Not meticulously -- not hardly, in some cases! I like that they have many, many scenes where the words of the actors are word for word the same as the characters in the books. However, a few of the BBC (Brett) versions bastardized the original plots something awful, especially the later episodes. However, they were, in my opinion, generallly very faithful to the spirit of the texts. For my money, that's the more important consideration.
To me, Brett has been the most comfortable Holmes for somebody familiar with Conan Doyle's written stories, as beautifully written and gripping today as they were 115 years ago.
Since I'm not a purist, though I've read every single SH story from several to dozens of times over my lfe and read them regularly still, I think Robert Downey Jr. is a great Holmes for "dramtatization." Vincent Price hosting the BBC (Brett) series said Conan Doyle gave playwrights permission to do what they pleased with Holmes -- marry him off, whatever. C Doyle divested himself of any ego in the Holmes character.
I enjoyed the heck out of the new Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Like some other reviewers, I like that there is zero politicization in it that I could smell, except to say that we'd better get ready for "a storm coming."
Thanks for the feedback! I’ve not read a single SH story. What’s the best one or two to start?
I thought Downey’s Holmes was a bit too slovenly, with his “House” five-day beard, tattered clothes, and incredibly filthy apartment. In fact, the film made London look like a horribly filthy place, which perhaps it was in those days.