Th upcoming series is a reimagining of the world of Sherlock Holmes and is described as a dark and thrilling crime drama.
Fans of detective dramas and Sherlock Holmes have plenty to look forward to, as a brand new TV series is set to broaden the Sherlock Holmes universe.
The forthcoming Sherlock-style programme, currently carrying the working title Moriarty, will be a “modern reinvention series focusing on [Sherlock’s] arch nemesis James Moriarty”.
Freemantle and Archery Pictures are joining forces on the new project, describing the drama as a “modern reinvention of the crime procedural, based on the most famous villain in all of detective fiction”.
Moriarty is a Professor of Criminal Psychology at Durham University, yet leads a secretive double life as the “mastermind behind every crime of sophistication in the North of England”.
According to Deadline, the series synopsis reads: “When a rival criminal begins an assault on his underground empire, Moriarty will have only one choice: to join the police as a consultant, using the law as a weapon to dismantle his foe while keeping his true identity hidden from the police.
“Paired with Detective Imogen Burrows, a stoic Yorkshire detective, they’ll form a fearsome team, but Moriarty will soon realise that the real threat isn’t the rival criminal faction he’s dismantling.”
At present, no casting announcement has been made regarding who will take on the title role, a character that has been portrayed across numerous Sherlock adaptations over the years.
Andrew Scott memorably brought the character to life in the hugely popular BBC drama Sherlock, while Dónal Finn took on the role in the recently launched Young Sherlock on Prime Video.
Ralph Fiennes, Jared Harris, Eric Porter and Randall Park have all portrayed the notorious character over the years.
Archery founder Kris Thykier said in a statement: “Moriarty will show audiences what it takes to be a criminal genius, combining genre thrills with a playful, dark, and thrilling dive into the psychology of villainy.”
Sherlock Holmes devotees flocked to X, formerly Twitter, to voice their thoughts on the latest announcement, with one writing: “A Moriarty-focused series actually sounds really interesting.
“Exploring the mind of Sherlock’s greatest rival could give a completely different feel from the usual detective stories. If done well, this could become one of the darker and smarter adaptations in the Sherlock universe.”
Over on Reddit, another fan contributed: “There’s a really interesting angle here to do a dark twist on your typical police procedurals and have Moriarty oversee various crimes and criminal schemes every episode, or over several.
“Just please don’t make him too sympathetic, it loses the fun of something like that if he’s a ‘bad guy’ but everyone is worse.”
Moriarty is currently in development and has yet to be assigned a streaming platform or release date.
