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Holmes and Watson: True Crime Podcasters
Brief
Sherlock and Co., the modern-audio-drama profiled by Eric Malinski on Imaginary Worlds (published 2026-04-22), reimagines Arthur Conan Doyle's canon as a contemporary faux-documentary podcast: John Watson is a podcaster, Sherlock Holmes a freelance consulting detective, and Mariana (frequently called "Mrs. Hudson") evolves from realtor to the agency's administrator. Creators Joel Emery and Adam Jarrell explained their central ambition is fidelity to the original stories — they plan to adapt all 56 short stories and four novels — while adding emotional depth and contemporary context so modern listeners will accept characters' backstory, vulnerability and relationships.
Emery and Jarrell walked through concrete production choices and recurring adaptation challenges. Big canonical pieces get stretched into multi-episode arcs (they spent ten episodes on The Hound of the Baskervilles), and location recording is used where possible — Dartmoor for the Hound, multiple passes on Baker Street — to achieve authenticity. Adam Jarrell described detailed sound mixes (a motorbike chase used roughly 20–25 audio channels) and the use of field recordings plus libraries to build scenes. Joel described how he modernizes problematic Victorian elements — changing cruel descriptors (the "twisted lip") into child-voiced lines, questioning Victorian explanations of death like "fright," and navigating how security cameras and contemporary social norms force plot adjustments. The show deliberately highlights Sherlock's neurodivergence (partly influenced by Emery's experience after his daughter's autism diagnosis) and reframes Watson as a content creator, which the creators argue explains why younger listeners (many under 25) connect so strongly. The trio dynamic with Mariana was intentionally developed to broaden emotional stakes and was compared (by Emery) to a live/neutral/earth wiring metaphor: Sherlock as the spark, Watson as the presenter, Mariana as the stabilizer. Practical production realities — principal actors record remotely (Paul Waggett in New Zealand, Harry Atwell elsewhere), and fan interaction continues off-air through Discord/Patreon — underline how the podcast balances serialized storytelling, technical craft, and an active modern fandom. The creators also teased future developments (Mycroft's entry) and emphasized the tension between staying true to Doyle and making narratives believable in a heavily monitored, 21st-century London.
Why it matters
Imaginary Worlds host Eric Malinski (episode published 2026-04-22) profiles Sherlock and Co., a modern faux-documentary audio drama that adapts Arthur Conan Doyle's entire canon — "56 short stories and four novels" — and aims to stay closer to the original text (Joel Emery, creator).
Key details
- Creators Joel Emery and Adam Jarrell said the team stretches big canon stories across many episodes (The Hound of the Baskervilles took 10 episodes) and sometimes uses location recording — they recorded on Dartmoor and on Baker Street — to make the show sound "authentic" (Adam Jarrell on location work).
- Sound design is elaborate: Adam Jarrell reported the motorbike chase mix had about 20–25 separate audio channels and the team combines location field recordings with extensive sound libraries to simulate complex scenes.
- The adaptation updates character psychology and social context: Joel Emery says the show leans into Sherlock as neurodivergent (they deliberately avoid the "high-functioning sociopath" trope), reshapes Watson into a contemporary podcaster, and revises Victorian-era language/attitudes (e.g., reframing the "twisted lip" phrasing and questioning Victorian 'fright' deaths).
- Mariana ("Mrs. Hudson" figure) is an invented central character who becomes the agency administrator and emotional stabilizer; Joel Emery analogized the trio to an electrical plug: Sherlock = live, Watson = neutral, Mariana = earth, and listeners have largely accepted the trio format.
- Production and fandom logistics: principal actors record separately (Paul Waggett—Watson—lives in New Zealand; Harry Atwell—Sherlock—records elsewhere), the show engages fans via Discord/Patreon ("John Lines" chats), and creators cite a surprisingly young audience (many listeners under 25) as a reason the show emphasizes accessible emotional arcs and social-media tie-ins.