
Killing Sherlock
Clip: Episode 1 | 2m 47sVideo has Closed Captions
Lucy Worsley visits the Reichenbach Falls, the site of fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes' death.
How do you kill the world's most famous detective? Lucy Worsley visits the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland, the site where Arthur Conan Doyle finally decided to have his fictional sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, killed following a dramatic confrontation with prolific criminal, Professor Moriarty.
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Killing Sherlock
Clip: Episode 1 | 2m 47sVideo has Closed Captions
How do you kill the world's most famous detective? Lucy Worsley visits the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland, the site where Arthur Conan Doyle finally decided to have his fictional sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, killed following a dramatic confrontation with prolific criminal, Professor Moriarty.
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How to Watch Lucy Worsley's Holmes vs. Doyle
Lucy Worsley's Holmes vs. Doyle is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipThe old Baedeker guidebook says that the path goes "down the gorge, through a wood, across the meadow, "past the hut, and then you get "to the best place to see the upper fall with its beautiful jets."
Can't wait.
[Water flowing] I can certainly hear a waterfall.
It's so loud.
Where is it?
Where is it?
Worsley, voice-over: The Reichenbach Falls would become the climactic setting for the 24th Sherlock Holmes short story "The Adventure of the Final Problem."
Worsley: And here it is.
This is the perfect place for Arthur to do in Sherlock Holmes.
Arthur makes the most of the drama of the location.
He talks about how fearful it is.
There's the torrent swollen by the melting snow that plunges into a tremendous abyss.
Wow!
♪ Arthur created a criminal mastermind specially for this tale-- Professor Moriarty.
Sherlock is on the verge of bringing Moriarty and his gang to justice when he realizes his own life is in danger.
He goes on the run with Watson, ending up in Switzerland.
In the story, Holmes and Watson both arrived by the waterfall before Watson was lured away.
When Dr. Watson got back, he discovered a note from Holmes saying good-bye and a whole load of footprints right at the edge.
Clearly, Holmes and Moriarty had been fighting and had fallen to their deaths.
Oh, cripes.
I'm not going anywhere near the edge.
Arthur gave the story every ounce of finality he could muster.
He wrote, "There deep down in that dreadful cauldron "of swirling water and seething foam "will lie for all time the most dangerous criminal and the foremost champion of the law of their generation."
♪ When the story came out in December 1893, Arthur wrote just two words in his diary-- "Killed Holmes."
Arthur was relieved, but readers were distraught.
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Ep1 | 2m 47s | Lucy talks with Arthur's step great-grandson about the author's love-hate relationship with Holmes. (2m 47s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Ep1 | 2m 50s | Lucy Worsley and Professor Sue Black discuss how some aspects of Sherlock's tactics get used today. (2m 50s)
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