John MF Watson

I discovered this hilarious parody of A Study in Scarlet, starring a foul-mouthed, badass Watson. Behold:

A Study in Motherfucking Scarlet

The writer hasn't finished the whole novel yet, but what's there already had me giggling maniacally at everything Watson had to say. Best of all are the illustrations altered and included in the chapters.


In other news, I saw a little announcement that PBS is going to co-produce the new BBC show Sherlock and presumably will air it when it comes out. I am very interested in this project, and I recognize the Watson actor as the guy who played Arthur Dent in the recent Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie.

I don't mind that the show will be a present-day update, because I think that Holmes, like Shakespeare, ought to be reinterpreted every generation, to keep him fresh. I agree that the thing about Holmes is not the fog or gaslight per se; it's the adventure and humor and the Holmes/Watson relationship (whether seen as friendship or slash) that keeps the canon forever young. I don't mind seeing it transported to modern times.

As I said before, I'm not so fiercely attached to Brett's portrayal that I can't appreciate another actor's interpretation. In the past I have also enjoyed seeing the original Holmes resurrected to the present day, like in The Return of Sherlock Holmes starring Michael Pennington, or to the future, as in the Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century cartoon. I even very much enjoyed the Murder on the Orient Express update that starred Alfred Molina as Hercule Poirot.