Published: March 19, 2014

When Arthur Conan Doyle began his short stories about a detective using deductive reasoning and realistic forensics with his companion, a war-vetern doctor, he had no idea that it would be so popular that it would impede his medical career so greatly that in the first year of his practice as an optometrist the only people to come to the door were looking for not a doctor, but Sherlock Holmes! This caused resentment in the author that had him kill off his main character in an ambiguous way; however, a letter from Queen Victoria herself and a scalding message from his own mother demanding that the detective be revived caused Doyle to reconsider and soon he found joy once again in the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson!

(A poster for the 1899 stage adaptation of 'The Speckled Band'; the very first portrayal of Sherlock Holmes ever!)

Years later, the first stage production appeared in Great Britain and Doyle was ecstatic! Had he been able to see the massive cultural following and fandoms related to Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watsn as well, he would've more enjoyed them all; however, audiences and my opinion probably would've been equal to Doyle's in loving the following performances and truly admiring the actors, writers and original stories with Doyle's elements, and the formats onscreen, on television, on radio, and still onstage!

(Newest portrayal of Holmes and Watson by Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.)

Here are the Top 11 Greatest Sherlock Holmes Portrayals: