Basil Rathbone appeared in a series of TV commercials for Getz Exterminators ("Getz gets 'em, since 1888!'"). Rathbone also brought Holmes to the stage in a play written by his wife Ouida. Thomas Gomez, who had appeared as a Nazi ringleader in "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror", played the villainous Professor Moriarty. Nigel Bruce was slated to portray Dr Watson once more but became too ill and the part was played by character actor Jack Raine. Bruce's absence depressed Rathbone, particularly after Bruce died on 8 October 1953, while the play was in rehearsals. The play ran for only three
Adaptations of Sherlock Holmes Watson". William Rushton played Watson. In 1988, the animated series "Alvin and the Chipmunks" aired an episode entitled "Elementary, My Dear Simon", which stars Simon as Holmes, Theodore as Watson, Alvin as Professor Moriarty, and Dave as Inspector Seville. Also in 1988, in the animated series "BraveStarr", the two-part episode ""Sherlock Holmes in the 23rd Century"" had Holmes transported from Reichenbach Falls in 1893, to London in 2249. Holmes is joined by an alien, Dr. W't'sn (the 23rd century counterpart of Watson) & Inpsector Mycroft Holmes of Scotland Yard (a direct descendant & namesake of Holmes' brother Mycroft); the trio