience) crackles with intelligent dialogue, has a nice air of menace and in Anna Chancellor as Irene Adler, a chilling villain and nemesis for the Irregulars.

This is what children’s drama should be, and on the evidence of this, the death of the genre has been widely exaggerated. ITV and others, take note!

Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars is on BBC1 on Sunday 25th March at 4.30pm.