Who played Sherlock Holmes in the 1984 Granada television series?

Jeremy Brett played Sherlock Holmes in Granada Television’s 1984 Sherlock Holmes series. The production began airing on ITV in April 1984 and continued through 1994, becoming one of the most extensive screen adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories.

Brett’s performance was praised for its intensity, physical energy, and close attention to Doyle’s characterization. The series adapted 43 of the 60 Holmes stories, with David Burke playing Dr. Watson in the first series and Edward Hardwicke taking over from the second series onward.

A common mix-up is confusing the Granada production with earlier or later Holmes adaptations. Peter Cushing played Holmes in a 1968 BBC version of A Study in Scarlet, while Robert Downey Jr. portrayed a more action-oriented Holmes in the 2009 and 2011 films. Granada’s series is specifically associated with Jeremy Brett, whose portrayal remains among the best-known modern interpretations.