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Harry Potter legend teases his take on Sherlock Holmes in brand new TV series: "There’s nothing gimmicky about it"

David Thewlis has said that his version of the iconic detective in Sherlock & Daughter is "more traditional" than some recent iterations.

David Thewlis in Sherlock & Daughter, with long scraggly hair and a beard, holding a newspaper, wearing period dress and stood on a street.

HBO Max

Published: Tuesday, 3 November 2026 at 2:34 pm

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As Sherlock Holmes fans wait for the second season of Young Sherlock and the first run of new series The Death of Sherlock Holmes, starring Rafe Spall, another adaptation is about to arrive in the UK, this time starring Harry Potter's David Thewlis as the iconic detective.

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Sherlock & Daughter stars Thewlis as an older Holmes, who finds himself mysteriously unable to investigate a sinister case without risking the lives of his closest friends

Meanwhile a young American called Amelia, played by Blu Hunt, learns that her missing father may actually be the esteemed detective, after her mother’s shocking and unexplainable murder.

The series also introduces a new version of the villainous Moriarty, played by Dougray Scott, and is set after The Final Problem and the famous events at the Reichenbach Falls.

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Speaking exclusively with Radio Times while on set for the series in Dublin, Thewlis called the show "very beautifully written" and said that it's "very true" to Arthur Conan Doyle's original works.

"It's a more traditional telling of the story, as opposed to Enola [Holmes, starring Millie Bobby Brown] or Benedict [Cumberbatch, in Sherlock] or [Robert] Downey [Jr, in 2009's Sherlock Holmes] - not to denigrate any of those, they're all fantastic," he said. "But I just thought it was a great challenge to take on a character who has been portrayed more than anybody."

Describing his version of the character, Thewlis said: "He’s a more traditional Sherlock than has been done for a while. I can read a Conan Doyle book and read out the dialogue and it sounds like this dialogue. And there's nothing really gimmicky about it."

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Thewlis went on to praise the series' showrunner, James Duff, who has previously written on series including The DA, The Closer, Major Crimes and Star Trek: Picard.

"It's not a comedy," he said. "It has its light moments, but it's a kind of serious telling of one eight-episode long story. It's not different stories every week, it's one long narrative, and a very good one, a very well written one, very densely written, and by someone who really knows what they're doing.

"This is a guy who wrote one of the most successful American TV shows in detective procedural television, and that's been fascinating to see him solve all the problems within his own script. It's been fantastic to experience that as an actor and as a writer, to see such a professional, brilliant genius, really, writing this."

Sherlock & Daughter will be available to watch on HBO Max in the UK from Thursday 5 November. Subscribe to HBO Max from £5.99 a month.

Add Sherlock & Daughter to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of James Hibbs, smiling against a lime green background.

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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