The Baker Street Babes

What adaptation of the canon do the Baker Street Babes consider the greatest Sherlockian film of all time? Which movie weaves the best villain and a long-lost member of the Holmes family into a single immaculate tapestry known as "Thorpe"? Is it true that each and every film would be substantially improved with the addition of mechanized min-T-rexes? And which actor to play Sherlock Holmes provides both the smallest stature and the biggest presence of any to date, despite doing so with both hands wedged firmly behind his back?   Lyndsay and Maria answer these questions and far more in a stunning new interview with Lyndsay's fiance Nicholas Anderson, the founder of the shatteringly unique new society (it is NOT a scion, we learn) The Knights of Thorpe. Discover its origins, how to become a Thorpe yourself, ways to revere the Sacred Film, and rejuvenate your love of Sherlockiana in the most reverential—and perhaps unexpected—way possible. Welcome to Episode #89, Live & Local from the 2023 BSI Weekend in NYC: The Grand High Thorpe! The Bylaws of The Knights of Thorpe 1. The KoT shall be open to all regardless of gender expression or sexuality. 2. Membership shall be in perpetuity, unless it is decided that a member has been engaged in harassment, assault, or other unseemly behavior as decided by a majority of the Grand/Great/Spiffy Thorpes. 3. All members shall be invested with the name of Thorpe. 4. The Knights shall further the cause of finding the joy in the Sherlockian canon and expanded canon. 5. Toasts to Thorpe shall be often, vigorous, and encouraged. 6. A KoT shall not be allowed to specify which Thorpe they are toasting. 7. Toasts shall also be encouraged regarding unsung heroes of the canon, ie: bees, Mrs Hudson’s tea set, unnamed dock workers, etc. 8. Meetings shall be. 9. Unless meetings don’t happen. 10. Membership shall be decided based on uniqueness of the application, and arbitrated by the Grand High Thorpe. 11. The Grand High Thorpe shall be the longest serving member of the KoT, unless they don’t want to, then it shall fall to whoever receives nomination from the Great and Spiffy High THORPES. 12. Grand/Great/Spiffy High Thorpes can be removed from office if unable or unwilling to perform their duties as decided by unanimous vote of the other two. 13. Grand High Thorpe may also retire; they will still be members but will surrender seniority in matters of election to office of Grand High Thorpe. 14. Anyone who had involvement in the Sacred Film shall be considered members, especially the revered Ben Syder, Gareth David-Lloyd, and of course Dominic Keating. 15. The Nemesis shall be referred to by his true name, Robert. 16. Articles may be amended or added by majority vote of G/G/S Thorpe. Thorpe!

1/6/23 • 74:49

Yes, it's been a decade since the airing of BBC Sherlock's "A Study in Pink." And while time has absolutely no meaning in the age of COVID, it has been an extraordinary ten years of memories thanks to the little British show that surprised the world. So we take some time to talk about our memories of the Sherlock fandom and the crazy trajectory of the show, some of your memories, and revisiting the first 221B Con and SherlockeDCC at San Diego Comic Con. Regardless of how you feel about the show, it undoubtedly had an astounding effect on not only the Sherlockian world but on fandom and pop culture as a whole. And so in honor of BBC Sherlock, we present an hour and a half of nostalgia. Enjoy!

7/25/20 • 81:00

The world is a difficult place right now. A place where it's OK to not be OK. However, we do hope you're OK and that maybe some silly talk about "The Solitary Cyclist" and The Diogenes Club as places of social distancing may brighten your spirits. In this episode Maria and Ashley do just that while Curly, Lyndsay, Taylor, Sarah, and Amy check in with all of you, tell you a bit about how we're doing, and that we love you. Sure, it's a bit sappy, a bit silly, and rather giggly... but that's what we do isn't it? We're your friends who chat about Sherlock Holmes with you. And sometimes syphilis. And we've missed you. Music featured: by Marshall Usinger by Michael Vignola

5/9/20 • 83:10

Curly chats with Elinor Gray about her new conference: The Left Coast Sherlockian Symposium. The Left Coast Sherlockian Symposium was created in the vacuum of Sherlock Seattle, and molded in the image of , , and other Sherlockian events around the United States. LCSS is a fun and educational weekend of talks, socializing, and friendship in the Pacific Northwest. Join us October 12th & 13th, 2019, for this special left coast event! Check out their website for more information: 

7/1/19 • 45:35

Our Live & Local series are our sit down with a fascinating Sherlockian one-on-one in person chats. This go round Lyndsay sits with Edgar Award nominated Michael Sims about his work, Arthur and Sherlock, as well as some other fascinating Sherlockian tidbits and anecdotes.

12/13/18 • 64:08

We were on ! Yes, they gave us an amazing Sherlock Holmes cake for our annual charity ball for wounded veterans during BSI Weekend. And it was amazing. Lyndsay, Tiffany, and Maria sit down and talk about the process, the cake, the ball, and every delicious morsel in between.

8/18/18 • 63:21

BSB Amy and our good friend Chris Zordan discuss everything Irene Adler with a wonderful audience at 221B Con. Who was Irene Adler? Why is she so important to fans even though she only appears in one story? Taking on this larger than life adventuress that bested Sherlock Holmes is something many adaptations (all adaptations?) get kinda wrong. Why is that? They unpack the recent adaptations and their portrayals of Adler, from Rachel McAdam's UPS Service Adler for Moriarty to in Elementary where... spoiler alert... she is Moriarty to Cutty from House, MD.

7/7/18 • 52:50

Join us for our live podcast at 221B Con speaking with the one and only Nancy Springer, author of the Enola Holmes series. Where did Enola come from? What was Nancy's favorite book? Why did Florence Nightingale have 56 white Persian cats? We get the details about the film announcement starring Millie Bobbie Brown from Stranger Things and the ingenious way Nancy Springer researched the Victorian era for the series.   Music: Checkerboard, Jason Donnelly

4/24/18 • 48:24

It's not every day you find an entire re-creation of 221B Baker Street... it's even rarer when that re-creation is in Los Angeles. Chuck Kovacic is a longtime Sherlockian and utterly devoted to having the most authentic Sherlock Holmes sitting room in the world. The amount of detail and research that has been poured into the room where so many of the stories truly took place is nothing short of astounding.   We had a chat with Chuck about how the sitting room came about, some of the items he has (and how he got them), and how you can visit the sitting room yourself (even online!).

11/14/17 • 51:18

Babe Ardy visits Bonnie MacBird for tea, shortbread, and a discussion of Unquiet Spirits, the second of MacBird's trilogy of Holmes pastiches. Join us to hear about what it's like to write and research a Holmes novel, including tales of location-scouting for books, and visiting whisky distilleries by way of research. We also chat about the historical background for the book and Ardy learns a lot about wine, whisky, and why writing a pastiche is both fun and challenging. .   The book is available at , , and all good bookshops! . You can .

8/30/17 • 47:58

We interview one of our own this go around as Amy, Sarah, and guest extraordinaire Elinor sit down with Lyndsay Faye about her new short story collection: The Whole Art of Detection: Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes. The Whole Art of Detection is an amazing group of lost Sherlock Holmes tales. How did she think up the stories? Where did they come from? Does Sherlock Holmes keep a journal? Find out and listen!

7/26/17 • 30:06

We're back! And with a live recorded podcast at 221B Con, our favorite Sherlock Holmes convention. This episode is with Martin Powell, whom you may know from comics or Disney or marvel or children's books or ... y'know... Sherlock Holmes! We chat with him about how Holmes keeps coming back into his life, his amazing friendship with Ray Bradbury, Dracula and Holmes, and we keep mentioning nuns for some reason... 

4/27/17 • 50:36

Join Lyndsay, Tiffany and Ashley as they break down the nerve wracking, adrenaline filled third and final episode of BBC’s Sherlock Series Four ‘The Final Problem’. We were left perched at the edge of our seats as we watched Sherlock, John, and Mycroft take on the mysterious Euros. All of the events thus far have brought us to this final explosive (literally) showdown. By far the most talked about and debated episodes of the entire series, we do our best to examine the good, the bad and the downright ridiculous. Why don't you join us?

1/18/17 • 106:48

Join Sora, Sarah, Amy, Lyndsay, and Maria for an emotional reaction and discussion of the second episode of Series Four of BBC's Sherlock. 'The Lying Detective' has Sherlock estranged from Dr. John Watson and obsessed over media personality, businessman, and philanthropist Culverton Smith. There's mystery! Killings! Drugs! Lots of anger, lots of emotion, and lots of twists. It's an episode people will be talking about for awhile. As with its predecessor 'The Six Thatchers,' this episode presented excellent performances, but, with a lot more heart in the script. Hailed by some as the best episode of the entire series and others as too dark, it's one that has a lot of opinions raging, ours included.

1/9/17 • 60:13

  (Please note that the episode contains extensive spoilers for The Six Thatchers.)   Ashley, Lyndsay, and Amy react to BBC Sherlock Season 4's opening episode, a complicated international tale with a meta focus and impressive performances.   They dissect the complicated plot and put a magnifying glass on the direction of Sherlock as a whole, questioning Its forward trajectory as a Holmesian adaptation.    Though not our reactors' favorite in terms of story, The Six Thatchers provides plenty to admire in the areas of Rachel Talalay's direction and the cast's stellar interpretations of their characters.   Join us for a look at Sherlock's polarizing and fascinating season opener.       

1/6/17 • 52:59

In this episode Babes Maria, Lyndsay, Amy, and Tiffany take a look at the connections, overlap, and similarities of our favorite consulting detective and the many characters of Shakespeare's creation. From Jeremy Brett to John Barrymore to Jonathan Pryce to Peter O'Toole and Benedict Cumberbatch, many of the actors who played Holmes in their life also played Hamlet. Is there a connection? Is what Baz Luhrman did for William Shakespeare what the BBC did for Sherlock Holmes? We talk about this and more in Sherlock & Shakespeare!

11/18/16 • 70:40

From Pirates of the Caribbean to Supernatural , these ladies have wowed the internet with their incredible parodies. Join us in talking with Hilly and Hannah Hindi, the bloody awesome minds behind The Hillywood Show, in talking about their latest work The Sherlock Parody!

8/25/16 • 43:38

Welcome all to the latest edition of Baker Street Babes Live and Local: New York Public Library Edition! This June, Babe Lyndsay was honored to be a guest panelist for a fascinating discussion of the Holmes mythos at the Mid-Manhattan Library.  Helmed by the erudite and charming hostess of the monthly ASH Wednesday meetings, noted Adventuress and Irregular Susan Rice, the panelists engaged in a rousing discussion of all things Holmes, followed by a sprightly (occasionally very sprightly) audience Q&A. Otto Penzler is a longtime Baker Street Irregular and world-famous editor of mystery fiction.  His brick and mortar store, (located in downtown Manhattan) is a Sherlockian’s Mecca, and he yearly contributes to the BSB’s Daintiest Thing Under a Bonnet Charity Ball.  He is also the editor of Lyndsay’s upcoming short story collection, The Whole Art of Detection: Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes. , a former architect, is the author of fifteen crime novels and around four dozen short stories.  She is an Irregular, and has won the Edgar, Anthony, Shamus, Macavity, Nero, and Japanese Maltese Falcon Awards, to name but a few.  A tireless volunteer for Mystery Writers of American and Sisters in Crime, SJ is also the former president of the Private Eye Writers of America. Lyndsay Faye is a Baker Street Babe and shameless nerd you can learn more about on if you’re not already all too familiar. Hosted by the and programmed by , please join us for a rollicking conversation regarding All Things Holmes!

7/24/16 • 83:49

Hello ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Baker Street Babes Episode #74! Babes Ashley and Lyndsay both were honored to have presented at the Baker Street Irregulars-sponsored UCLA symposium “Sherlock Holmes: Behind the Canonical Screen” in 2012.  To boot, they were the editors of the book edition, which is .  Join them along with colleague and honorary Babe Timothy Greer as they discuss the original conference, the creation of the book, and many of the wonderful iterations of Sherlock Holmes as he has appeared on both the big and small screens. From the press release: “This volume provides a written record of virtually all of the Conference presentations. The work of the 23 contributors, including Sherlockians, academics, and entertainment industry creative talent are all represented here. Lavishly illustrated, this oversized volume will be an essential resource for the student of Sherlockian film and its place in the history of cinema.” Featuring the Babes, Mr. Greer, Nicholas Meyer, Rob Doherty, John Landis, the creators of Disney’s The Great Mouse Detective, and much more! To see Lyndsay and Ashley’s original presentations including our Q&A, we invite you to follow these links: (Ashley’s presentation)  (Lyndsay’s presentation)

6/9/16 • 56:12

BSB Amy and friend of the podcast Kate chat with author and screenwriter Paul Cornell about his new book Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? and writing for the show Elementary. Read  and join us for thoughts on writing diverse characters, whether or not it really is "always 1895", and why Holmes is the original superhero.

5/16/16 • 62:05

Once again we return to 221B Con for a live podcast, this year with BBC Sherlock's David Nellist! Join BSBs Amy, Ashley, Taylor, and Sarah as we learn more about David's way of acting, his headcanons about Stamford (is he SECRETLY MORIARTY?!), what type of dog Stamford has, as well as his favorite roles he's played and wants to play. David Nellist will be best known to Sherlock Holmes fans as portraying Stamford in BBC's Sherlock.  He trained at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance and has since taken on a number of acting roles both on and off screen. Stage credits include War Horse, Billy Elliot, Nicholas Nickleby, Taming of the Shrew, and Cherry Orchard. Other television credits are 55 Degrees North, The Bill, and Breeze Block, and he's been in the films My Boy Lollipop, Bad Dads, and Leda. You can find him on twitter @nellidge.

5/3/16 • 55:18

It's the episode that started it all and launched a fandom and took over Tumblr. BBC Sherlock's A Study in Pink is more that the beginning of the modern journey of Sherlock and John, it was what brought many people into the Sherlock Holmes world. Join BSBs Maria, Amy, Sora, Tiffany, and Tamar for an in-depth discussion on BBC Sherlock's very first aired episode. It's a bit longer than our typical episodes, even our reaction ones, but there's just so much to say about A Study in Pink and the sheer effect it had on not only a lot of us, but on the Sherlock Holmes community as a whole. We talk about the first episode's relation to the series as a whole, so if you haven't watched it all, there will be spoilers, sorry!

3/23/16 • 99:53

Live from BSI Weekend! BSBs Curly, Lyndsay, and Maria got to sit down and chat with Bert Coules, head writer and creator of the BBC Sherlock Holmes radio series starring Clive Merrison and Michael Williams. This radio adaptation of the canon was the first to present all 60 stories (plus more!), and for many is the truest “Victorian” adaptation. We learn how the series came to be, how it kept expanding, and some fun tales from the recording studio.  Links: Bert Coules’ Website:  About Bert, his other work, and future projects. BBC Production Website:  Background, behind the scenes, and where to buy the original radio production starring Clive Merrison and Michael Williams. 221BBC Book:  221 BBC - Writing for the World's Only Complete Dramatised Canon and Beyond (with Some Observations upon Previous Radio Appearances of Mr. Sherlock Holmes & Dr. John Watson) by Bert Coules

1/29/16 • 56:09

!!!THIS PODCAST AND FOLLOWING POSTING CONTAINS SPOILERS!!! If you have not seen the Sherlock special The Abominable Bride, do not read or listen because there is no saving you from all the spoilers. This is your final warning! We mean it! The Abominable Bride is here and she's taking no prisoners. We're transported back to Victorian London, Holmes' actual home, on a whirlwind journey through the life and misadventures of one great detective and his stalwart friend, Dr. Watson. From their first meeting to crimes both dangerous and grim ("the dog one!"), we're shuttled through a flurry of the short stories and novels until we come to The Bride. We expected, perhaps, an homage to the Victorian canon and instead got something unexpected and wonderful: a psychological look at Sherlock himself. We see how he perceives himself, others around him, and the mysteries he and John solve as a swirl of mysterious fog laden adventures under the gaslight streets of late 19th century London. While we have lots of praise, there's critique as well, and plenty of discussion about what The Abominable Bride means in the grander scheme of Series 3. It's wonderful.

1/2/16 • 58:41

BSBs Ardy and Maria sit down with Ross K Foad, creator and star of the web series No Place Like Holmes. No Place Like Holmes was founded by in 2009 and hosts a multitude of video goodness for Sherlock Holmes fans in the form of its episodic . Featuring the excellent time traveling adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, No Place Like Holmes is currently airing Series 5. NPLH It also features of Sherlock Holmes books, , interviews, and essays of a Holmesian nature.

12/28/15 • 36:34

BSBs Lyndsay and Ashley chat on the phone with legendary playwright Ken Ludwig about the hilariously ridiculous and exhilarating Baskerville, currently playing in Philadelphia at the Suzanne Roberts Theater. Get your deerstalker cap on—the play’s afoot! From the award-winning mastermind of mayhem, Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor), comes a fast-paced comedy about everyone’s favorite detective solving his most notorious case. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson must crack the mystery of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” before a family curse dooms its newest heir. Watch as our intrepid investigators try to escape a dizzying web of clues, silly accents, disguises and deceit as five actors deftly portray more than 40 characters. Does a wild hellhound prowl the moors of Devonshire? Can our heroes discover the truth in time? Join the fun and see how far from elementary the truth can be. From how the show came to be to magnetic flowers shooting down from the ceiling to why having a younger Holmes & Watson is the cool thing to do, Ken brings us into his delightful world.

12/9/15 • 53:24

By popular request we are doing reaction episodes for the first series of BBC's Sherlock! But we couldn't just jump in with "A Study In Pink."  Oh no.  We have to take a step back and look at the un-aired pilot. From skin tight jeans to leather jackets, Batman, and Hipster!lock, BSBs Amy, Maria, and Ardy dissect the original and see how it differs from the aired version. Some of it’s good. Some of it’s bad. All of it is wonderful. .

11/16/15 • 80:38

Our third Live & Local comes to you from Baker Street! Babe Ardy chats to Bonnie MacBird, author of pastiche Art in the Blood, about Holmes, art, and writing pastiche. Bonnie also talks about "coming out" as a Sherlockian, cool things she found out while researching the Victorian period, and, of course, art and looking at Holmes as an artist.

10/6/15 • 41:57

What happens when a 7'2" NBA All-Star with a passion for history and his professional screenwriter partner-in-crime team up to write an early biography of Sherlock's eccentric and beloved elder brother?  The result is Mycroft Holmes by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse, an authorial dynamic duo who looked at the Man-Who-Was-the-British-Government and asked themselves how he ended up that way--alone, sedentary, and nigh-omniscient.   Join Babes Amy and Lyndsay along with both authors as they discuss their Sherlockian origins, racial themes in the novel and in Kareem's historical and editorial writing, Trinidad in the colonialist period, Mycroft's closest friend Cyrus Douglas, and much more.  The book was hailed by Booklist as "combining fascinating historical detail with rousing adventure," byLibrary Journal as a "slam-dunk of a debut novel," and by Publisher's Weekly as "triumphant."  We loved the book and were honored to get the chance to chat with its lovely authors, so if you're unfamiliar, give a listen and see why Sherlockians are hailing it as one of the best pastiches in recent memory.

9/14/15 • 39:02

Mr. Holmes, starring Sir Ian McKellen and based on the book A Slight Trick of the Mind by Mitch Cullen, has been a subject of tremendous excitement in the Sherlockian world ever since the news of its early planning! In Episode 66, join Babes Sarah, Amy, Melinda, Taylor, and Lyndsay as they discuss their impressions of this important new contribution to the legacy of the Great Detective, and a gosh darned good flick at that.   This episode is not spoiler-free, so be warned--we cover a lot of ground here. How were the film's themes interwoven and mirrored? What other Sussex-era content should you be getting your greedy hands on? What were the film's most resonant moments for Sherlockians and just how hot did Sir Ian look in those pinstriped trousers?  If Sherlock Holmes, as it's said, never lived and so can never die, what does that mean for late-life adaptations? How meta is this movie and how much of that is thanks to Doyle himself?     Deep thoughts, much appreciation for Sir Ian and his colleagues, fan-casting Sir Patrick Stewart as Watson--all this awaits in Episode 66.  

8/17/15 • 86:20