"The Musgrave Ritual"
Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) and Dr. John Watson (Edward Hardwicke) are brought to Hurlstone Manor by Reginald Musgrave (Michael Culver) to look into the disappearance of his butler, Brunton (James Hazeldine). Various clues (a crumpled piece of paper, a brass key, a peg of wood with string attached) suggest that Brunton's disappearance is somehow related to the "Musgrave ritual," an arcane practice compelling young Musgrave family members to recite an odd riddle that might have to do with buried treasure. Holmes's methodical approach to the problem is a lot of fun, and Brett and Hardwicke seem to be having a particularly good time outdoors, pursuing the solution under a bit of sunshine. Jeremy Paul, who adapted Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's story for this teledrama, won an Edgar Award for his script. "The Man with the Twisted Lip"
One of the most ingenious of the Sherlock Holmes stories, "The Man with the Twisted Lip" presents the famous detective with one of his strangest cases. A gentleman named Neville St. Clair (Clive Francis) is missing, after having been briefly seen (looking quite agitated) by his wife (Eleanor David) in an upstairs window of a disreputable pub. Upon investigating, Mrs. St. Clair can only find traces of blood in the location; later, her husband's coat, mysteriously stuffed with pennies, turns up on a mud bank. Police have detained a notorious street beggar on suspicion of foul play, but Holmes and Dr. Watson believe there is more to the case than meets the eye. This highly enjoyable installment from the long-running Granada Television series is satisfying from beginning to end, with a witty conclusion and unexpected moral about class pressures. --Tom Keogh
