Little moments from Granada’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes S1Ep3 “The Naval Treaty” (1984). Dir. Alan Grint. Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes, David Burke as Dr. Watson, David Gwillim as Percy Phelps, Alison Skillbeck as Annie Harrison, Gareth Thomas as Joseph Harrison
So you all need to know who this brilliant man was.
Jeremy Brett, actor from 1954 to 1995. Also known as the quintessential Sherlock Holmes. He wanted to be the best Sherlock Holmes the world had ever seen, and he was.
This was no passing acting role or whim. How dedicated was he to his role?
His most treasured possession on set was his 77-page Baker Street File, which was composed of everything from Holmes’s basic mannerisms to his eating and drinking habits.
In order to get better into his role, he did what plenty of us are familiar with: he made his own headcanons—about how lonely Holmes’s college days were, how brilliant he was at sports, how he didn’t see his father until he was twelve, how his mother was so distant.
When he first got the script for the Granada series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, he found it so far adapted that he went to the script editor and said, “But you’ve asked me to do Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. These aren’t Sherlock Holmes—Doyle’s stories.“ And the editor told him, “Jeremy, you’re here to act. Just get on with it.” So he tipped the table over and his fish dinner landed in the editor’s lap. And that was the beginning of their tousle.
He would take the original story—what he always referred to as ‘the canon’—with him to every filming and fight for accuracy to Doyle’s stories, to the point that Granada gave him an extra week for rehearsals. So that the first week he would fight for Doyle, and the second week he would rehearse.
Also, his nickname for Sherlock Holmes was the “damaged penguin", and if you don’t think that’s the greatest you can get out of my face.
He was Sherlock Holmes for ten years, and made 36 hour long episodes, and five feature-length specials. And he did all this while struggling with manic-depressive disorder, cardiomyopathy, and dyslexia. He continued playing Holmes even as his heart grew to twice its normal size, his general health and appearance deteriorated, and he had such trouble breathing that he needed an oxygen mask on set.
His only comment?
“But darlings, the show must go on.”
And he was bisexual. He married Anna Massey, though they divorced four years later. After that, he entered a committed relationship with Gary Bond for seven years, part of which they lived together in Notting Hill. He was later in a romantic relationship with Paul Shenar, which lasted five years. His last publicly known relationship was his marriage to Joan Sullivan Wilson, until her death nine years later.
So next time someone gives you shit for your sexuality, you tell them the quintessential Sherlock Holmes was bisexual and he was more brilliant than they could ever hope to be.
Okay, so HOPEFULLY I’ve made my final major changes to my chronology? Comments and feedback are much appreciated, see the notes at the bottom. Titles in italics have been moved/updated since last time.
The ‘Gloria Scott’ - Summer 1875 [1] (Framing: Winter 1882-3?)
The maths as stated don’t work, as 1855 + 30 = 1885, and these events can’t occur after A Study In Scarlet. 1875 would have to be Holmes’s second year of college.
The Musgrave Ritual - Spring 1879 (Framing: Winter 1882-3?)
It is stated to have been four years since Holmes last saw Musgrave. Holmes mentions telling Watson about the events of ‘Gloria Scott’. Watson must be living at 221b at the time, as his intro describes Holmes’s extremely messy habits in terms of lodging with him.
A Study In Scarlet - January to March 1881
Watson states the date he discovered Holmes’s profession explicitly as the 4th of March, which was several weeks after they moved in together. I find it likely that it was at most mid-January when they met, and that Watson spent February observing Holmes’s habits and trying to figure him out.
The Resident Patient - October 1881
Watson describes these events as being ‘towards the end of the first year during which Holmes and I shared chambers’, and then specifies that it was October.
The Valley Of Fear - January 1882 [2]
It is stated to be ‘in the late eighties’, but Holmes appears to still be getting used to Watson’s sense of humour, which he claims is ‘developing’, which points to it being earlier while Watson is still recovering from his illness. Any later and Holmes would already be very familiar with his closest companion’s personality.
The Yellow Face - Early Spring 1882
(I base this placement on character dynamics.)
The Speckled Band - April 1883
It is directly stated to be early April 1883.
The Beryl Coronet - February 1884
Watson is living at Baker St. It is stated to be February.
The Copper Beeches - Early Spring 1884
Watson is living at Baker St and appears to be unmarried. I will take it that references to SCAN, IDEN, TWIS, NOBL, and BLUE are self-promotion on Watson’s part due to publication order.
Charles Augustus Milverton - Winter 1884
I get the feeling this is an earlier case, as Watson’s attitude is oddly naïve when it comes to morality and the ability of the law to handle Milverton. I cannot see him behaving like this/holding these beliefs if he has already experienced Moriarty with Holmes for instance. He is also very jumpy while he and Holmes are performing their burglary.
The Hound Of The Baskervilles - October 1885 [3]
Mortimer’s stick is dated 1884, and Holmes notes this was five years ago (making it 1889), but Watson neither appears to be married nor in medical practice, and since this story was explicitly written as to have occurred before Holmes’s ‘death’, this precludes it being set after 1888.
The Greek Interpreter - Summer 1886?
I feel like these events are happening a decent number of years after Holmes and Watson met each other, as Watson refers to his relationship with Holmes as a ‘long and intimate acquaintance’, during which up to this point Holmes had ‘never’ referred to his family.
The Reigate Squires - April 1887
It is directly stated to be April 1887.
The Sign Of Four - July 1887 [4]
It is stated to be July (later mistakenly stated as September) 1888, but this contradicts both SCAN (March 1888) and FIVE (September 1887). There may also be a pearl missing as Mary describes their delivery?
The Cardboard Box - August 1887
Holmes mentions both A Study In Scarlet and The Sign Of Four by name – which implies that Watson is a very speedy writer, as this would be only a few weeks later. However, this may be taken as self promotion on Watson’s part.
The Noble Bachelor - Autumn 1887
This story is dated to 1887 via Lord St. Simon’s age, and also by Watson calling the events a ‘four year old drama’ at the time he is writing (presumably 1891), but Watson is soon to be married – which is not possible if he has not yet met his fiancée. Dating SIGN to July 1887 fixes this discrepancy.
A Scandal In Bohemia - March 1888
Watson explicitly dates the start of this case to the 20th of March 1888, and states that he hasn’t seen Holmes for several months after his marriage (which would be in the late autumn to winter of 1887 - possibly extending into Jan/Feb 1888)
The Stockbroker’s Clerk - June 1888
Watson states that he acquired his practice ‘shortly after’ his marriage, and that he was too busy to visit Holmes at Baker Street for three months. Counting most of March as the first month (per SCAN), that takes us to the June he states, which is the first time Holmes has visited Watson at his practice.
The Naval Treaty - July 1888
Watson describes these events as occurring in ‘the July which immediately succeeded’ his marriage, which is the July of 1888.
[The Second Stain - July 1888**]
Due to it heavily contradicting the events referenced as ‘The Adventure of the Second Stain’ in NAVA, I take it that the story of this name is heavily if not entirely fictionalised. This is when the real events that inspired it occurred.
The Crooked Man - August 1888
Watson states that these events began ‘one summer night, a few months after’ his marriage, which would make it 1888. It cannot be July, since Watson states in NAVA that the July following his marriage featured ‘three cases of interest’, and I doubt Holmes would be showing up at Watson’s home near midnight so early in their re-established partnership for it to be June, so I suggest it to be August.
The Five Orange Pips - September 1888 [5]
It is stated to be September 1887, but even if SIGN occurred in July of that year, Watson and Mary have not married yet for him to be ‘staying at Baker Street’ while she is away visiting her (dead) mother.
The Boscombe Valley Mystery - Spring 1889
The Man With The Twisted Lip - June 1889
I place this after BOSC, as Holmes takes it as a given that Watson’s wife will not object to him sending a note and running off on a case in the middle of the night. (I suspect he’s wrong and will be due a bollocking after breakfast)
The Engineer’s Thumb - Summer 1889
The Dying Detective - November 1889
Watson describes this as happening in his ‘second year of marriage’, which, 1888 being his first, works out as 1889.
A Case Of Identity - September 1890
Holmes comments in REDH that the case of Mary Sutherland occurred ‘the other day’. Assuming he isn’t the type to use ‘the other day’ to mean several months ago, etc, this would put it within the last few weeks.
The Red-Headed League - October 1890
It is directly stated to be October 9th 1890
The Blue Carbuncle - December 1890
Watson states it to be ‘the second morning after Christmas’, making it the 27th of December. When discussing cases that didn’t involve a crime, Holmes cites the events of SCAN, IDEN, and TWIS. This also lines up with the publication order, BLUE being the seventh short story, and Watson states that of the ‘last six cases’ he has written up, three of them were legally free of crime (morally however…)
The Final Problem - April to May 1891
Holmes has apparently been working in France since ‘the winter of 1890’ when he suddenly shows up in Watson’s consulting room on the 24th of April. His ‘death’ occurs on the 4th of May.
The Empty House - April 1894
The date Ronald Adair was murdered is stated to have been March 30th 1894. Taking into account the time required for the inquest - which has just concluded- I estimate it to be the first week of April, which lines up with Watson’s description of it being an ‘April evening’. Additionally, March 30th 1894 was a Friday, which would likely have delayed the start of the inquest to Monday, April 2nd.
The Norwood Builder - Summer 1894
Stated to take place ‘several months’ after Holmes’s return. Watson has moved back to Baker Street and sold his practice.
Silver Blaze - Late Summer 1894
(I would like to set Silver Blaze to be after NORW, since I think Holmes and Watson deserve a fun case after that one. I believe it to be post-hiatus since Watson is evidently resident in Baker Street and does not appear to be in practice at this time.)
The Golden Pince-Nez - November 1894
It is directly stated to be November 1894.
The Red Circle - Winter 1894
Watson is living at Baker Street, and Holmes refers to his medical practice in the past tense. Though there are no other suggestions as to the time period, I feel safe putting it in 1894 as the year is said to have been particularly busy. (Taking up three volumes of Watson’s yearbooks!)
The Solitary Cyclist - April 1895
It is directly stated to be April 23rd 1895.
The Three Students - May 1895?
It is directly stated to be 1895, though Watson declines to give any more information than that. I suppose it to be around May, since the case involves university exams.
Black Peter - July 1895
It is directly stated to be ‘the first week of July’ 1895.
The Bruce-Partington Plans - November 1895
It is directly stated to be ‘the third week of November, in the year 1895’.
The Veiled Lodger - Early 1896
It is directly stated to be ‘early in 1896’
The Shoscombe Old Place - Autumn 1896?
(I hover this story nebulously here due to a lack of stories in 1896.)
The Missing Three-Quarter - February 1896-7
Described as occurring ‘seven or eight years ago’ from the time of writing, presumably 1904. (I don’t see the point of ascribing it to one or the other currently, as it doesn’t make much difference to the order of surrounding stories.)
The Devil’s Foot - March 1897
It is directly stated to be March 1897
The Abbey Grange - Winter 1897
It is directly stated to be ‘towards the end of the winter of’ 1897.
Wisteria Lodge - March 1898 [6]
It is stated to be March 1892, but this is impossible as Holmes is presumed dead at that time. It also can’t be March ‘91 as Holmes is too busy at that time, and referencing REDH eliminates March ‘90 or any year earlier. Further, Holmes complains of boredom due to a lack of cases, which eliminates 1894 due to a very high number of cases in that year (he also won’t be back for a few weeks yet). Holmes is also busy in March ‘95, ‘96, and ‘97. It is not until 1898 that there may be time for him to be bored by March.
The Six Napoleons - Late May/Early June 1898
It must be the end of May or the start of June, as Beppo was arrested and sentenced to a year in prison in late May of the previous year. (I’d like to set this one near DANC, since Holmes deserves the praise.)
The Dancing Men - July 1898
Mr Cubitt says that he met his wife while in London ‘for the jubilee last year’, which would be Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, and that Elsie received a letter from America ‘about a month ago, at the end of June’, making it July.
The Sussex Vampire - November 1898
I date this story to after 1897, as that is the year vampires rose significantly in the public consciousness.
The Retired Colourman - Summer 1899
Amberley married his wife in 1897, and Holmes comments that the events that have resulted in their contact with him have occurred ‘within two years’.
The Priory School - May 1901?
Years listed with regard to Lord Holdernesse date the story post 1900, and wording makes it seem that that is not the present year.
The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax - Spring/Summer 1901?
The Problem Of Thor Bridge - October 1901
The Three Garridebs - June 1902
It is directly stated to be June 1902
The Illustrious Client - September 1902
It is directly stated to be September 1902. Watson has moved out of Baker Street, and is living in Queen Anne Street.
The Blanched Soldier - January 1903
It is directly stated to be January 1903. Holmes claims that Watson has ‘deserted [him] for a wife’.
The Mazarin Stone - Summer 1903
Watson is visiting Baker Street, and comments that nothing has changed in his absence, which infers this to occur after his second marriage. He also comments that a dummy of Holmes has been ‘used before’, referencing the events of EMPT.
The Three Gables - 1903?
Watson has not seen Holmes ‘in some days’. It appears that he is visiting Baker Street at the time.
The Creeping Man - September 1903
As originally published, the date is stated as September 1902, but when collected in Case-Book, this changes to 1903. I place it in 1903 as otherwise it would be extremely occurring extremely close to ILLU.
The Lion’s Mane - July 1907
It is directly stated to be ‘towards the end of July 1907’. Holmes is retired.
His Last Bow: The War Service Of Sherlock Holmes - August 1914
It is directly stated to be August 2nd 1914. Holmes has been undercover for the past two years. He is described as a ‘man of sixty’, but I’ll take that as artistic license since sixty is a reasonable estimate for someone in their late 50’s.
Notes:
This chronology was started in direct opposition to and due to frustration with Baring-Gould’s chronology. Any comments or suggestions based on it will be disregarded.
For convenience’s sake, I largely disregard publication dates except for when they provide vital context for when a story occurred. Unless stated otherwise, it will be assumed that Watson is writing the stories roughly in real time. This also saves me the headache of trying to account for Holmes referencing stories that Watson wrote while he was 'dead’ (i.e. basically everything between SCAN and EMPT)
It is my aim with this chronology to take into account all stated dates, and take them as correct except for where they blatantly contradict others. (e.g. SIGN being dated to either July or September 1888, when FIVE references Watson’s wife in September 1887 and SCAN refers to his marriage in March 1888; Wisteria Lodge being dated to March 1892 when Holmes is 'dead’ at this time)
It is also my intention that Watson is only married twice, the first time to Mary Morstan in late 1887 and the second to an unknown Mrs Watson in late 1902/early 1903 (being strictly canonical, my own headcanons of him retiring to Sussex with Holmes aside)
I estimate that Holmes was born January 6th 1857, making him 18 at the time of GLOR and 24 at the time of STUD. Also by this estimate he would be 57 at the time of His Last Bow.
I estimate that Watson was born 23rd May 1853, making him 27 at the time of STUD. This would make him 61 at the time of His Last Bow.
My favourite thing about ACD Johnlock is that you can essentially just cite the entire existing text as evidence. We don’t even need evidence at this point, it’s just there. It’s a love story. The only people we have to convince are the people who haven’t read them.
Call me Holmes. She/They. 30s. Midwest. Queer.
Find me here https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlocktheholmes/works
or here https://twitter.com/stheholmes?t=KNXCQOKLBvXa0wAM-8Y7BA&s=09
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