The Jeremy Brett Archive

Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes

The Four Oaks Mystery
ITV Telethon, July 1992, part one

In July 1992, Holmes and Watson (Brett and Hardwicke) appeared in a short mini-episode -- The Four Oaks Mystery -- shown as part of the ITV's charity Telethon '92.

Here's what author David Stuart Davies had to say about the segment in Bending the Willow: Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes:

Included as part of the entertainment was a crime mystery for viewers to solve. This mystery was shown in four segments over the telethon's 48 hours, and each episode featured a detective from an ITV production. ... Sherlock Holmes appeared in the first part. ... The Holmes section was fascinating and featured Brett and Hardwicke, along with veteran actress Phyllis Calvert as Holmes' imperious godmother, Lady Cordelia. ...

This purely pastiche sequence was made during the filming of The Last Vampyre, and shares with that film the backdrop of Adlington Hall, a stately home much used by Granada in the Holmes series.

Holmes and Watson are on a fishing holiday, staying with Lady Cordelia at Great Turnlow Hall, when they are called in to solve a double murder. The solution to the problem lies buried in the past and involves a treasure consisting of Roman jewels. Holmes is intrigued by the reference made by one of the dying victims to "four oaks," but before he is able to make read headway in the case, he is called away on another, Watson informs us, which would lead to a fatal appointment above a waterfall in Switzerland. The enigma is left for the next three detectives to unravel in turn.

Screen captures and a description from Christina H. about her favorite scene from this clip -- It's when Holmes and Watson are having dinner with Sherlock's godmother. He has his eyes closed and grandmother says, "Wake up, Sherlock. How dare you." Watson tries to calm her down by telling her: "He often shuts his eyes when he is in deep thought." But Sherlock's grandmother replies, "Rubbish. He shuts his eyes when he is bored!" And Holmes begins to smile. :)

BFI database info