Television Series
This fondly remembered British television anthology series featured adaptations of short mystery stories featuring some of the literary contemporaries of Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, inspired by the popular series of Rivals of Sherlock Holmes anthologies by Hugh Greene.
The show was produced by Thames Television and originally aired on ITV in Britain. The first series of thirteen episodes aired in 1971, the second in 1973.
By all accounts it was a class act, featuring a Who’s Who of early detectives, including stories featuring Horace Dorrington, The Thinking Machine, The Old Man in the Corner, Dr. John Thorndyke and Martin Hewitt (although in some episodes, he was called Jonathan Pryde), and featuring a slew of then up-and-coming young actors, including Donald Pleasence, John Neville, Derek Jacobi, Judy Geeson, Jean Marsh, Robin Ellis, Peter Vaughan, Donald Sinden and Jeremy Irons. But, unusual for its time, it went beyond the typical costume period fluffery of the time for a more nuanced look at the Victorian era, poking into its myriad hypocrisies, intellectual preoccupations and social problems.
In retrospect, it would have been nice if they’d included at least of few of the Lady Detectives of the era, many of whom rivaled the men in popularity back in the day. But hey, in 1973, even the guys must have been a hard sell.
TELEVISION
Episodes featuring private detectives:
- THE RIVALS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
(1971-73, ITV)
Two seasons
26 50-minute episodes
Produced by Thames Television
Starring Donald Pleasence, Donald Sinden, John Neville, Robert Stephens, Peter Vaughan, Derek Jacobi, Judy Geeson, Jean Marsh, Robin Ellis, John Thaw, Ronald Hines, Peter Barkworth, Jewremy Irons- SEASON ONE | Buy this DVD
- “A Message from the Deep Sea”
Based on the story by R. Austin Freeman
Starring John Neville as DR. JOHN THORNDYKE
- “The Missing Witness Sensation”
Based on the story by Ernest Bramah
Starring Robert Stephens as MAX CARRADOS - “The Affair of the Avalanche Bicycle and Tyre, Co., Ltd.”
Based on the story by Arthur Morrison
Starring Peter Vaughan as HORACE DORRINGTON - “The Case of the Mirror of Portugal”
Based on the story by Arthur Morrison
Starring Peter Vaughan as HORACE DORRINGTON - “The Case of the Dixon Torpedo”
Based on the story by Arthur Morrison
Starring Ronald Hines as JONATHAN PRYDE (Martin Hewitt in the original story) - “The Affair of the Tortoise”
Based on the story by Arthur Morrison
Starring Peter Barkworth as MARTIN HEWITT - “The Case of Laker, Absconded”
Based on the story by Arthur Morrison
Starring Peter Barkworth as MARTIN HEWITT
and Ronald Hines as JONATHAN PRYDE - SEASON TWO | Buy this DVD
- “The Absent-Minded Coterie”
(February 26, 1973)
Based on the story by Robert Barr
Starring Charles Gray as EUGENE VALMONT - “Anonymous Letters”
(March 19, 1973)
Based on a short story by Balduin Groller
Starring Ronald Lewis as DAGOBERT TROSTLER - “The Moabite Cypher”
(March 26, 1973)
Based on the story by R. Austin Freeman
Starring Barry Ingham as DR. JOHN THORNDYKE
RELATED LINKS
- The Rivals
The Radio series - Early Eyes
Historical and Literary Influences on the Genre
Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith. Thanks to Ernest Brown for the lead.
All but two episodes of the second season are missing above? Details can be found at IMDb and elsewhere. I’m working my way through the first season, and visited your site for more info about Dorrington – interesting character!
Hey, Toff. I’ve only listed the episodes featuring what are more-or-less private eyes. Which is what the site is allegedly about. But I did find one more in series two worth investigating.
Do The Thinking Machine, The Old Man in the Corner
While the stories I’ve read are great fun, neither of those guys are really private eyes—they’re more like amateur sleuths, solving crimes for the fun of it, and therefore not really this site’s turf. Trouble isn’t their business—it’s more like their hobby.