Sunday, January 22, 2012

FROM RUSSIA WITH LESTRADE?


Even alternate TV dimensions have their own alternate TV dimensions.....

Years ago, I did a series of articles on the various portrayals of Sherlock Holmes on TV, including those from around the world. Just about all of them had to be relocated to other TV dimensions, so I figured it made sense that those versions of the Great Detective which were in foreign languages must have been located in TV dimensions in which their home country had dominated that particular Earth.

With the Spanish version of Sherlock Holmes, it would be set in a TV dimension in which the Spanish Armada had been triumphant and so Spain went on to conquer the world. In the German version, there was no need for World Wars I & II because the Germans had dominated the Earth perhaps centuries before.

Then there's the Russian version of the mid-1980's that went on to great acclaim both in the Soviet Union and Great Britain as well. The Russian actor who portrayed Holmes was even honored for his work by the British. In that TV dimension, the Russians expanded their empire to cover the globe and so everybody's common tongue was that of Russian.

Word comes now that there will be a new version of 'Sherlock Holmes' in Russia, perhaps even mirroring 'Sherlock' in its modern setting. (I'm not clear on that point, however.) If it is also set during Victorian times, then we have to relegate it to an off-shoot of that original Russian TV dimension, which at some point deviated from the established timeline after the Russian conquest of the world. But if it is a modern setting, then we can follow the same lead as done with 'Sherlock' - It would take place in Limbo, where the soul of Sherlock Holmes dwells to guide new Doctor Watsons on their journey through the after-life. (As an off-shoot from the main Toobworld, Earth Prime-Time, the main Limbo is also home to 'Life On Mars' [UK], 'Ashes To Ashes', the final season of 'Lost', and the TV adaptation of the movie 'Madigan'.)

Anyhoo, here's the news story about this new Russian production of 'Sherlock Holmes'....


BCnU!

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