Sherlock is brought to us by Steven Moffat, the man who brilliantly updated the story of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde a few years back with Jekyll, and who is currently in charge of Dr. Who. This time he’s taking on the worlds most famous detective. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson. This is no period piece. It takes place in modern day London and uses things like text messages (actually txts are a large part of the show’s style). Also in this upgrade Watson is an Afghan war vet and Sherlock has a nicotine patch addiction.

Now I normally have a 3 episode rule for reviewing shows unless it’s a pilot only review, but for British shows the rule doesn’t apply as much since they tend to write and shoot whole seasons at one time as opposed to an episode by episode basis. Also Sherlock isn’t a series, it’s a miniseries consisting of 3 90 minute shows.

From a couple of minutes in this show grabbed me in a way few recent shows have. I was hooked by the 10 minute mark. The first episode takes us through the world of Watson and uses his introduction to Holmes and his world as our introduction. The case in the first episode is about a series of unexplained and sudden suicides which Sherlock suspects are anything but.

The show is quite stylized, using text on screen to show thoughts and txts. Quick cuts take us further inside Sherlock’s mind as he feverishly whips through explanation. Performance wise everyone is on top of their game and this is cast wonderfully. The writing is whip-smart and Cumberbatch as Holmes just kills it. Sherlock manages to balance suspense, drama, mystery, and really funny moments in a way I haven’t quite seen since Veronica Mars (this is some of the highest praise I can give).

I honestly have no complaints other than why isn’t this airing in the US? If you enjoyed Jekyll, this show is for you. If you like well written, well performed entertainment, this show is for you. If you like Sherlock Holmes but the Guy Ritchie/Robert Downey Jr. movie left you with a sour taste, this show is for you. Basically, if you can watch this show.

It airs Sundays on BBC 1 in the UK.