# Poirot or Sherlock, which will I like best? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746 "2013-07-28T19:30:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/1 "2013-07-28T19:30:46Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/2 "2013-07-28T19:35:47Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/3 "2013-07-28T19:42:00Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/4 "2013-07-28T19:52:54Z")
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.) ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/5 "2013-07-28T20:29:31Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > 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. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/6 "2013-07-28T21:02:24Z")
The question is really, which first? I’ve seen both and I’d be hard pressed to pick! ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/7 "2013-07-28T21:16:02Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/8 "2013-07-28T21:55:00Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/9 "2013-07-28T23:21:08Z")
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: - superb at the mechanics of the murder (N.B. ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ has the best-ever plot 🆒 ) - completely fair at giving you the clues - truly awful at dialogue and characters (apart from Poirot, they’re almost all stereotypes) - and in particular Captain Hastings (the faithful sidekick) is simply an idiot By contrast, Sherlock has jolly interesting characters and is far better in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/10 "2013-07-28T23:53:07Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/11 "2013-07-29T00:53:13Z")
sherlock! ---
**Author:** ![Parenchyma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Parenchyma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parenchyma)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/12 "2013-07-29T00:57:38Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/13 "2013-07-29T04:47:29Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/14 "2013-07-29T12:15:48Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/15 "2013-07-29T13:50:56Z")
David Suchet has been playing Poirot for twenty five years. That has to be some kind of record. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/16 "2013-07-29T18:23:27Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/17 "2013-07-29T21:19:02Z")
Another fan of both, here. You can get through all the current Sherlock in a week-end, though. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/18 "2013-07-29T21:32:59Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/19 "2013-07-29T21:47:05Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > 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. 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. There is an excellent Canadian TV series on Nero Wolfe! ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746/20 "2013-07-30T00:05:10Z")
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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poirot-or-sherlock-which-will-i-like-best/664746.md?page=2)