Christopher Lee mini series

"…of the two minis, Leading Lady was the better script, yet came out an awful film even before it was hacked to pieces for the shortened video release. Incident at Victoria Falls was just a so-so script that a good director made into a rather fun mini. I've never suffered through the video version of that one, but I suspect it was also incomprehensible." – Bob Shayne, writer and producer

Sherlock Holmes & The Leading Lady

The Leading Lady saw Christopher Lee playing the leading role of Sherlock Holmes some 30 years after his first appearance in Sherlock Holmes und das Halsband des Todes. A TV mini-series, other stars included Patrick Macnee as Dr Watson and Morgan Fairchild as Irene Adler. The plot involves Holmes and Watson in a trail of "murder, terrorism and lost love through old Vienna". Your webmaster has yet to discover a favourable review of this production, and does wonder at some of the casting and the subsequent release of a cut-down version of the series on videos branded as "Sherlock Holmes – The Golden Years".

Incidentally, Patrick MacNee was Holmes in The Hound of London in 1993 and also played Watson opposite Roger Moore in Sherlock Holmes in New York in 1976.

Sherlock Holmes and the Incident at Victoria Falls

This is the second mini-series with Christopher Lee and Patrick McNee as Holmes and Watson. Just before retiring to Sussex to raise bees, Sherlock Holmes is persuaded by King Edward (Joss Ackland) to bring a valuable diamond back from South Africa. This leads to an encounter with Teddy Roosevelt (Claude Akins), lots of chugging about in steam trains, and a great deal of intrigue. Holmes and Watson must unravel this puzzling mystery while avoiding the actions of the local constabulary headed by an unbelievably pompous jackass of an inspector.

The video of Incident at Victoria Falls differs according to whether it's the British or the American version. The American video is cut down to two hours from the three-hour mini-series, which results in anomalies such as Jenny Seagrove's name in the credits, without her appearance on screen, and is described by American friends who've seen it as incoherent. The British version is three hours long and appears to be complete – and you'll be pleased to know that Jennie Seagrove does make her appearance as Lillie Langtry. The British and American videos of Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady differ in the same way.

Both videos are currently in print in the UK.