Adaptations of Sherlock Holmes Conway played Sherlock Holmes opposite Nigel Bruce for one season. After a change of networks, there were two more pairings: John Stanley as Holmes and Alfred Shirley as Watson in 1947–1948 and Stanley and "George Spelvin" in 1948–1949. Both Stanley and Conway emulated Rathbone when performing Holmes to aid in continuity for the audience. John Gielgud played Holmes for BBC radio in the 1950s, with Ralph Richardson as Watson. Gielgud's brother, Val Gielgud, appeared in "The Bruce-Partington Plans", perhaps inevitably, as Mycroft Holmes. As this series was co-produced by the American Broadcasting Company, known American actors also appeared, such as
Young Sherlock Holmes his guide. Of the creation of the film, Columbus stated: The cast includes actors with previous associations to Sherlock Holmes. Nigel Stock, who played Professor Waxflatter, portrayed Dr. Watson alongside both Douglas Wilmer and Peter Cushing in the BBC series of the 1960s. Patrick Newell, who played Bentley Bobster, played both PC Benson in 1965's "A Study in Terror" as well as Inspector Lestrade in 1979's "Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson". The movie explains where Holmes gains the attire popularly associated with him. His pipe is shown as being a Christmas present from Watson, the deerstalker hat originally belonged to