This 21st century take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyles classic character has proven to be one of the BBCs finest productions in recent years and if I were to grumble it would only be at the terribly short 3-episode series and excruciating cliffhanger. An interesting(to me) aspect of this production has been the use of online to deepen the story and character backgrounds.
The series has been accompanied by an excellent online viral marketing campaign composed of a number of blogs from the main characters, some of which also feature prominently in the series itself.
Watsons Blog
First up we have Watsons blog, something he’s encouraged to start as part of his rehabiliation upon returning from Afghanistan. You can see his blog evolve from that of a disillusioned veteran with nothing to say into the chronicles of some seriously crazed adventures with Sherlock. The comments from his friends and family also add an interesting extra look into his personal life unseen on screen.
Watsons blog
Mollys Blog
Next up we have Mollys blog, an minor character who has a bit of a thing for Sherlock. Despite only having a relatively small part, her blog actually foreshadows the appearance of…… someone bad.
Mollys blog
Sherlocks Site – The Science of Deduction
Last but not least, we have Sherlocks personal website. Much like Watsons you can view previous case reports and even test your code cracking skills on a few puzzles. There’s also a twitter-style forum page which is regularly updated with the great mans bizarre thoughts. Again it has various comments from friends, colleagues and even someone not so nice taunting him at every opportunity.
Sherlocks site
All the sites are well worth a nosey, and a great example of using online to add extra depth to the story and further connect the viewers with the characters and world instead of just having the dull usual ‘About the show’ website most settle for.
Now hurry up and make series 2!