This is an enjoyable and well-made production that stays true in spirit to the original Doyle novels. I've just finished watching the first season and feel that both a fan of the novels (such as myself) and someone unfamiliar with the original Holmes stories will find equal entertainment in this series.

Cumberbatch's portrayal of Holmes is excellent, it is more than adequate as the bedrock of the show and he delivers that signature brand of Holmes-esque aloofness and brilliance quite well. In particular I enjoyed how he can inject humor into the character while still keeping with the traditional, rather unlikable, image of Holmes. (I liked Downey's portrayal as well but I felt it was a little too charming) I also like how he takes a more dramatic approach with the "flash of insight" moments and how abrupt he is with others.

Freeman is of equal importance to Cumberbatch in his portrayal of Watson as the two characters get equal screen-time. Again it's a good portrayal that deviates slightly from the standard formula by making Watson both a little more critical but also a little closer towards Holmes.

The mysteries themselves are good, not quite as brilliantly conceived as the stuff of the original novels, but still very solid. I also found myself really enjoying the 3-90 minute-episode format for some reason. I thought it flowed very well in giving them adequate time to explore characters and solve the mystery without cramming in a bunch of needless filler, which I tend to find annoying in most other TV shows that run more than half an hour. I also think this format helped inform the universally excellent editing and cinematography of the series.

However, the thing I like most about 'Sherlock' is its build-up of Moriarty over the course of the whole season and his continual relevance to Holmes throughout. This is a significant deviation from the books but its something I've always wanted to see. Moriarty is a brilliantly conceived character in the novels, yet I was always disappointed by the fact that he only crops up in a single Holmes story. Given his abilities and the brilliance of his rivalry with Holmes it was a big letdown. Obviously we've seen him as the villain in the Downy movies but again it is just one big story. Here he works behind the scenes to test Holmes with a variety of puzzles and it feels far more like the subtle 'Napoleon of crime' that the character is described as in the books. Not to mention that the glimpse of Moriarity at the end of the series is brilliant and I loved what we saw of Scott's portrayal.

However, for all of these great things going for it the series is still not perfect. Some of the supporting acting is pretty wooden and Detective Inspector Lestrade is an incredibly pathetic character. He is bumbling and poorly treated by Holmes, a far cry from the capable and well-respected Lestrade of the books.

In addition, while I fully believe in the need to keep Holmes fresh through different characterizations, incarnations, and settings I cannot help but feel this urban, sleek, abrasive, and very modern Holmes loses some of the magic held in the Doyle texts. Don't get me wrong, the liberties this series takes are almost entirely to its benefit, and yet without the trappings of Victorian England there is undeniably something missing from Holmes's character. Perhaps it is the lack of cynicism and world-weariness in the original novels, or even just their clothing, environs, and society. I can't help but disassociate what I see on screen with my love of the novels, at all times for me it felt like I was watching 'a modern version of Sherlock Holmes' and not JUST 'Sherlock Holmes'. (if that makes sense?) My final complaint is that the little cliff-hangers before each commercial break are a little overwrought and I found they broke the immersion of the show quite a bit. They're quite contrived and never let you forget that you're watching a TV show. This is hardly unique to 'Sherlock' though so its relatively minor.

But overall it's a great series and one I'd recommend to anyone. It can stand both on its own merits and against the original novels quite admirably. It is just plain fun really, and you should be watching it!