Mycroft Holmes (Gray) refers to the on-screen incarnation of Mycroft Holmes, as portrayed by Charles Gray in the ITV Granada Television adaptation.
Portrayal in series[]
The already graying, quite elderly-looking older brother of Sherlock Holmes. Mycroft's portrayal in the series attempts to closely adhere to his descriptions in the Canon stories he appeared in, though there are still some subtle variations on the character.
His major asset is his brilliant mind, seemingly on par with the skills of his younger brother, possibly even exceeding them. (Sherlock Holmes himself seems rather reluctant to entertain the idea that Mycroft might be superior in his skills.)
Appearances[]
Mycroft Holmes is introduced in the second (1985) series of Granada Television's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. He makes a total of four appearances throughout the entire 1984-1994 series, his debut appearance included.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984–1985)[]
The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986-1988)[]
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994)[]
Trivia[]
- Due to Jeremy Brett's illness during the filming of "The Mazarin Stone", making him unavailable for most of the story (outside of the opening and ending scenes), the episode was rewritten to focus on Mycroft and Dr. Watson solving the titular case on their own. The substitution of Sherlock with Mycroft for the majority of the story makes the episode a major (though necessary) departure from the short story it was based on. As a side effect, the episode offered the character of Mycroft the largest amount of screentime of his four appearances in the whole series.
- Prior to the ITV adaptations, Charles Gray had previously played Mycroft Holmes in the 1976 film The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.
