Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes

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Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes was a BBC television drama series originally broadcast in 2000. It was a fictional detective series based on the premis set forth in novels by David Pirie, who also wrote the screenplays to the series. The premise is inspired by the facts that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle based the character of Sherlock Holmes on his tutor at the University of Edinburgh Dr Joseph Bell, and that Bell did occasonally do forensic work for the Edinburgh police.

The series exaggerated the similarity between Bell and Holmes for dramatic effect, with Doyle acting as Watson, and included several scenes from the books (the assumption being that these would later inspire Doyle's fiction). It did, however, also remain true to the main points of the two men's history.

One of the most notable Holmes references is a version of a scene in The Sign of Four in which Holmes deduces a pocket watch provided by Watson was formerly owned by a drunkard, at which a furious Watson believes Holmes has callously acquired information about his unfortunate brother for the sake of a cheap trick. The series' version of the scene has Bell deduce the mental state of Doyle's father, with much the same effect.

The series starred Sir Ian Richardson as Dr Bell and Robin Laing as Arthur Doyle, and was filmed in Scotland.

The Books the series grew from are The Patient's Eyes (A Dr. Doyle/Dr. Bell Mystery) The Night Calls Dark Water, The: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes, Murder Rooms #3 All written by by David Pirie

The original miniseries was followed by an extended series of feature-length stories under the same title. Richardson reprized his role as Dr Bell but this time Doyle was played by Charles Edwards. Produced by the BBC's Films arm rather than the drama division, no second series was commissioned despite critical and audience success. One BBC insider wryly commented that it was "too successful for the wrong department".