Line #17 Series/TheRivalsOfSherlockHolmes


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image_6859.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Left to right: Creator/DonaldPleasence, Creator/PeterVaughan, Creator/DerekJacobi, Roy Dotrice, Creator/PeterBarkworth and Donald Sinden]]
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4	A British Mystery-Anthology series that aired on Creator/{{ITV}} from 1971 to 1973. The series showcased various detectives, and other protagonists created by literary contemporaries of Creator/ArthurConanDoyle, creator of the titular sleuth, with each episode being adapted directly from a short story by said authors. The protagonists range from [[Main/GreatDetective great detectives]] to [[Main/GentlemanThief gentleman burglars]]. Some of the better known characters include [[Literature/DrThorndyke Dr. John Thorndyke]], Max Carrados, [[Literature/CarnackiTheGhostFinder Thomas Carnacki]], Martin Hewit and [[Literature/TheThinkingMachine Professor Augustus Van Dusen]].
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6	The series is also notable for featuring a vast ensemble cast of top UK actors; some already established, others still unknown at the time.
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8	Actors featured in the series include: Creator/JohnNeville, Creator/PaulDarrow, Creator/PeterVaughan, Roy Dotrice, Creator/DonaldPleasence, Michele Dotrice, Geoffrey Whitehead, Creator/PaulEddington, Creator/JeremyIrons, Creator/CarolineJohn, Creator/RogerDelgado, Creator/JacquelinePearce, James Bolam, Creator/UnaStubbs, Creator/PeterBowles, Creator/JohnLevene, Donald Sinden, Creator/FrankWilliams, Richard Hurndall, Creator/WindsorDavies, Creator/JudyGeeson, Creator/RichardBeckinsale, Creator/MichaelSheard, Christopher Timothy, Creator/MartinJarvis, Douglas Wilmer, Creator/MichaelGough, Clifford Rose, Donald Pickering, Creator/NicholasCourtney, Bernard Hepton, Neil [=McCarthy=], Creator/ChristopherNeame, Creator/CharlesGray, Creator/JohnThaw, Creator/CatherineSchell, Creator/PhilipMadoc, Laurence Payne, Mark Eden, Creator/NicolaPagett, Carolyn Jones, Michael Aldridge, Barrie Ingham, Creator/PeterSallis, Creator/JulianGlover, Creator/DerekJacobi, Robin Ellis, Creator/JeanMarsh and Joss Ackland.
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10	[[folder:List of protagonists featured in the series]]
11	* [[Literature/DrThorndyke Dr. John Thorndyke]]: forensic sleuth, created by R. Austin Freeman. Played by Creator/JohnNeville and Barrie Ingham in "A Message from the Deep Sea" and "The Moabite Cypher", respectively.
12	* Max Carrados: a blind [[Main/PrivateInvestigator private detective]], created by Ernest Bramah. Played by Robert Stephens in "The Missing Witness Sensation".
13	* Horace Dorrington: a crooked private eye, created by Arthur Morrison. Played by Creator/PeterVaughan in "The Affair of the Avalanche Bicycle & Tyre Co. Ltd", and "The Case of the Mirror of Portugal".
14	* Simon Carne, alias Klimo: a [[Main/GentlemanThief gentleman burglar]] posing as a private detective; created by Guy Boothby. Played by Roy Dotrice in "The Duchess of Wiltshire’s Diamonds".
15	* [[Literature/CarnackiTheGhostFinder Thomas Carnacki]]: an occult detective, created by William Hope Hodgson. Played by Creator/DonaldPleasence in "The Horse of the Invisible".
16	* Dixon Druce: private investigator, created by L.T. Meade and Robert Eustace. Played by John Fraser in "Madame Sara".
17	* Martin Hewitt: private detective, created by Arthur Morrison. Played by Creator/PeterBarkworth in "The Affair of the Tortoise" and "The Case of Laker, Absconded".[[note]]“The Case of the Dixon Torpedo”, originally a Hewitt story, was adapted for the series with Ronald Hines as Hewitt’s colleague Jonathan Pryde, an original character created for the series. He also re-appears in a minor capacity in the adaptation of "The Case of Laker, Absconded".[[/note]]
18	* Lady Molly of Scotland Yard: police officer, created by Baroness Orczy. Played by Elvi Hale in "The Woman in the Big Hat".
19	* Romney Pringle: con artist turned private detective, created by Clifford Ashdown[[note]]A pseudonym for R. Austin Freeman and John Pitcairn.[[/note]]. Played by Donald Sinden in "The Assyrian Rejuvenator".
20	* Bernard Sutton: professional jeweller, created by Max Pemberton. Played by Robert Lang in "The Ripening Rubies".
21	* Polly Burton: a journalist, created by Baroness Orczy. Played by Creator/JudyGeeson in "The Mysterious Death on the Underground Railway".[[note]]Her role in the episode has been increased from supporting player to main character.[[/note]]
22	* Inspector Leo Lipinzki: South African policeman, created by George Griffith. Played by Barry Keegan in "Five Hundred Carats".
23	* [[Literature/TheThinkingMachine Professor Van Dusen]]: "The Thinking Machine", created by Jacques Futrelle. Played by Douglas Wilmer in "Cell 13" and "The Superfluous Finger".
24	* John Laxworthy: gentleman thief, created by E. Phillips Oppenheim. Played by Bernard Hepton in "The Secret of the Magnifique".
25	* Eugene Valmont: French sleuth, created by Robert Barr. Played by Creator/CharlesGray in "The Absent-Minded Coterie".
26	* Lieutenant Holst: Danish policeman, created by Palle Rosenkrantz. Played by Creator/JohnThaw in "The Sensible Action of Lieutenant Holst".
27	* Dagobert Trostler: Austrian detective, created by Balduin Groller. Played by Ronald Lewis in "Anonymous Letters".
28	* Duckworth Drew: Secret Service agent, created by William Le Queux. Played by Creator/DerekJacobi in "The Secret of the Fox Hunter".
29	* Mr. Horrocks: naval officer, created by C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne. Played by Ronald Fraser in "The Looting of the Specie Room".
30	* Hagar Stanley: Gypsy, created by Fergus Hume. Played by Sara Kestelman in "The Mystery of the Amber Beads".
31	* Charles Dallas: barrister, created by John Oxenham. Played by Robin Ellis in "The Missing Q.C.s".
32	[[/folder]]
33	----
34	!!Tropes:
35	* AdaptationalJerkass: Thorndyke is presented here as arrogant and gruff. In the stories, he's more amiable and humble.
36	* AdaptationalNationality: The Van Dusen stories were originally set in America, here they're set in Britain.
37	* AffablyEvil: Horace Dorrington, to a tee.
38	* AmateurSleuth: Bernard Sutton, Polly Burton, [[Literature/TheThinkingMachine Professor Van Dusen]], Mr. Horrocks and Hagar Stanley.
39	* BlindJustice: Max Carrados.
40	* CorruptCop: More like corrupt private detective. We have two in the forms of Horace Dorrington and Romney Pringle.
41	* ForensicDrama: The Thorndyke episodes.
42	* GenderFlip: The clever Mr. Macpherson from the print version of "The Absent-Minded Coterie" becomes the equally clever Miss Mackail in the adaptation.
43	* OccultDetective: [[Literature/CarnackiTheGhostFinder Thomas Carnacki]].
44	* PeriodPiece: The series is set in the late Victorian, and early Edwardian eras.
45	* PrivateInvestigator: About half of the detectives are this.
46	* {{UsefulNotes/Romani}}: Hagar Stanley.
47	* VillainProtagonist: Some more villainous than others:
48	** Horace Dorrington in "The Affair of the Avalanche Bicycle & Tyre Co. Ltd", and "The Case of the Mirror of Portugal"
49	** Simon Carne in "The Duchess of Wiltshire’s Diamonds"
50	** Romney Pringle in "The Assyrian Rejuvenator"

Context Series / TheRivalsOfSherlockHolmes