Lucy Worsley delves into Sherlock and Arthur Conan Doyle for new TV series

Lucy Worsley is to investigate the curious case of Sherlock and Arthur Conan Doyle for a new TV series.

Killing Sherlock: Lucy Worsley on the Case of Conan Doyle will air over three parts this December on BBC Two and iPlayer.

It will be complemented by a Christmas ghost story with a Conan Doyle theme from Mark Gatiss, co-creator of Sherlock – Lot No. 249, a Christmas ghost story starring Kit Harington and Freddie Fox.

Sherlock Holmes, the world’s most renowned fictional detective, has appeared in over 60 original stories and numerous adaptations. For more than a century, his intelligence and deductive powers have fascinated fans and brought wealth and fame to his creator, author Arthur Conan Doyle. However, Doyle grew to despise his fictional character.

In three episodes, historian and lifelong Sherlock Holmes enthusiast Lucy Worsley delves into the intriguing love-hate relationship between Holmes and Doyle, investigator and author, offering a distinctive parallel biography of Sherlock Holmes and the multifaceted man behind him.

This series continues in the tradition of Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen, with Lucy delving into archives, consulting experts, engaging with descendants and fans. It interlaces historical context with personal history to examine Doyle and his creation in the context of the significant global events and changes occurring around them.

Lucy Worsley said: “I have had a LIFE-LONG CRUSH on Sherlock Holmes, so it was the biggest pleasure imaginable to explore his life, death and resurrection. While exploring his life and times, I also got a real and sometimes troubling insight into manliness, Empire and Victorian values. I find his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, to be a complex, contradictory and endlessly fascinating character. ”

Amanda Lyon, Executive Producer, BBC Studios, added: “Examining the dual biographies of Holmes and Doyle is a fascinating way to re-consider these detective stories, and Lucy is the ideal investigator.”