A modern adaptation, on what has to be one of the greatest characters ever created in literary history, is always going to be a minefield of critics and praises. I watched the series with an open mind and found myself left frustrated at how close they came to brilliance yet spoiled it with critical mistakes.

The cast is excellent with the primary figures of Sherlock and Watson played nothing short of brilliantly by Cumberbatch and Freeman. The filming, the pace, the settings.. all of it is spot on.

The difficulty comes in the exaggerations. Sherlock himself is transformed into a walking database that is almost cartoonish. Moriarty's character is akin to 'the joker' from batman with the exception that the joker is probably more believable. Essentially, they had all the ingredients to create brilliance and spoiled that by trying too hard.

I believe the extremes they go to in an effort to make it entertaining were largely unnecessary. It seriously needed someone on the reins who could keep a modicum of realism and a touch of sanity so it didn't enter the world of marvel comics.

My 18 yr old enjoyed the show immensely and if it introduces a new generation to Conan Doyle then something good will come out of the series. Personally I found it frustratingly painful to watch.