Sherlock: Series 1 (2010)

The first series of Sherlock was short but sweet, very sweet in fact. One of the best dramas this year. I enjoyed the contemporary reworking, with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman making a superb team as the Doctor and his companion... sorry Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. It's quite easy to see the show in terms of Doctor Who since it was co-created by Steven Moffatt and Mark Gatiss, and there are similar dynamics between the leads, which just goes to prove that Doctor Who's companion does not need to be a woman. 

Like the Doctor, Sherlock is preternatually smart, finds it hard to fit in with humankind and is envigorated by mysteries. John Watson is a great companion, more than capable of holding his own and working out Sherlock's approach to the world. The three episodes, 90 mins each, had enough room for both the characters and the plots to breathe. Each mystery was impressive, though the final episode with Moriarty piling up clues and life-or-death puzzles to test Sherlock was particulaly nerve-testing. There were some real nail-biting moments, such as when Moriarty chose to use a blind woman to convey one of his tests. 

Sherlock worked well because of the good dose of humour running throughout. Not every joke was a laugh at Sherlock's expense either - I really enjoyed the continuing gag of people presuming Sherlock and John are a couple. I can't wait for the next series, which I hope retains the episode length but increases the number of them. Until then there's a Doctor Who special on at Christmas to fill the gap!