Although Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes movies might be great, anyone hoping to see his sidekick’s story after the main character’s death must check out CBS’s new procedural Watson. Alongside Dracula, Sherlock Holmes is one of the most frequently rei-magined characters in the history of media. There are dozens of TV shows and hundreds of movies featuring the detective, and this means his legendary mysteries have been adapted into countless different contexts over the years. One memorable retelling is director Guy Ritchie’s two Sherlock Holmes movies, starring Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock and Jude Law as his sidekick, Dr. Watson. 1z735m

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books have been adapted countless times, but the best adaptations of the 21st century all have one surprising trait in common. Sherlock Holmes has remained one of the world's most famous detectives for over a century now, and it's partly due to the fact that there have been so many modern TV and film adaptations of Sherlock's stories. From the multiple shows inspired by Sherlock Holmes, like Monk and House, to more direct modernizations, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work seems immortal. Not every Sherlock Holmes adaptation is made equal, however.

Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie’s movies is one of the most popular and beloved versions of the Great Detective in recent years, and its biggest problem is also what made the movies so good. In 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced the world to Sherlock Holmes, a “consulting detective” with unbelievable deduction skills. Sherlock Holmes became one of the most popular literary characters ever, and as such, he and his stories have been adapted to other media for over a century.

Guy Ritchie's 2009 movie Sherlock Holmes and its 2011 sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, perfectly combine tense mysteries and exciting action, and Hulu's new show A Thousand Blows is a great match for fans of the film. The new series from Steven Knight has already been favorably compared to Knight's previous show Peaky Blinders, but Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes movies also create an apt comparison. Positive reviews of A Thousand Blows have noted how great the performances, the late 19th century London setting, and the historically based story are.

Almost 7 years after the release of Avengers: Infinity War, Benedict Cumberbatch revealed that the film almost included a joke referencing that both he and costar Robert Downey Jr. famously played Sherlock Holmes. Cumberbatch played the detective in the BBC series Sherlock, while Downey starred as the character in Sherlock Holmes and its sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Because they portrayed Sherlock around the same time, Marvel fans often joked about the potential of the two interacting onscreen after they both became superheroes in the MCU.

With so many Sherlock Holmes adaptations out there, it's understandable why Netflix's Enola Holmes has achieved accomplishments that others (like Robert Downey Jr.'s 2009 film) haven't, as it stands out from the rest. Plus, it doesn't hurt that Enola Holmes has an all-star cast, including Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter, and more. Still, the 2009 adaptation of Sherlock Holmes starring Downey Jr. was a success and quite entertaining. Unfortunately, Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes hasn't reached the heights of Enola Holmes, and perhaps it never will.

The Sherlock Holmes Guy Ritchie movies and the Sherlock BBC drama were both amazing, and while the show was more critically acclaimed than the movies, there are some things that the movies actually did better than the show. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary Sherlock Holmes is a character that is destined to be adapted forever, so it is no surprise that he has been blessed by recent adaptations from some of film and TV's biggest names. Ritchie made some of the best Sherlock Holmes movies available and, in hindsight, they remain the best Holmes adaptations in a few regards.

Although they weren’t that well received at the time of release, Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes movies have held up very well. Not only are they consistently entertaining to watch and feature one of my favorite performances from Downey Jr., but in comparison to the BBC’s show, there are several interesting decisions and revised plotlines that were perhaps taken for granted at the time. While the franchise has been seemingly left in the dust with no updates on Sherlock Holmes 3, Guy Ritchie’s two movies are the adaptations that I keep returning to time and time again.

Young Sherlock might not be a direct prequel to Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes movies, but the filmmaker’s involvement in the project means that one trademark feature of those films could be making a comeback. Details about the plot of Young Sherlock are sparse, but Amazon’s series will follow a younger version of the iconic detective as he’s drawn into a murder mystery at Oxford University, which drives him to become the world’s greatest detective that we all know and love. Guy Ritchie, who previously directed the Sherlock Holmes adaptations with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, will be involved again.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories have endured since their initial publication, but like the master detective’s mysteries, there is more to reading Sherlock Holmes books in order than meets the eye. Originating in 1887’s A Study In Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. John Watson have been solving mysteries together, both on the page and screen, for over 100 years. However, audiences who are likely familiar with the detective and his assistant’s most iconic adventures through the plethora of adaptations over the years, might not know the best way to enjoy the Sherlock Holmes books in order.