That’s it. I’ve had enough. Stop with the Sherlock Holmes adaptations. Earlier this year, Enola Holmes 3 dropped on the 2026 movie schedule, and after watching about a third of it with my Netflix subscription, I got bored, and I still haven’t finished it. Then came news that Roku would be producing a show called Scarlett Holmes, starring Lucy Hale as the titular character. That is on top of the news that Sky TV is producing The Death of Sherlock Holmes and Harry King Television is making an adult-oriented animated show about the legendary literary detective. There is no end to the book-to-screen adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s character. I’ve had it.
There Seems To Be End To It
I don’t know why Scarlett Holmes set me off, but perhaps it’s the logline given by Roku in their press announcement:
Scarlett Holmes has inherited her family’s legendary powers of observation, but instead of solving crimes, she takes on mysteries of love, dating, and relationships. In each episode, Scarlett is joined by her trusty sidekick, “Jane Watson,” as they help clients navigate mixed signals, secret crushes, romantic dilemmas, and everything in between.
So…Holmes is being adapted into a rom-com? I guess, sure, why not? It’s the one genre that hasn’t previously been explored, I suppose. I doubt very much I’ll be watching, and I like rom-coms! And Lucy Hale, for that matter.
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It’s the latest in a seemingly endless number of adaptations in the last couple of decades. Obviously, there are the Guy Ritchie movies starring Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock. There is also the amazing TV adaptation starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the mercurial detective. There is the aforementioned Enola Holmes, and its sequels, with Millie Bobby Brown as Mycroft and Sherlock’s sister. Then there is CBS’s Elementary, which ran for seven seasons. Don’t forget about the current CBS show Watson, a modern take on Dr. Watson from the Doyle stories.
Oh, and there’s Sherlock & Daughter on The CW last year, and Young Sherlock, which hit the 2026 TV schedule earlier this year, and you can watch with a Prime subscription. Don’t forget the absolutely terrible parody film Holmes & Watson starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly from a few years ago. How many is that? I lost count.
Let’s Let Sherlock Rest For A While
I love Sherlock Holmes. I’ve read all the stories, and I’ve seen most of these adaptations. BBC’s Sherlock with Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman is my favorite, though I do have a soft spot for Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as Holmes and Watson in Elementary. I liked the first Enola Holmes and saw it as a fresh take on the old idea, but now Hollywood is taking it to the extreme. Enough is enough, already. If they’re not going to bring back Cumberbatch and Freeman, I’m throwing in the towel.
This doesn’t have to be forever, but do we really need like a dozen adaptations in the works at all times? Let’s let Sherlock get some well-deserved rest and get back to him down the road, when we can actually be hungry for a new adaptation.
