Pretty simple poll. There have been three recent popular portrayals of Sherlock Holmes. Which one do you like best? Please base your answer on just the performances as Holmes rather than other factors like the settings, the stories, other characters, or your general opinion about the actors.
You’re allowed only one choice and there’s no voting for “other” or “more than one” or “it’s complicated”. Sometimes life is about making hard choices.
What? No Basil Rathbone? No Jeremy Brett?
I can’t even take you serious now! I’m out!
You must be pretty old if you count either of those portrayals as “recent”… 
I just… I can’t… I can’t…
Where’s Jeremy Brett?!?!?!
NOT RECENT!
Besides, what would be the point? Brett would just win again and the whole exercise would be futile. At least with some restrictions the results might be interesting.
Good god guys, it’s *recent *portrayals.
Anyhoo. While I loved the Downey movies and they are actually what got me into Sherlock (I have never been a mystery fan before now) they are more of an adventure movie. I love Law as Watson but anybody who knows me knows I am well and truly Sherlocked - Cumberbatch is my man.
I haven’t seen the American one and have no intention to at all.
I considered including Ben Syder because technically he did recently play Sherlock Holmes.
But I figured anyone who would voted for Syder deserves to be disenfranchised.
You should reconsider. Elementary’s actually a pretty good show. And it’s not like you have to pick one or the other (except here in this thread).
Johnny Lee Miller ? I don’t rate him at all. His Holmes seems much too interested in the approval of others, starting with Watson.
Which leaves Cumberbatch and Downey… and as much as I love Robert Downey Jr., his Sherlock Holmes is basically Robert Downey Jr. being his charming, dysfunctional motormouthed self, innit ?
If it were up to me though, I’d throw in Hugh Laurie’s *House *in there - which was basically Sherlock Holmes With An MRI, and the best of the four for showing how fundamentally broken but human and humane the character really is. Cumberbatch’s is too far on the quirky sociopath side, I think. Which is super entertaining, don’t get me wrong… but it’s not Doyle’s Holmes IMO.
Johnny Lee Miller is House, not Holmes, with the typical Housian epiphany from some minor comment from a bystander. Definitely out of the running.
Cumberbatch is the most Holmesean, so he gets my vote.
Benedict was in August, Osage County, filmed not far from here, so he gets my vote. And he’s damned good as Holmes.
Of the three, I’ve only seen seen Benedict Cumberbatch and I don’t particularly like him as Holmes. I think he’s a good actor and I like him in other things, but not as Sherlock Holmes. I watched the first two seasons because I like Martin Freeman. I’m a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes in general and have read all the stories and novels. I just couldn’t warm up to Cumbertach’s portrayal of Holmes.
I saw all three. Elementary is indeed a really good, really entertaining Holmes’ version, with a much more vulnerable Sherlock and a stronger role for a female Holmes’.
But the London version plays much more intelligently with the canon. “He made me wear the hat!”. “Not your housekeeper, dear”. “Study in Pink”.
I saw all three as well. And then I gave up, realizing that House is the only portrayal of Sherlock Homes I’ve ever liked.
Since I understand that these three other takes are more true to the detective in the books, and I must just dislike the character, they’re all doing a pretty good job bringing whatever it is that irritates me about Homes to life.
Sorry to disrespect your poll, but I must, as a long time Holmes fan. Haven’t seen the Cumberbatch version, but the other two really, really suck if they are intended to channel the real Holmes. RDJ, as much as I love him in most roles, was far too flamboyant and physical to be Holmes. And JLM is far too fussy and metrosexual. Dr. House was closer to the spirit of Holmes than either of them ever were.
Doyle’s Holmes was pretty physical, not just a brain (that would be Mycroft’s “lazy” hat). Bartitsu and heavy canes, remember ? In The Speckled Band, he effortlessly unbent a cast-iron firepoker a client had previously bent in half to make a point. No mean feat. He also did amateur bare-knuckle boxing, and managed to poke a harpoon all the way through a pig (although that took some trying).
I’ll grant you the flamboyant though :).
I love all 3 versions, but I voted for Jonny Lee Miller, because I prefer his Holmes as fundamentally more interesting of a character to watch. Of the 3 , he’s the one that seems most … detective-ish and least … magic-ish. IYKWIM. Also, I prefer his repressed anger over Cumberbatch’s Vulcan cool and RDJ’s mania.
I couldn’t give less of a shit which is closer to the books, either.
And Tim R. Mortiss, I think you have no idea what metrosexual means - Miller’s Holmes is the least groomed and primpy of the three, by far.
If I can’t vote for Jeremy Brett, I can’t vote.
Regards,
Shodan
Put me down for that choice, too. No Brett, no Holmes. Sorry.