Today in History: Birthday of Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick, Dr Watson
Well surely it's simply elementary, my dear Watson.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional doctor and Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick, Dr John H Watson, was born on this day, according to Conan Doyle’s books.
Dr Watson is a fictional English physician who is Sherlock Holmes’s devoted friend and associate in a series of detective stories and novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Watson, ‘born’ in 1852, served as an army surgeon in India where he was wounded during the second Afghan War, seeing him return to England in impaired health. He and Holmes meet in London, where they decided to share rooms at 221B Baker Street.
The medical practice Watson establishes does not prevent him from accompanying Holmes on his crime-fighting cases, which he later records and publishes.
The character of Watson, as written by Conan Doyle, is modest and intelligent. He is a patient and sensitive observer, but his detecting capabilities are no match for the lightning-swift deductive reasoning of Holmes
In honour of one of the greatest sidekicks in the history of literature, we have taken the liberty to rank who, according to Sherlock’s Home, (www.sherlockshome.net)portrayed the best Dr Watson on screen.
10. James Mason, in Murder By Decree
9. Colin Blakely, in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
8. Vitaly Solomin, in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson
7. Ben Kingsley, in Without A Clue
6. Jude Law, in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
5. Lucy Liu, in Elementary
4. Edward Hardwicke, in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
3. David Burke, in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
2. Nigel Bruce, in the Basil Rathbone films
1. Martin Freeman, in Sherlock
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