Sherlock Holmes On The Air

by Matthew J. Elliott

A collection of Sherlock Holmes radio scripts with detailed notes on Canonical references, rewrites, influences and the challenges of adapting Conan Doyles original tales for a 21st Century audience.

356 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 2012

About the author

Matthew J. Elliott is a freelance writer, based in the UK, though much of his work is for US radio - mostly for Imagination Theater in Seattle, but also for Colonial Radio in Boston and Falcon Picture Group in Chicago. He is the creator of the series The Hilary Caine Mysteries.

Library of Congress Authorities:
Elliott, M. J., 1969-

Reviews

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes has been gracing the airwaves for a long time. Among those authors who have been involved in these productions (either canonical or pastiches), Matthew J Elliott deserves to be reckoned highly, if the scripts included in this book is taken as a sampler. Since I didn’t have the pleasure of listening to the plays when they had been “on air”, my review of this book is solely based on the appreciation of the narratives. The contents of this curiously sized book (MX Publishing has done another splendid job, in terms of productions) are: -

(*) Introduction: The Power of Imagination

1. The Amateur Mendicant Society: this tantalisingly referred-to but non-described canonical case is fleshed out here, and in a satisfactory manner.
2. The Ripper Inheritance: an original pastiche, and deals with a grim & haunting subject.
3. The Moriarty Resurrection: no, it is not the reverse of “The Empty House”, but it IS rather special.
4. The Adventure of The Two Watsons: Sir Arthur didn’t do justice to Mary Morstan, but this time Holmes (as well as we all) get to appreciate her own talent, in a story laced with humour.
5. The Adventure of The Perfect Match: a grim and serious story that contrasts sharply with the preceding one.
6. The Adventure of The French Compass: a Christmas adventure, but involving death, mystery and pain.
7. The Adventure of The Parisian Assassin: this story is special because it is the transformation of a famous Conan Doyle story (“The Lost Special”) into an adventure of Sherlock Holmes.
8. The Adventure of The Edelweiss Lodge, Parts I & II: the mystery in this adventure was not so difficult to solve, but it was the humour permeating the lines & acts that made this story very special.
9. A Study In Scarlet: a canonical production, but abridged & re-modelled.
10. The Return of Sherlock Holmes: a combined production of two of the most important canonical adventures (“The Final Problem” & “The Empty House”), but presented in the author’s unique style.
Overall, I loved the stories because of their fresh approach in deconstructing Holmes’ ‘brainiac’ model into one rich in wit, humour, sympathy. I also LOVED the Mrs Hudson depicted in these stories. I sincerely hope that the success of this book would encourage the author to publish more of his scripts and stories. Highly recommended.

[Matthew J]

I don't know whether I'm capable of giving an unbiased account of my own book, so I'll just repeat the review from the Sherlock Holmes Society of London Journal:

Sherlock Holmes first appeared on radio eighty-one years ago, and audio dramas far outnumber television plays or films. "The Further Adventures" on BBC Radio 4 appears to have finished, but a series of the same name continues in America. Jim French's production "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" began syndication in 1998. M J Elliott contributed his first script in 2003 and is now one of the most prolific and intelligent writers in the field. If you've ever listened to a radio play and asked yourself, `How did they do that?' - or even, `Why did they do that?' - you'll love "Sherlock Holmes on the Air", a satisfyingly chunky volume containing eight of Matthew Elliott's best scripts for "The Further Adventures" plus `A Study in Scarlet' and `The Empty House' from "The Classic Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", the parallel series of dramatisations from the Canon, which has been Mr Elliott's sole domain since he began it in 2005. Check the Imagination Theater recordings at jimfrenchproductions.com, and enjoy the book!