By Jimmy Piriano

From across the rather large Atlantic pond comes a new show based on the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes (sorry Scooby). And as all television shows seem to be heading the way of the one-word title, BCC has aptly named the show “Sherlock”.

“Sherlock” stars Benedict Cumberbatch as a strapping young Sherlock Holmes, and his trusty sidekick/moral-conscience Dr. John Watson, played by Martin Freeman. Freeman has also had some small amount of silver screen success in the United States, starring in the film “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”

Before the show aired, there was much unrest among the Sherlock fan community that these two actors would be poor choices for the famous duo, myself included. But after the great success of the show’s opening series, all unrest has henceforth been silenced. Both Benedict and Martin give spectacularly convincing performances throughout the series thus far, giving the fans great confidence that this is a series to keep on the lookout for next season.

The head writer and co-creator of the show, Steven Moffat, is another great reason to check out this British show. Moffat is quickly becoming a household name as he was also recently hired as head writer of the wildly popular sci-fi television show “Doctor Who,” another British series that has been met with great acclaim here in the U.S.

I was lucky enough to watch two different versions of the first episode of “Sherlock,” first, a roughly cut and gritty version, and a final, flashier and slicker version that went to air. The difference in production was quite apparent between the two versions, but neither fell short on suspense and overall quality of the show.

And for those familiar with the Sherlock Holmes anthology, the first episode of the new series was a refreshingly new take on the original story by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “A Study in Pink.” While the specific color may change with each telling (in the original story the color was scarlet), the thematic elements and story structure remain firm. But the addition of modern London and new technology take this Sherlock Holmes to an entirely different level.

“Sherlock” originally aired in July of 2010, with plans to return late next year with a whole new season. Check your local BBC America listings for show times.