I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

"an extraordinarily astute couple" [VALL] Anyone who has been following Sherlock Holmes on television and in popular culture over the last five years or so should be familiar with the names Steven Moffat and Sue Vertue. Steven is showrunner, writer and producer for Sherlock and Doctor Who, and Sue is a producer of a number of programs, including Doctor Who and Sherlock, as well as of numerous British television comedies. Steven and Sue met at the Edinburgh Television Festival in 1996 and joined Hartswood Films, where Steven wrote a comedy based on their budding relationship, which became Coupling. And it is their coupling on Sherlock that we speak with them. On January 1, 2016, the world premiere of Sherlock: The Abominable Bride happens on BBC One and PBS. This is the first time the show has aired on the same day in both countries, and the excitement is palpable. The setting is London in 1895 and the trailers have shown a dark and mysterious atmosphere. We take the time to discuss the making of show with Steven and Sue, as well as surprises, challenges and delights along the way. We ask the question everyone has been dying to know: how much longer will Sherlock go on? And we get an answer! We also learn a surprising fact about Sue (!) and get some great send-off advice from Steven, with much great information in between. We have a dual feature for this episode's Gas-Lamp: an actual Editor's Gas-Lamp from Vol. 11, No. 4 (1961) called "Yes, Virginia, There Is a Sherlock Holmes" by Julian Wolff. And Jay Finley Christ's classic poem "The Old Tin Box." We know we're mediocre at telling you about supporting us via Patreon. Make sure you listen to the end of the show for someone who knows what he's talking about. A special thank you to Mary Miller and Christian Mongaard for your extraordinary support! SponsorsThis episode includes our two longtime sponsors that deserve your attention: The Wessex Press, featuring Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle and The Bookman, and The Baker Street Journal, where you should get your annual subscription in now to secure all four issues and a very special Christmas Annual about The Seven Per-Cent Solution. Interested in becoming an advertiser? You can find more information here. Notes:1:46 Welcome and hear what Scott got Burt for the holidays 3:05 One item worth mentioning from the Gift Guide 8:00 Our Facebook hack 9:56 Listener mail 11:01 Steven Moffat and Sue Vertue introduction 12:32 Welcome Steven and Sue 16:00 Some surprising information about Sue 19:50 What sent them back to 19th century London? 24:45 How much longer Sherlock will go on 26:47 Other stories that might be the subject for future episodes 30:25 One message for Sherlockians from Steven Moffat 32:56 You won't want to miss this 38:47 Post-interview chat, Twitter chat during Sherlock: The Abominable Bride 46:41 The Editor's Gas-Lamp 1:04:28 Getting in touch 1:06:18 Scott and Burt get a little help Download [Save As] | File size 32.8 MB, 1:09:26 Links:Get ready for The Abominable BrideDon't forget our Sherlockian Gift Guide - pick out your gifts now! ihearofsherlock.com/merchandiseThe Penguin Deluxe Edition of Sherlock Holmes: The Novels, with Michael's introductionMichael Dirda on IHOSE Episode 38Conan Doyle Sues Own Estate from Beyond the Grave concludes with "Case Closed"The Great Unrecorded Cases in Watson's Tin BoxThe I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Patreon page Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard and Scoop.it sites at ihose.co/flipsherlock and ihose.co/scoopsherlock, as well as on the The Sherlock Holmes Community on Google+ (now over 2,800 members), as well as through our accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Please subscribe to us on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher or Spreaker and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tel

"a connoisseur and collector" [ILLU] Glen Miranker, BSI, 2s ("The Origin of Tree Worship") is one of the foremost Sherlockian and Doylean collectors in the world. To see his collection in person would send chills up even the most austere Sherlockian's spine. We asked Glen to join us, not solely because of the depth and breadth of his Sherlockian collection, but because he has many personal stories that effectively illustrate what it means to be a collector. From his first real collectible book to the individuals who mentored him along the way, Glen learned a great deal and is more than willing to share his passion with the world. From Sherlockian giants like Dan Posnansky, Marv Epstein and Bliss Austin, we hear of Glen's encounters with them and what they passed along to him. We literally step into Glen's library on a tour (audio-only, although we do have a few photos of what lies within), including some original Conan Doyle letters and even trench warfare magazines - just the tip of the iceberg of his collection. We also have a roundup of Sherlock Holmes news, from events to the summer feature Mr. Holmes, to a fascinating set of infographics from The Guardian, as well as some listener comments. That plus our usual set of sponsors (and one very special one) round out the show. This time around the Gas-Lamp is a poem from another San Francisco Sherlockian on the auspicious evening of March 31, 1944. And you might want to be sure you pay attention for a special Easter egg. Download [Save As] | File size 51.9 MB, 1:52:44 Links:What happened at Scintillation of Scions VIII, including a screening of HerlockTrailer and teaser image for Sherlock special A clever set of infographics from The Guardian Fox is planning Houdini & Doyle for 2016 Our friend (and IHOSE 67 guest) Tim Johnson was featured on Minnesota Public Radio  Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard and Scoop.it sites at ihose.co/flipsherlock and ihose.co/scoopsherlock, as well as on the The Sherlock Holmes Community on Google+ (over 2,600 members), as well as through our accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Please subscribe to us on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher or Spreaker and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tell a friend about us, in any fashion you feel comfortable. Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (ihearofsherlock AT gmail DOT com), call us at (774) 221-READ (7323). SponsorsThis episode includes two sponsors that deserve your attention: Wessex Press (check out the new Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle in the Newspapers Volume 1) The Baker Street Journal, where you should get your annual subscription in now to secure all four issues and a very special Christmas Annual about The Seven Per-Cent Solution. --

"the incoherent ramblings of these sots" [TWIS] The 15th of every month brings a new episode, and our latest is chock full of Sherlockian nuggets. There's a legal case afoot, in case you haven't heard. We cover the latest broadside from the Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd. - the #FreeMrHolmes saga - and discuss the movie starring Sir Ian McKellen. We ponder Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's epitaph if written under the present clouds of the estate's business dealings. We also take a moment to pause and reflect on the screening of the William Gillette 1916 film, our 1,000th post and the Scintillation of Scions event. It's been a busy month! Burt takes us on an audio journey to Roslyn in the Hoboken-Free State to celebrate the 125th birthday of Christopher Morley, founder of the Baker Street Irregulars. There we hear from Morley scholar and Baker Street Journal editor Steven Rothman, BSI ("The Valley of Fear") and Terry Hunt, BSI ("The Something Hunt"), as well as two grandchildren of Morley. Mental ExaltationAnother installment of our successful quiz program, written by IHOSE quizmaster Nick Martorelli, is all about the legal profession in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Sandy Kozinn joined us from New Jersey to play - listen to hear how she did. We welcome a guest reader for this episode's Gas-Lamp reading: Ray Betzner. Ray gave a touching talk at the BSI Dinner in January and an encore presentation at the Sons of the Copper Beeches in April. It is titled "A Case of Identity: Sigerson's Choice" and it is remarkable. Finally, we conclude with some listener comments, including a very surprising duo. Download [Save As] | File size 43.8 MB, 1:35:25 Links:You may have missed Scintillation of Scions VIII, but edition IX is coming next year.We had a representative at the screening of William Gillette's 1916 silent classic Sherlock Holmes at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival last month. You can read Tim Greer's impressions of the event and the film here.And if you'd like to see the restoration yourself, the DVD and Blu-ray are coming out in October - order it here.We celebrated our 1,000th post on the site: ihose.co/ihose1000The summary of the #FreeMrHolmes saga.Related: you might wish to educate yourself with Betsy Rosenblatt's scholarly legal treatise The Adventure of the Shrinking Public Domain. Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard and Scoop.it sites at ihose.co/flipsherlock and ihose.co/scoopsherlock, as well as on the The Sherlock Holmes Community on Google+ (still growing, now at over 2,500 members), as well as through our accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Please subscribe to us on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher or Spreaker and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tell a friend about us, in any fashion you feel comfortable. Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (ihearofsherlock AT gmail DOT com), call us at (774) 221-READ (7323). SponsorsThis episode includes three sponsors that deserve your attention: Wessex Press (check out the new Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle in the Newspapers Volume 1) The Baker Street Journal, where you should get your annual subscription in now to secure all four issues and a very special Christmas Annual about The Seven Per-Cent Solution. We welcome mystery writer Dan Andriacco. His upcoming novel Rogues Gallery is the latest in the Sebastian McCabe - Jeff Cody Series. Learn more on Dan’s blog Baker Street Beat at DanAndriacco.com. We're also pleased to recognize Joseph Vega, William Simpson, Bob Byrne, Peter Lawrence, James O'Leary and Mary Miller for their generous support. If you would like to help support I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, you can click here or on the "Donate" button in the upper portion of the site. --

"on miracle plays" [SIGN] Theatrical Sherlockians probably know Ken Ludwig best for his play The Game's Afoot, which focused on William Gillette and won an Edgar® Award from the Mystery Writers of America for the best play of 2012. More widely cultured individuals know that he is an internationally-acclaimed and Tony® Award-winning playwright whose work has been performed in more than 30 countries in over 20 languages. He has had six shows on Broadway and six in the West End - including Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo, and Crazy For You. Ken Ludwig was kind enough to join us on the show to discuss his latest project: Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery directed by Amanda Dehnert, which opens the Arena Stage in the Kreeger Theater in Washington, DC before moving along to McCarter Theater Center in Princeton, NJ. The previews run January 16 - 21, 2015 and tonight - January 22 - is its official opening night at Arena, running through February 22. The play runs at McCarter Theater from March 10 - 29, 2015. He describes the production as an adventure with comedic exuberance, and one that is as much about the theater as it is about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. And with just five actors playing 40 parts in a variety of accents and disguises. But Ludwig is quick to note that it is respectful of the characters and of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Questions naturally arose as the discussion continued: How does one represent such various settings as railway stations, Dartmoor, Baskerville Hall, the streets of London, etc. that are vastly different from the traditional "living room / sitting room" setting we're used to seeing in the theater? How is the hound brought to life? We also probed at what initially drove Ludwig to Sherlock Holmes and discovered that he managed to work the character into his professional life fairly quickly. When we asked Ken answered to the questions of why The Hound of the Baskervilles and why now with: "There's a Hound in all of us." Listen in for the full conversation and see the links below to buy tickets in Washington or Princeton. And if you live on the west coast, Ken mentions a summer appearance in San Diego...  Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the player above. (File size: 28.3 MB, 1:01:43) Burt and Scott also discuss just a smidge of the BSI Weekend - including the first-ever appearance of a selfie stick at the event - and ask for your input on our programming. The Editor's Gas-Lamp this time is a variant: the poem "The Detective's Farewell" from the June 1974 issue of The Baker Street Journal (Vol. 34, No. 2). Links: Patrick Gowers' soundtrack for the Granada Sherlock Holmes series. (Amazon)Ken LudwigArena Stage ticket office (January 16 - February 22, 2015)McCarter Theater ticket office (March 10 - 29, 2015)How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig (Amazon) Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard magazine and Scoop.it page, as well as on the The Sherlock Holmes Community on Google+ (still growing, now at over 2,200 members), as well as through our accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Please subscribe to us on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher or Spreaker and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tell a friend about us, in any fashion you feel comfortable. Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (ihearofsherlock AT gmail DOT com), call us at (774) 221-READ (7323). And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us rant and rave about their excellence during the program: Wessex Press (check out the new Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle in the Newspapers Volume 1) and The Baker Street Journal, where you should get your annual subscription in now to secure all four issues and a very special Christmas Annual. --    

"the compliments of the season" [BLUE] As you know, December 27 marks "the second day after Christmas," the day on which Dr. Watson called up on Mr. Sherlock Holmes to wish him "the compliments of the season"in "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle." We've long celebrated that particular story on this date with a poem of our own - even opting for reading it on an unnumbered special episode in 2007. But  rather than simply rehash the tried and true, we thought we'd mix things up a bit this year and bring in a guest. Peter Blau, 2s., BSI ("Black Peter") has been with us previously (on Episode 6 and Episode 7), so we'll spare the full introduction. We asked Peter on as our very special guest in order to tell the story behind his very unusual Sherlockian decoration: a Sherlock Holmes-themed set of ornaments - each inspired by one of the original 60 stories. He regales us with the challenges involved in trying to identify these ornaments without a copy of the Canon handy. Each year at his tree-trimming party, Peter challenges newcomers to identify each and every ornament - and we can attest that many are head scratchers. Here we have images of a handful of the ornaments, as well as the tree: If you'd like to see additional ornaments, you'll find them on the the IHOSE apps for Android, iOS, or Windows. Peter also tells us about his paper written some 40 years ago in which he describes the true story behind how a cropless animal such as a goose could have a carbuncle hidden in its crop.TL;DR: it comes down to a typo - an 'o' substituted for an 'a.' We close this episode with an audio Gas-Lamp: inspiration taken from our interview with Bert Coules (Episode 68 and Episode 69): a clip from the BBC Radio version of "The Blue Carbuncle" that hits at the core of the relationship between Holmes and Watson. Links: BSI TrustLetter from Christopher Morley to Edgar W. Smith, Christmas 1949 with the poem "Te Deum Laudanum." Many more links are available in our Flipboard magazine and Scoop.it page, as well as on the The Sherlock Holmes Community on Google+ (with over 2,100 members), as well as through our accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. And of course,  are nice collections of links, articles and images.  Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the player above. (File size: 21.9 MB, 47:18) Please subscribe to us on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher or Spreaker and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tell a friend about us, in any fashion you feel comfortable. Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (ihearofsherlock AT gmail DOT com), call us at (774) 221-READ (7323). And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us rant and rave about their excellence during the programme: Wessex Press and The Baker Street Journal - and as always, a very special sponsor. --

This. Is. IHOSE! In our 70th episode, we've joined forces with three of the formidably intelligent Baker Street Babes to create a Sherlockian version of the popular American game show Jeopardy. To say that it was one of our most technically challenging episode yet would be a massive understatement. But we hope you find that it was pulled off with aplomb. Lyndsay, Ashley and Ardy faced off against each other with Burt and Scott filling the role of Alex Trebek in what could be summed up as "the nervous tutor, the careless servant, and the three enterprising students." In our version, the game revolves around the Canonical references in the BBC's Sherlock. Five categories span the first five episodes of the series and are titled: Pink Profile, Myopic Money, Profound Past-time, Steamy Scandal, and Horrible Hound and range from $100 to $500 in the first half and $200 to $1,000 in the second half. Each contestant rings in with a unique audio signature: Lyndsay "Ahhhhhh" [Irene Adler's text message notification planted on Sherlock's phone.]Ashley "I'm a big fan." [Kitty Riley's greeting to Sherlock in the men's room.]Ardy "Not your housekeeper." [Mrs. Hudson's retort to Watson] With Burt's occasional difficulty with the question formulation and Lyndsay's inability to recall that Jeopardy contestants are required to respond in the form of a question, it was as much high comedy as it was a quiz show. Not to mention the Edwardian-era quiz show music we chose. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. And in a surprise move, Burt and Scott received the ultimate honor: after being put to four questions, each was named an honorary Baker Street Babe! We wrap up with listener comments and our contest winner from Episode 69. Links: The Baker Street BabesAn additional way to leave us a message. More links available on The Sherlock Holmes Community on Google+ (now at nearly 2,100 members), as well as through our accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. And of course, our web- and app-based Flipboard magazine and our Scoop.it page are nice collections of links, articles and images.  Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the player above. (File size: 50.6 MB, 1:50:24) Please subscribe to us on iTunes and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tell a friend about us, in any fashion you feel comfortable. Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (ihearofsherlock AT gmail DOT com), call us at (774) 221-READ (7323). And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us rant and rave about their excellence during the programme: Wessex Press and The Baker Street Journal - and as always, a very special sponsor. --

In Episode 68, we explored some of the early days of Sherlock Holmes on radio with Bert Coules. We're pleased to present the second part of that episode as we make a deeper dive into Sherlock Holmes as portrayed in radio productions. The bulk of our conversation with Bert centers - appropriately so - around the BBC Radio 4 series starring Clive Merrison and Michael Williams (Amazon US | Amazon UK). After selling a dramatized version of The Hound of the Baskervilles to the BBC (which starred Roger Rees), Bert was given the green light to dramatize all 60 Sherlock Holmes stories, serving as the head writer. The striking resemblance between Sidney Paget's Sherlock Holmes (r) and Clive Merrison in the role (l). Bert discusses the casting of the new series, including what was required in a Watson that was an equal partner - and a zinger aimed at Nigel Bruce - as well as the increased comfort felt by the characters and actors over the course of the series recording.You may be surprised to learn how the stories were assigned to the writing team (a scientific method from the BBC, no doubt) and how the writers were "imaginatively faithful" to the stories. Not to mention the backstory behind an alternative ending to "The Solitary Cyclist." Of particular interest for us in this show is a multitude of sound clips from the BBC series - including the music that played such a prominent role in some episodes. We did a bit of our own sound design in this episode in keeping with the spirit of the theme. We also discuss some of the more intriguing guest stars on the series, such as Peter Sallis, Desmond Llewelyn, Brian Blessed and Tom Baker, as well as the "new" Watson during The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Andrew Sachs. Bert has a great story about how he ended the series in a manner than ensured it will not be continued. CONTEST ALERT: This episode contains a contest. We mentioned Denis Quilley and Patrick Allen as two actors who have been in the BBC Sherlock Holmes radio shows (as Bob Carruthers [SOLI] and Leon Sterndale [DEVI], respectively) and who have also been guest stars in the Granada series (as Leon Sterndale [DEVI] and Col. Sebastian Moran [EMPT], respectively. There are at least two other actors who have also had guest starring roles in each series. The first individual who emails us the names and their respective roles and stories in each series will win a copy of Bert Coules' book, 221 BBC: Writing for the World's Only Complete Dramatized Canon and Beyond. The Baker Street Regulars - recurring members of the cast (L to R): Clive Merrison (Holmes), Stephen Thorne (Inspector Lestrade), Joan Matheson (Mrs. Hudson), Michael Williams (Watson), John Hartley (Mycroft Holmes). Our Gas-Lamp this episode, we return to The Baker Street Journal of January 1952 (Vol. 2 No. 1 (New Series)) for Edgar Rosenberger's poem "Four Ages," representing the evolution of Sherlock Holmes as portrayed by various actors. Links: BertCoules.co.ukThe unofficial BBC Radio series website, maintained by Bert Coules.221 BBC: Writing for the World's Only Complete Dramatized Canon and Beyond - a new editions, revised and expanded - by Bert CoulesNow available from Wessex Press More links available on The Sherlock Holmes Community on Google+ (now at over 1895 members!), as well as through our accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. And of course, our web- and app-based Flipboard magazine and our Scoop.it page are nice collections of links, articles and images.  Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the player above. (File size: 92.2 MB, 1:40:39) Please subscribe to us on iTunes and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tell a friend about us, in any fashion you feel comfortable. Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, se

Sherlock Holmes has a rich history on radio, beginning in the 1930s and running clear through to the 2010s. From William Gillette to Basil Rathbone, Cedric Hardwicke to John Gielgud, and Carleton Hobbs to Roger Rees. But there is one production that stands heads and shoulders above the rest. The BBC Radio 4 series starring Clive Merrison and Michael Williams (Amazon US | Amazon UK) managed to do what no other production had done before it: to dramatize all 60 Sherlock Holmes with the same principal cast members. The head writer behind the project was Bert Coules, and Bert is our guest for a very special two-part series examining the history of Sherlock Holmes on the radio, with a particular focus on the BBC series. In this interview you'll not only hear Bert's origins with Sherlock Holmes, but you'll also be treated to excerpts from some of the productions throughout the 20th century. And for those of you paying attention, there is a money quote about Nigel Bruce buried within. In addition to our conversation with Bert, we also get to some very important housekeeping, including announcing the winners of the Tom Richmond print and pen from Episode 65. Our Gas-Lamp this episode comes to us courtesy of Bert Coules himself, from the original edition of 221 BBC: Writing for the World's Only Complete Dramatized Canon and Beyond, as we read the Introduction. The updated and revised edition (via the link) is available now from Wessex Press. Links: Other Sherlock Holmes podcasts: The Baker Street Babes, The Three Patch PodcastBurt's appearance on The Country Squire PodcastCalvin and Hobbes reimagined as Cumberbatch and Freeman (courtesy of Tom Trager)BertCoules.co.ukThe unofficial BBC Radio series website, maintained by Bert Coules. More links available on The Sherlock Holmes Community on Google+ (now at over 1895 members!), as well as through our accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. And of course, our web- and app-based Flipboard magazine and our Scoop.it page are nice collections of links, articles and images.  Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the player above. (File size: 37.9 MB, 1:22:53) Please subscribe to us on iTunes and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tell a friend about us, in any fashion you feel comfortable. Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (ihearofsherlock AT gmail DOT com), call us at (774) 221-READ (7323). And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us rant and rave about their excellence during the programme: Wessex Press and The Baker Street Journal - and as always, a very special sponsor. --      

After a long hiatus, we're back in the Collectors' Corner. This time, we're joined by the Maniac Collector himself, Don Hobbs, BSI ("Inspector Lestrade"). For those of you who don't know Don, you're in for a treat, for Don is a Texan through and through - and that means big stories, a big appetite for his interests and a big BIG collection of Sherlock Holmes books in translation. Of the 100 languages that the Canon has been translated into, Don has books in 96 of those languages. And that's only part of his 11,000 book collection. As a world traveler, he stays in touch with his network of connected individuals to keep him up to date on new pieces for his collection. The Hound of the Baskervilles in Occitan Don is also the general editor for the BSI International Series, which to date has included scholarship from Japan, Scandinavia, Australia and Italy. Future volumes include Spain and Canada, to name two. Tune in to hear about Don's inspiration, his favorite among all of his foreign editions, where he first encountered Sherlock Holmes, how collecting has affected his life, the most amazing collections he's seen of other Sherlockians, and advice for future collectors. In lieu of our Gas-Lamp, we asked Don to read one of his previous entries in the Maniac Collector's Inbox - #333 from October 19, 2008, titled "The Anti-Peter Principle." Links:Don's Blog: Inspector Lestrade's Blotter PageThe Maniac Collector Archives on Sherlock PeoriaCrew of the Barque Lone StarPrevious Collectors' Corner interviews  Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the player above. (File size: 49.2 MB, 1:11:43) Please subscribe to us on iTunes and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tell a friend about us, in any fashion you feel comfortable. Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323) or use the Speakpipe app right here on the site. Connect with us and other interested Sherlockians on The Sherlock Holmes Community on Google+, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. And of course, our web- and app-based Flipboard magazine is a nice collection of links, articles and images. And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us rant and rave about their excellence during the programme: Wessex Press and The Baker Street Journal. Bonus MaterialDon's library (click to enlarge)        --

The Baker Street Irregulars Manuscript Series has another entry, and once again we find ourselves chatting with co-editors Robert Katz, MD, BSI ("Dr. Ainstree") and Andrew Solberg, BSI ("Professor Coram"). Bob and Andy of course were our guests on Episode 50: A Golden Passage, and we're delighted to have them with us again to share the secret as to how lightning strikes twice and these two fine editors regroup to wrangle together scholarship, research and fun for our Sherlockian edification. This time, the BSI Manuscript Series title is Irregular Stain, and it treats the reader to a full-color reproduction of the manuscript of "The Adventure of the Second Stain" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. What's more, we even get some high-resolution Sidney Paget artwork that gives more detail of Sherlock Holmes than most readers have seen before. Join us for this chat with Bob and Andy as we discover the origins of Sherlock Holmes and Haverford College, the secret meaning of the code words "apple pie," and the possible contributor whose unfamiliar handwriting is abruptly seen in the middle of the manuscript. And be the first to know what the next entry in the BSI Manuscript Series will be. The Gas-Lamp this episode is inspired by a letter written by Vincent Starrett to Edgar Smith mentioned in the Preface of Irregular Stain, which appeared as "A Perspective on Scholarship" in the January 1953 Vol. 3, No. 1 (New Series) edition of The Baker Street Journal. Links:The BSI Manuscript SeriesIrregular Stain: A Facsimile of the Original Manuscript of "The Second Stain" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with Annotations and Commentary on the StoryAn excerpt from Irregular Stain: "Stained Vows: 'The Second Stain' and English Matrimonial Law" by Elizabeth Rosenblatt, BSI, ASH.Randall Stock's census of Sherlock Holmes manuscripts  Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the player above. (File size: 51.1 MB, 1:13:16) Please subscribe to us on iTunes and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tell a friend about us, in any fashion you feel comfortable. Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323) or use the Speakpipe app right here on the site. Connect with us and other interested Sherlockians on The Sherlock Holmes Community on Google+, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. And of course, our web- and app-based Flipboard magazine is a nice collection of links, articles and images. And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us rant and rave about their excellence during the programme: Wessex Press and The Baker Street Journal. --

"A higher judge had taken the matter in hand" [STUD] In the last installment of the case of Klinger v. Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd., we were aware that the CDE had until March to file for an appeal, which it did. You'll recall the discussion we had with legal scholar and Baker Street Irregular Betsy Rosenblatt on the Special Episode in December. There's a great background of the case and next steps in that audio recording. Here is all of the coverage we've had of the case to date. It was entirely appropriate then, that the appeal hearing should take place on May 22 - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's birthday. And it was even more momentous that we Brenda Rossini, an avid Sherlockian, was in attendance at the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago for the appeal. The panel consisted of judges Flaum, Posner, and Manion. It should be noted that Judge Richard Posner is a legal scholar of some renown and a well-read jurist; in fact, he reviewed The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, in which he noted that the "Holmes stories and the Holmes persona seem to me wildly overrated, and this annotated edition an eccentric venture." With that unflattering review, we now turn it over to the observations of Ms. Rossini: Judge Posner was indeed on the panel; the Klinger v. CDE case was preceded by a number of lawyers -- at times fatuous, unimaginative, incapable of going beyond the four corners of their arguments and at wit's end when Posner interrupted (repeatedly, as in "Answer the question...Yes or No...not "If'," and that was the less brutal). The oral argument is available to listen to. It can be downloaded from or heard directly on this link from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. For the Appellant/Conan Doyle Estate, soft-spoken, precise, cautious Benjamin Allison: Like a racehorse, Posner interrupted within seconds, and the tenor of which, was words such as "threats," "spurious," "incomprehensible." Soft-spoken Mr. Allison began with his legal argument (set forth in the Brief, so why bother repeating what's in the judges' hands?) that Klinger had merely asked for an advisory opinion of the lower court, and that the decision of the lower court should be reversed. Posner didn't like this tack one bit: Klinger had to resort to the court because You (Posner's pronoun) said you'd sue. You used a threat. He said Klinger's was a justiciable case. He rejected Allison saying that it had no "immediacy or reality." Posner scoffed then and scoffed throughout. More words from the Posner: "You put Klinger in a terrible box and caused him to spend a lot of money, and you made your threats." Allison tentatively objected to using the word "threat." But Posner said when you say "it's all copyrighted and you can't do that, you're making a threat." (if the facts are on your side, pound the facts; if the law is on your side, pound the law; if neither the facts nor the law are on your side, pound the table.) Another thing that annoyed Posner was the use of a "mural" to pose the ACD argument-- that SH and Watson are all part of the big picture. He went on and on about the mural--it really got under his thin skin-- and finally forced Allison to "abandon the mural argument." Posner also managed to weave in the memorable "Your argument is incomprehensible." Posner said the ACD estate was being ambitious and aggressive in seeking to enlarge a copyright so no one could use what was properly in the public domain. "What do you regard as non-violative?" he asked Allison. No answer. "What you're asking is "the irresistible temptation for any copyright owner to perpetuate a copyright." "It's a game being played here." Posner stated explicitly that the "46 stories" (which Appellee corrected later as 50) are no longer copyrighted. They are in the public domain; Klinger can do anything he wants with them. He is not infringing when he uses them. Klinger was not asking to infringe, "but to get the Conan Doyle Estate 'off his back.'" He advised the CDE to simply set out the l

"those weekend parties" [SOLI]  While our last episode was recorded during the BSI Weekend in New York, we thought we'd cover some of the happenings in and around the BSI Weekend itself. Our opening comments center around collecting and what makes a collector, but then we quickly launch into actual audio clips with individuals we met during the weekend. Our audio files open with an interview with  Art Levine, who has been attending BSI dinners since 1954. He knew and associated with the likes of Edgar Smith, Christopher Morley, Rex Stout, Basil Davenport and more. We then flit from one newly minted BSI to another. You'll hear the excitement and energy in their voices that testify to the thrilling nature of receiving an investiture in this literary society. We reach deep into the mail (voice and e) for our listener comments. And this episode's Gas-Lamp from the March 1995 Baker Street Journal (Vol. 45, No. 1) harkens back to our previous episode and looks at the serendipity of collecting - particularly acquiring new books during the BSI Weekend - and touches upon the collection of one Mr. Vincent Starrett. Links:Gruber Photographers have been taking the BSI dinner photos for some years, using equipment that is over 100 years old. Take a look at their setup and some photos from the dinner. Canadian Holmes - electronic editionThe Christopher Morley Knothole AssociationThe Baker Street Journal spring edition will contain the BSI Weekend recap - be sure to subscribe.Our Flipboard magazine and Scoop.it! site aggregate lots of content for your enjoyment.  Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the player above. (File size: 50.4 MB, 1:13:14) Please subscribe to us on iTunes and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tell a friend about us, in any fashion you feel comfortable. Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323) or use the Speakpipe app right here on the site. Connect with us and other interested Sherlockians on The Sherlock Holmes Community on Google+, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. And of course, our web- and app-based Flipboard magazine is a nice collection of links, articles and images. And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us rant and rave about their excellence during the programme: Wessex Press and The Baker Street Journal. --

"Some monstrous beast" [HOUN]  In his recent lambasting of Sherlock Holmes, art historian Noah Charney got in over his head. According to Charney, Holmes makes faulty assumptions and jumps too hastily to his conclusions. But if anyone in the January 26th Daily Beast pan "Is Sherlock Holmes a Good Detective?" is guilty of this, it must be Noah Charney, along with his principal source, Dr. Robin Bryant. When it comes to Sherlock Holmes, they see, but they do not observe. After muddling about with the curious incident of the dog in the night-time from "Silver Blaze," and reaching the sort of conclusions that only faulty analysis can produce, Charney further snipes at Holmes's analytical abilities by means of a numeric puzzle. "Based on the following numbers, what would you guess comes next in this sequence: 2, 4, 8, 16, X. Most people guess that the next number, X, will be 32, each number doubling. That’s a fair guess. But the answer to this particular question is not 32. The next most common estimate is 8, respondents concluding that the sequence will reverse itself. This is also reasonable, but incorrect. The correct answer is 31."Charney opines that Holmes, like most people, would have guessed 32, but this is hasty generalization – he can have no inkling what Holmes may or may not have concluded [Silly - Holmes is not like most people. - Ed.]. And why, according to Charney, is the answer 31? Because this is a question about the number of points on a circle, also known as Moser's Circle Problem. The explanation, I suggest, is an attempt to validate a foregone conclusion – the very thing Charney accuses Doyle of doing on behalf of Holmes. Nothing in the evidence militates in favor of 31 as a better solution. An equally likely answer is 28, which we arrive at by skipping the intervening even numbers, increasing the gap by a factor of one odd number each time. (Begin with 2. Skip 0 even numbers. Skip 1 even number. Skip 3 even numbers. Skip 5 even numbers, and so on.) The resulting series of numbers is 2, 4, 8, 16, 28, 42… Here's another option: XX, assuming the letter X was not a variable, but a part of the sequence hiding in plain sight. We add the first and third numbers in the series and express the sum as a Roman numeral (10 = X). We then do the same with the second and fourth numbers (20 = XX). The series is 2, 4, 8, 16, X, XX… The answer could be 9, if we surmise the first four numbers correspond directly to letters of the alphabet. In that case, they spell "BDHP," obviously (by Charney's brand of logic) an abbreviation for Browning Detective Hi Power, a short-barrelled semi-automatic pistol made in the 1990s, in 9mm caliber – a BDHP9. Then again, if numbers stand for letters, letters could stand for numbers, yielding BDHP serial number 24. But perhaps this explanation is flawed, and BDHPX stands for Brian's De Havilland Philharmonic 10th symphony. But I've played the Moffat-and-Gatiss game with you long enough: the true solution is 34, because the numeric sequence is based on Fibonacci. Begin with 2, a Fibonacci number. Double it to get 4. Take the third Fibonacci number from 2, which is 8. Double it to get 16. Take the third Fibonacci number from 8, which is 34. Double it to get 68. Take the third Fibonacci number from 34, which is 144, and so on. The sequence revealed is 2, 4, 8, 16, 34, 68, 144… Such an explanation does violence to Occam's Razor. Charney declares 31 is the right answer because, "the answer we're looking for is 31." A finer example of begging the question might be difficult to imagine, and it comes from the man who accuses Doyle of unfairly setting Holmes up for success. "Because Holmes' fate was in the hands of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle," Charney criticizes, "he was set up to always succeed." Unless you count the multiple occassions when Holmes failed. And what of the real-life cases of George Edalji or Oscar Slater, wherein Doyle proved the innocence of two falsely accused men? Who are we t

"About sixty" [BOSC] We've arrived at the Canonical number of 60 episodes of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, so we thought it was time to celebrate in a manner suitable to such an important number. As you well know, there were 56 short stories and four novels about Sherlock Holmes, as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (who in some circles is actually Watson's literary agent). In this discussion about the 60 stories, Burt and Scott delve into the origins of Sherlock Holmes and mine some original material from Doyle's biography Memories and Adventures. The journey takes us from a struggling young doctor who sold his first detective story for £25 to an encounter with Oscar Wilde that resulted in the second novel. We explore the role of the government and the burgeoning periodical industry that allowed the short stories catch on so rapidly, and the men who were able to capitalize on the craze, as told in The Strand Magazine & Sherlock Holmes by Robert Veld, published by the Wessex Press (our sponsors). Following up on the copyright issues in the #FreeSherlock case, we briefly explore the issue of pirated editions of the early Sherlock Holmes stories, so aptly chronicled by Donald Redmond, BSI ("Good Old Index"). We finally reach the beginnings of Sherlockian scholarship in 1902, when The Hound of the Baskervilles was halfway through serialization and a student took Watson up on his confusion with dates. This won't be the last time someone does that. From there, we're off into the Twentieth Century, with the second half of the Canon and the Sherlockian movement in full swing, culminating with the formation of some fledgling societies and a little publication known as The Baker Street Journal. We conclude with an Editor's Gas-Lamp from the April 1951 edition of The Baker Street Journal (Vol. 1, No. 2, New Series) appropriately enough, "On the Canonical Titles." LinksRandall Stock's checklist of all known copies of Beeton's Christmas Annual, 1887The fateful meeting with Oscar Wilde Sherlock Holmes Among the Pirates by Donald RedmondEpisode 13: Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in LettersThe mystery of the second edition of the Strand MagazineThe Grand Game: A Celebration of Sherlockian Scholarship, Volume One: 1902-1959 Ronald Knox and Sherlock Holmes  Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the player above. (File size: 33.9 MB, 1:13:19) Please subscribe to us on iTunes and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323) or use the Speakpipe app right here on the site. Connect with us and other interested Sherlockians on The Sherlock Holmes Community on Google+, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. And of course, our web- and app-based Flipboard magazine is a nice collection of links, articles and images. And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us rant and rave about their excellence during the programme: Wessex Press and The Baker Street Journal. Don't forget to get your free audiobook download with your trial membership from Audible, at audibletrial.com/sherlock. --

"the lawyers have been at it" [REIG]  As you've no doubt observed, if you've seen anything of the news of the past few days, the "Free Sherlock" case has concluded, with the plaintiff emerging victoriously. It's been big news, getting coverage in such circles as The New York Times, The Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal and scores of other publications. As a listeners of our program know, Leslie S. Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange") has been a frequent guest on the show, joining us for a two-part interview on his role as consultant to the Robert Downey, Jr. films, and then again talking about his Annotated Dracula work. Of course, Les is also the lead plaintiff on the lawsuit in question. You can read some background to this here ("Don't Imagine That You Can Bully Me" [CHAS]) and listen to one of our most popular episodes wherein we took up the question Who Is a Sherlockian? We were once again joined by Les, who outlined the background of the case and discussed some of the legal aspects of copyright that have led us to this juncture. We try to keep the discussion as interesting as possible for the lay people out there, and Les even manages to bring in the 1903 coronation of Edward VII as part of the case law history. As if landing an interview with the lead plaintiff in the case weren't enough, we also managed to sit down with Betsy Rosenblatt, BSI, ASH ("Lucy Ferrier"), who is not only a second generation ASH and BSI, but also a legal scholar who just happens to specialize in intellectual property law (how fortunate is that?). Betsy touches on some additional points that will undoubtedly be of interest. While we weren't able to find an Editor's Gas-Lamp per se, we used a bit of scholarship presented at the annual meeting of the Speckled Band in 1992 by the (now) late Joseph Merriam. We've included here as a bonus. Impact of the Law on the Sherlock Holmes Stories by I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Links:The I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere apps: Android, iOS and now Windows.Free Sherlock websiteRead the legal documents here - or get them as bonus content with this episode on our apps.Episode 51: Who Is a Sherlockian?  Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the player above. (File size: 34.8 MB, 1:15:59) Please subscribe to us on iTunes and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323) or use the Speakpipe app right here on the site. Connect with us and other interested Sherlockians on The Sherlock Holmes Community on Google+, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. And of course, our web- and app-based Flipboard magazine is a nice collection of links, articles and images. And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us rant and rave about their excellence during the programme: Wessex Press and The Baker Street Journal. Don't forget to get your free audiobook download with your trial membership from Audible, at audibletrial.com/sherlock. --