I need a new tv series like I need a hole in the head, but I"m being tempted by both Poirot and Sherlock, available online. I’ve just gotten hooked on Doctor Who, but may as well add another addicting series!
I think I’ve read every single Sherlock Holmes story and a good number of the Poirot novels. I really enjoyed reading both.
Which do you think is the better of the 2?
Assuming that you mean the new BBC Sherlock adaption starring Benedict Cumberbatch, I’d vote for Sherlock. Part of the fun is how they brought the stories up to date.
Yes, I meant the new BBC series, I’ve heard very good things about it.
Also, there’s a big difference in the number of episodes. Sherlock, so far, is six episodes of about ninety minutes each, while Poirot is in its thirteenth series with 66 episodes from one to two hours in length. So it’s going to be a lot easier to watch all of the Sherlock episodes. (Actually, you can start with that and then try Poirot to see if you like it.)
Yes, why not both? Each offers different kinds of pleasure. The Poirot series has period flavor, while Sherlock is set in the present. The Poirot series is fairly faithful to the books and stories it’s based on. “Sherlock,” as has been mentioned, is more of a pastiche of the original (and a very clever one).
It’s all good stuff. 
The question is really, which first?
I’ve seen both and I’d be hard pressed to pick!
Finish off Sherlock first since there are so few of them.Then indulge in a leisurely viewing of Poirot . I really can’t choose between them.
Both excellent, as other have said.
Poirot is more “old school”, but quite nice in its pacing and style and stories and characters…you can sort of curl up in those shows like reading a good book.
The new Sherlock series is more like watching a damned good action film…
Still - both are worthy of viewing, so you can’t go wrong no matter which you choose to watch first.
As others have said, Poirot is faithful to the books, whilst Sherlock is a clever modern adaptation.
I’ve read all her Poirot books and to me Agatha Christie was:
)By contrast, Sherlock has jolly interesting characters and is far better in my opinion.
By the way, (and I don’t think this spoils anything) I appreciated the fact that the BBC Sherlock series made John Watson a veteran who had served in Afghanistan. That wouldn’t have worked if they’d done this updated series any earlier than about 2002.
sherlock!
Technically, Arthur Conan Doyle himself made John Watson a veteran of Afghanistan the first time around. As you say, the timing worked so Moffatt and Gatiss were able to capitalize on military history repeating itself, and keep this part of the updating especially consistent with the original.
I’ve never seen Sherlock, but I have seen Poirot. David Suchet is pure pleasure to watch…he becomes Poirot so thoroughly that his Poirot is actually the one I see in my head when I’m reading Poirot stories.
While I tend to be predisposed to hate anything based on the published writings of Agatha Christie, who I regard as not only a hack, but an insipid hack, I find the idea of Sherlock Holmes existing in the 21st century to be an abomination. If forced at gunpoint to watch one, I would thus have to choose the Belgian Butterball.
Left to my own devices, I would decline to pick anything until Mr. Wolfe or Inspector Alleyn became available.
David Suchet has been playing Poirot for twenty five years. That has to be some kind of record.
Poirot is a faithful and enjoyable adaptation of the Christie stories. Sherlock is the best written, and one of the best acted shows currently on television. I don’t think there’s really any competition between the two.
Another fan of both, here. You can get through all the current Sherlock in a week-end, though.
I love both the modern adaptation Sherlock, and the old Granada Television series starring Jeremy Brett. The latter is almost completely faithful in tone, style, and plot to the old stories. The former is a terrific fast-paced, smartly-written series with clever reference points to the old stories. Come on, 2014!
Both are awesome.
I assure you that the writers of Sherlock (Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss - who also write Doctor Who) are true Holmes fans and treat the material with complete respect.
Haven’t seen Poirot but have seen all of the new Sherlock series. I love it - each episode is basically movie-length.
As to the Moffat/Gatiss connection with Dr. Who, I can’t decide if their version of Dr. Who is a callback to Sherlock Holmes or if the new Sherlock is a different Doctor. They’re clearly distant relatives at the very least.