23. Sherlock Holmes was adopted by scores of writers
Since Adrian Doyle’s final Holmes story, the character has been adopted by scores of authors, playwrights, and scriptwriters. He has appeared in nearly countless films, portrayed by John Barrymore, Clive Brook, Raymond Massey, and possibly most famously by Basil Rathbone, to name just a few. Watson too has been portrayed by actors as diverse as Nigel Bruce and Robert Duvall. One film, The Seven Percent Solution, had Holmes joining forces with Sigmund Freud, after the latter cured him of his cocaine addiction. Another, Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (starring Rathbone), has Holmes battling Nazi agents during World War II.
Several comic book series featuring Holmes appeared over the years, in which the hero battles vampires, supervillains, and other characters far outside of Victorian and Edwardian London. Holmes and Watson have been transported into other eras than the gilded age in which they first appeared. Even the Muppets portrayed Sherlock Holmes, in a four-part series created by Boom! Studios. Gonzo the Great took the lead role of Holmes, Fozzie Bear portrayed Dr. Watson, and Inspector Lestrade was played by Kermit the Frog.