History Series / SherlockHolmes

** Mycroft also shows himself to be quite adept at disguises when he takes over a case for his brother in the heavily rewritten "The Mazarin Stone" (in reality, Jeremy Brett was far too ill to make more than a cameo appearance in the episode).

* DisposableLoveInterest: In a bit of canon revisionism, Watson doesn't propose at the end of "The Sign of Four."

** The "Norwood Builder" is arguably improved by turning the titular character into an actual murderer who killed a tramp to provide a corpse so he could [[FakingTheDead fake his own death]] instead of, as Doyle wrote it, depicting Scotland Yard as bunch of idiots who mistake rabbit bones for those of a human!

* ChekhovsSkill: We know Watson's a doctor, but the only time he uses his medical skills on-screen is in "The Greek Interpreter".

** The "Norwood Builder" is arguably improved by turning the titular character into an actual murderer who killed a tramp to provide a corpse in order to [[FakingTheDead fake his own death]] instead of, as Doyle wrote it, depicting Scotland Yard as bunch of idiots who mistake rabbit bones for those of a human!

** The "Norwood Builder" is arguably improved by turning the titular character into an actual murderer who killed a tramp to provide a corpse to [[FakingTheDead fake his own death]] instead of, as Doyle wrote it, depicting Scotland Yard as bunch of idiots who mistake rabbit bones for those of a human!

** The "Norwood Builder" is arguably improved by turning the titular character into an actual murderer who killed a tramp to provide a corpse so that he could [[FakingTheDead fake his own death]] instead of, as Doyle wrote it, depicting Scotland Yard as bunch of idiots who mistake rabbit bones for those of a human!

** The titular "Norwood Builder" is an actual murderer, who killed a tramp to provide a corpse so that he could [[FakingTheDead fake his own death]], which didn't happen in Doyle's original story (arguably this improves the story since not even the dullest Scotland Yard detective would mistake rabbit bones for those of a human).

** The titular "Norwood Builder" is [[spoiler:an actual murderer, who killed a tramp to provide a corpse so that he could [[FakingTheDead fake his own death]]]], which didn't happen in Doyle's original story.

** In the "The Copper Beeches", the final scene has Watson reading aloud from his account of the adventure that he and Holmes had just concluded. Then he turns to Holmes, who had earlier expressed criticism of Watson's writing, and sarcastically asks, "You don't think I put too much color and life into it, do you?" Holmes replies, "I leave all questions of literary style to your expertise!" before turning and looking directly into the camera with a hint of a smile.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: In the episode "The Copper Beeches", the final scene has Watson reading aloud from his account of the adventure that he and Holmes had just concluded. Then he turns to Holmes, who had earlier expressed criticism of Watson's writing, and sarcastically asks, "You don't think I put too much color and life into it, do you?" Holmes replies, "I leave all questions of literary style to your expertise!" before turning and looking directly into the camera with a hint of a smile.

** Holmes' frequent cries of "Mrs. HUDSON!" (though I suppose this might technically count as two words, but the emphasis is always on "Hudson").

* OvershadowedByAwesome: Watson's a pretty intelligent, capable soldier, but he always stands in Holmes's shadow. In real life, this was one of the reasons David Burke left the show, as he felt that he didn't really do much of anything.

* MsFanservice: In any story where a female plays a central role, she is invariably gorgeous, much to Watson's visible delight.

** Holmes' frequent cries of "Mrs. HUDSON!"

** Averted to an extent with Moriarty. In "The Red-Headed League", Inspector Jones knows ''exactly'' what Holmes is getting at, when he starts to realize that it is one of Moriarty's scheme. But the Inspector also notes that Scotland Yard really doesn't know much about Moriarty or what he even looks like, only that "his name echoes and re-echoes throughout the underwold."

* EvilCounterpart: Not played so strongly with Holmes and Moriarty as in other adaptations - the closest we get to this idea is when Holmes tells Watson that Moriarty will do "what I should do. Engage a special train." In fact, Granada seems almost to stress Holmes's goodness in opposition to Moriarty's wickedness, quite different from [[Series/{{Sherlock}} other]] [[Film/SherlockHolmes2009 adaptations]].

* FourEyesZeroSoul: Wilson Kemp, once more. He is perhaps the creepiest villain in the entire series, what with his [[SlasherSmile constant grin]], [[GigglingVillain wicked snicker]], [[SuddenlyShouting sudden]] [[MoodSwinger outbursts of rage]], and a vocal delivery that has hints of Creator/PeterLorre.

** The titular "Norwood Builder" is [[spoiler:an actual murderer, who killed a tramp to provide a corpse so that he could [[FakingTheDead Fake The Dead]]]], which didn't happen in Doyle's original story.

* HollywoodDarkness: In "The Empty House", the titular building is much more well lit than its ''pitch black'' book counterpart.

* NiceHat: Guess what kind of hat Jeremy Brett's Holmes is best known for. It's the hat you're most likely to see in promotional and cover photos. Can you guess? A sharp, black top hat!

** Basically the gist of Holmes's remonstrance to Watson after Watson's attempted reconnaissance in "The Solitary Cyclist". The adaptation leaves out the line towards the end of the original story where Holmes admits that one observation Watson made during his recon (the mystery cyclist appearing to adjust his necktie) should've told him everything he needed to know about the case, and he also earlier admits that his own visit to the area wasn't much more successful.

* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Dr. Roylett. His stepdaughter's fiance promises to try and improve his own chess game for his next visit to the estate.

* WickedStepfather: Dr. Dr. Roylett in "The Speckled Band" who dominates his stepdaughters, kills one, and plots to kill the other so their marriages don't take away his portion of their mother's inheritance.

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: From the original text, the "swamp adder" in "The Speckled Band." There was and is no snake with that common name, although the cobra is considered the most likely candidate.

* DiegeticSoundtrackUsage: The music box Holmes displays at the end of "The Adventure of the Creeping Man" plays the series theme.

* RapunzelHair: Violet Hunter is very proud of hers in "The Copper Beeches". One reason she consults Holmes is that she finds her employer's demand that she cut it to be very odd.

* IllBoy: Percy Phelps, the client in "The Naval Treaty" is an old school friend of Watson's. Watson remembers him as a delicate boy, and when he becomes their client he's just recovering from a nervous breakdown that's lasted almost ten weeks.