Tangled Web UK Review by Rafe McGregor

Potential viewers should take heed at the billing of Irregulars as a 'family drama' providing 'fantastic family entertainment'. Although Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes adventures were published in family magazines, they had an edge to them which this two-part feature lacks. This is not so much a criticism as a warning not to expect the tone and style of the originals, or even that of the acclaimed Granada series of the eighties. The producers have decided to target a younger market, which is very probably a wise decision as – after nearly a hundred and twenty years of Holmes in print and on screen – the last couple have seen a significant decline in his popularity amongst adult audiences.
Holmes and his world have therefore been recreated in an image likely to appeal to younger viewers, and this has been done with great care and attention to detail. To start with, Holmes and Watson are older and less active than the Canonical characters. This allows the Irregulars, a band of London street children who serve as Holmes' eyes and ears, to steal the show – along with anything else they can get their hands on. Jack, Finch, Sadie, Tealeaf, Sticks, and Jasmine are the real protagonists of the story, which opens with Jack – their leader – being abducted. At the same time Inspector Stirling consults Holmes regarding the murder of a police inspector in what appears to be part of a series of attacks on the detective branch, and the game is well and truly afoot.
Jonathan Pryce as Holmes and Bill Paterson as Watson are both convincing and authentic as older versions of the detective and doctor respectively, and there are some very nice touches for diehard enthusiasts. Holmes hesitates when selecting his hat, nearly picking up the iconic deerstalker only to abandon it for a more urbane choice. Watson, despite his advanced years, has not lost his appeal to the fairer sex, and his researches in the library provide an unexpected and original interlude. The first crime scene contains a particularly gripping sequence as Holmes reads clues no one else can see in a capably conceived interpretation of his unique methods; tense, eerie, spine tingling – just like Sir Arthur's writing.
Other parts are not so well handled. A senseless sub-plot involves Tealeaf (a Chinese Irregular) – quite obviously a young girl – posing as a boy, without anyone except Holmes and Watson noticing. Anna Chancellor makes a sinister villain, but why Irene Adler (an adversary rather than enemy of Holmes) should be chosen as a master criminal is inexplicable – especially when it is made clear that his archenemy, Professor Moriarty, is still alive. Lastly, Irregulars suffers from what appears to be a BBC trend at present, an ambiguous ending in the last few seconds obviously intended to facilitate a sequel. It wasn't necessary this time: the very fact Holmes is still in practice (not to mention Moriarty at large) immediately suggests at least another sixty adventures.
This is not a return to the Baker Street of Sir Arthur or Jeremy Brett, but rather something quite different, deserving of praise not only for its professional production, but as a brave and timely attempt to introduce Holmes to a new generation. Aaron Johnson (Finch) and Mia Fernandez (Sadie) play their roles with just the right mix of pathos and insolence, and their performances are likely to capture the imaginations of viewers of all ages. Irregulars is exactly what it claims to be, 'fantastic family entertainment', and if the BBC decide to make it the first of a series, they will be keeping the legend of Holmes alive for several generations yet.