The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (TV series)


The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes is a British anthology mystery television series produced by Thames Television which was originally broadcast on the ITV Network. There were two series of 13 fifty-minute episodes; the first aired in 1971, the second in 1973. The programme presented adaptations of short mystery, suspense or crime stories featuring, as the title suggests, detectives who were literary contemporaries of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes took its inspiration – and title – from a series of published anthologies by Hugh Greene, elder brother of author Graham Greene and the former director-general of the BBC. Hugh Greene is credited on the programme as a creative consultant.

Principal characters

Series 1 (20 Sep – 9 Dec 1971)

No.TitleFictional DetectiveAuthor of Original StoryActor who portrayed detective
1x1A Message from the Deep SeaDr John Thorndyke, forensic scientistR. Austin FreemanJohn Neville
1x2The Missing Witness SensationMax Carrados, blind detectiveErnest BramahRobert Stephens
1x3The Affair of the Avalanche Bicycle & Tyre Co. Ltd.Horace Dorrington, corrupt detectiveArthur MorrisonPeter Vaughan
1x4The Duchess of Wiltshire's DiamondsSimon Carne, gentleman thiefGuy BoothbyRoy Dotrice
1x5The Horse of the InvisibleThomas Carnacki, occult detectiveWilliam Hope HodgsonDonald Pleasence
1x6The Case of the Mirror of PortugalHorace Dorrington, corrupt detectiveArthur MorrisonPeter Vaughan
1x7Madame SaraDixon Druce, trade investigatorL. T. Meade and Robert EustaceJohn Fraser
1x8The Case of the Dixon TorpedoJonathan Pryde, enquiry agentArthur MorrisonRonald Hines
1x9The Woman in the Big HatLady Molly of Scotland YardBaroness OrczyElvi Hale
1x10The Affair of the TortoiseMartin Hewitt, working-class detectiveArthur MorrisonPeter Barkworth
1x11The Assyrian RejuvenatorRomney Pringle, reformed con artist"Clifford Ashdown" Donald Sinden
1x12The Ripening RubiesBernard Sutton, professional jewellerMax PembertonRobert Lang
1x13The Case of Laker, AbscondedMartin Hewitt and Jonathan PrydeArthur MorrisonPeter Barkworth and Ronald Hines

Series 2 (29 Jan – 7 May 1973)

No.TitleFictional DetectiveAuthor of Original StoryActor who portrayed detective
2x1The Mysterious Death on the Underground RailwayPolly Burton, lady journalistBaroness OrczyJudy Geeson
2x2Five Hundred CaratsInspector Lipinzki, South African police detectiveGeorge GriffithBarry Keegan
2x3Cell 13Professor Van Dusen, the Thinking MachineJacques FutrelleDouglas Wilmer
2x4The Secret of the MagnifiqueJohn Laxworthy, reformed criminalE. Phillips OppenheimBernard Hepton
2x5The Absent-Minded CoterieEugene Valmont, private investigatorRobert BarrCharles Gray
2x6The Sensible Action of Lieutenant HolstLieutenant Holst, Danish police detectivePalle RosenkrantzJohn Thaw
2x7The Superfluous FingerProf Van Dusen, the Thinking MachineJacques FutrelleDouglas Wilmer
2x8Anonymous LettersDagobert Trostler, Viennese sleuth"Balduin Groller" Ronald Lewis
2x9The Moabite CypherDr John Thorndyke, forensic scientistR. Austin FreemanBarrie Ingham
2x10The Secret of the Fox HunterDuckworth Drew of the Secret ServiceWilliam Le QueuxDerek Jacobi
2x11The Looting of the Specie RoomMr Horrocks, ship's purserC. J. Cutcliffe HyneRonald Fraser
2x12The Mystery of the Amber BeadsHagar Stanley, Gypsy detectiveFergus HumeSara Kestelman
2x13The Missing Q.C.sCharles Dallas, defence barrister"John Oxenham" Robin Ellis

DVD availability

The first series was released on a 4-disc Region 2 DVD set by Network Distributing on 15 June 2009. Acorn Media released a Region 1 version of this set on 1 September 2009. Series Two was released on a Network DVD 4-disc Region 2 release on 15 February 2010; Acorn followed with a Region 1 version on 27 April.