Still Miss 'Sherlock'? Check Out This 100%-Rated Detective TV Series From Mark Gatiss
If you miss intellectual detective stories where deduction and atmosphere are more important than chases, this show will not disappoint.
Since Sherlock won't be returning to screens anytime soon, series creator Mark Gatiss has made an interesting decision: he starred in a new detective project himself.
Unlike Sherlock, Bookish doesn't attempt to replicate its predecessor's scale and eccentricity – it captivates with its detective plot and the spirit of the times.
What Is 'Bookish' About?
Gabriel Book is a bookstore owner and amateur detective with encyclopedic knowledge and a passion for solving mysteries.
He assists the police in solving complex cases. To him, every crime is a literary mystery, and he finds clues in ancient books. Book generously offers a job in his shop to a small-time con man who assists him.
'Bookish' Isn't Like 'Sherlock', but That Doesn't Mean It's Any Less Entertaining or High-Quality
Mark Gatiss, who played the lead role and served as creator and screenwriter, initially conceived this story as a novel. However, during the development process, the concept was reimagined and adapted into a television series script by Gatiss and Matthew Sweet.
Bookish reveals itself to be an intimate, retro detective story that showcases Gatiss' distinctly original style. The showrunner doesn't aim to replicate the scale and eccentricity of Sherlock, but rather to immerse the audience in the detective story and the spirit of the times.
In Bookish, post-war London is a city of omissions and masks, and the investigations serve more as a way to explore hidden identities, loneliness, and trauma than as a search for truth.
Most striking is that Gatiss doesn't copy his Holmes. Book is a completely different character – older, weary, and less brilliant, yet all the more interesting for it.
His encyclopedic knowledge of books is more than a whim – it's a method. And the idea that literature can be the key to solving a crime works surprisingly well.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Bookish'?
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Bookish has 100% from critics and 63% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the series has a score of 6.9/10.
Where to Watch 'Bookish'?
Bookish is available to stream on PBS.
