Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33196 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-01-28
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 120 minutes

Amazon.com
This nearly two-hour Granada Television production of the most popular Sherlock Holmes tale--adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1902 novel--stars series regular Jeremy Brett as the Baker Street detective and Edward Hardwicke as his close ally, Dr. John Watson. A thrilling blend of detective yarn and Gothic horror, The Hound concerns the apparent return of an old curse upon the Baskerville family in the terrifying form of a gigantic killer hound. Fans of Hardwicke get an opportunity to see his Watson on a solo mission for part of this story, though Brett--easily the best of all screen actors to play the sleuth--is never far from the narrative. The supporting cast is very good, and the beast itself, revealed in a famously terrifying finale, is indeed a spooky revelation. --Tom Keogh

From the Back Cover
The Baskerville family is cursed. Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead. Sir Henry Baskerville arrives from America and finds a death threat waiting for him at his hotel. An escaped killer roams the moors, a woman cries and a dog howls throughout the ight...another case for the brilliant Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr. Watson.

Customer Reviews

'Hound' is a bit of a dog
I bought the whole Granada series and watched several other episodes before this. Of course, everyone is familar with Rathbone's version of this story. While I haven't seen it for many years, I do remember the eerie setting and Basil's tight portryal of Holmes (nevermind Bruce's Watson).
So I had high hopes for this, but I was quite disappointed. Just watch "The Blue Carbuncle" or "The Reheaded League", or even "The Solitary Cyclist" and see what Jeremy Brett can do. Some of the early episodes of this series are actually better than the Doyle stories. Brett fought hard to make the producers stick close to Doyle's stories, and where he was sucessful, we have simply the best Holmes possible. It is doubtful that anyone will ever eclipse Brett at his best. I also much prefer Burke's Watson to Hardwicke's. Although Hardwicke is not bad, I feel that he is always slightly upstaging Brett. With Burke, however, the two are perfectly matched. In fact, I feel that Burke is as good as Watson as Brett is as Holmes.
But back to the Baskervilles. I was pleasantly surprised by the locations, and by Baskerville hall itself. I can just say that at almost every key scene, unfortunately, the direction is just wrong. When Watson is hiding in the hut from the Man on the Tor, although we know what's about to happen, the directors absolutely RUIN the scene by showing Holmes strolling up the path and smiling, and just having a nice day. This guts any tension that was building, and though Holmes calls Watson out, as in the book, the whole reunion is needlessly and stupidly ruined.
My other main gripe is when the hound finally appears. There is little build up here as well, and when they all finally see the mutt, they just blast it to hell. What happened to all of the horror and terror? Who's afraid of a stinking Rottweiler with Glowing Green Goop on it? In the book, everyone is so keyed-up that when it finally appears, Lestrade hits the dirt like a whimpering coward. I saw the Rathbone movie many times before I read the story, but Doyle handles this most important scene with great skill. They could have easily brought this through in the TV production, but they didn't.
Is it worth watching? Sure, although I don't know if I'll view it again. I probably will, and maybe it will grow on me. But this should have been the best of the series, and while it's certainly not the worst (the truly hideous 'Bachelor' mess gets that award) it could have easily been more than it is.

A Gothic Horror...
Grenada Television's 1988 adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Sherlock Holmes tale "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is an atmospheric and extremely effective thriller. Jeremy Brett, already suffering from the illness that would take his life a few years later, is superb as the famous sleuth. He is very ably assisted by Edward Hardwicke as the stalwart Dr. Watson.

As the movie opens, a elderly gentleman standing outside a mansion and apparently awaiting an appointment at dusk, takes fright at the approach of some sort of four-legged beast and runs off. The scene switches to Baker Street, where Holmes and Watson examine a walking stick left by an earlier visitor. The owner soon arrives in the person of Dr. Mortimer, a young physician who wishes to consult Holmes. The legend of a spectral and murderous hound that haunts the Baskerville family of Dartmoor is soon front and center as the indirect cause of death of the gentlemen seen in the opening, whom we learn is Sir Charles Baskerville. Dr. Mortimer, as executor of Sir Charles' will, needs guidance as to the safety of Sir Henry Baskerville, the last of the line, just arriving in London from America.

Holmes takes the case, and sends Watson to Dartmoor with Dr. Mortimer to report on the neighborhood while Holmes pursues his own investigations in London. Watson will have the opportunity to do some sleuthing of his own, including determining the identity of a mysterious man living on the Great Grimpen Mire, who seems to figure in the case.

The movie follows the novel fairly closely in its essentials. The investigations by Watson and Holmes confirm that Sir Henry is indeed at risk. The dimensions of the threat, whether human or some otherworldy Gothic horror, is left less than clear to the viewer until the climactic scene, in which Holmes and Watson must finally confront the hound to save Sir Henry's life.

The production is up to Grenada's usual high standards for period costumes, customs, and locations. "The Hound of the Baskervilles" has been a perennial favorite for adaption to the screen, but this production manages to provide both a fresh look and good suspense. A well-chosen cast helps carry the action. Neil Duncan is especially good as the helpful Dr. Mortimer. Kristoffer Tabori is entirely cedible as Sir Henry, new to his status as the master of Baskerville Hall and feeling his way through local expectations.

Grenada Television's "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is very highly recommended to fans of Sherlock Holmes as an entertaining adaptation of a classic Sherlock Holmes story.

Brett is magnificent
For many years I insisted that Basil Rathbone was the one, true Holmes. However, after watching Brett's performances over and over, there can be little doubt that Brett IS/WAS Holmes! He nailed the mannerisms, the quirks, the arrogance, the quick insights, and those over-the-top nuances of Sherlock Holmes...what fun and how perfect! While many drawings and portraits seem to favor the profile of Rathbone, Brett captured the very essence of who Sherlock Holmes was meant to be. The Brett performances are magnificient, as are his co-stars...Hardwicke as Watson and Charles Gray as Mycroft. It would be hard to have a better trio playing those same roles as well as those three gentlemen did. The future Holmes will forever be judged by Brett's Holmes...not Rathbone's. Jeremy Brett was the BEST! Watch all of the Granada Holmes series, they are excellent.