Sherlock Holmes Mystery for U.S. Viewers as TV Channel Cuts Eight Minutes to fit its Schedules

Daily Mail ^ | 12 May 2012

[nickcarraway]

It has joined the ranks of Doctor Who and Downton Abbey as one of British TV's most successful exports to America.

But U.S. fans of Sherlock were left feeling a little short-changed after complaining that eight minutes of one episode has been mysteriously cut from the show. More than 3million viewers, double the prime-time audience average on the PBS network, tuned in this week to watch A Scandal In Belgravia, the episode featuring whip-smart dominatrix Irene Adler.

However, some amateur sleuths noticed a missing piece in the puzzle when harking back to the same episode they had watched previously on British DVDs or on illicit downloads.

It was elementary, some scenes from the 90-minute show had simply disappeared.

One viewer complained on a Sherlock Tumblr blog: 'They cut scenes. Good ones. What the hell... that makes no sense. It's frustrating...'

Another, writing on a web forum, said parts of the scene in Buckingham Palace had been snipped out as well as a shot in the taxi afterwards in which Sherlock shows Watson an ashtray he took, it was reported in The Independent.

'I think American audiences were deprived of seeing some of the humour that makes this series so clever, the viewer said.

[Excellence]

I downloaded it from iTunes. Will be watching it for the 3rd time, with family who have not seen it. It is hard to keep my mouth shut about all the great scenes. Almost every minute holds a clue. This is the best so far in my opinion.

[Excellence]

The way Holmes said, "The Woman," gave away her meaning to him.

"Ah!"

[freepertoo]

Oh, I have to disagree! I think the Downey version of Holmes actually incorporates things that appeared in the stories, but rarely, if ever showed up on screen (Holmes as a martial arts expert, for example). I love the Downey, Jr. version of Holmes and Watson. They’re also the RIGHT age!