The BBC television series Sherlock first premiered in the United Kingdom on 25 July 2010.
The first episode, “A Study in Pink,” introduced Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson. It was broadcast on BBC One and established the programme’s modern London setting, rapid dialogue, and technology-driven mysteries.
Sherlock was created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, who relocated characters and ideas from Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories into the twenty-first century. The opening episode draws heavily on “A Study in Scarlet,” while updating Holmes’s first meeting with Watson through mobile phones, blogs, and online searches.
The series became an international success and eventually ran for four series, with a special episode between the third and fourth series. It also helped raise the profiles of its two leads, who later received major film and television roles.