In Steven Moffat's 'Sherlock' (Sunday, PBS; check local listings) the legendary London detective gets a witty, wise, even thrilling update.

This series does what you'd want a modern-day Sherlock Holmes series to do: It acknowledges that he would use technology to assist him in his prodigious feats of deduction, yet it stays true to the characters that Arthur Conan Doyle created.

But don't assume this 'Sherlock,' which stars Benedict Cumberbatch and future Hobbit Martin Freeman, is just for mystery fans or Holmes enthusiasts.

The 'Sherlock' TV movies that air in the Masterpiece Mystery series on the next three Sundays are ripping yarns that almost anyone could enjoy. Moffat's 'Doctor Who' exhibits a similar level of energy, and, like that show, 'Sherlock' is an enjoyably clever mixture of character drama and adventure tale.

'Sherlock' does get a tiny bit overheated and melodramatic now and then; if it has one (easily overlooked) fault, it can get a bit over-caffeinated in an effort to prove that it is not your father's stodgy Holmes' adaptation. On the other hand, this sprightly trio of TV movies are more rigorous and well-written than the rather sloppy, scattershot 2009 film adaptation starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.

That movie gave you the chance to watch excellent actors at work, but 'Sherlock' supplies that and taut storytelling as well. Still, just as Gregory House (a very Holmesian character) wouldn't work without Hugh Laurie giving the cranky doctor layers upon layers, 'Sherlock's' attempt to bring us a blogging, smartphone-savvy detective would fail if the casting was off. Thankfully, it isn't. The performances by Benedict Cumberbatch as the famous sleuth and Martin Freeman as his partner are engaging from the opening frame.

Even when Holmes is staring into space or uttering one-word pronouncements ("Dull!"), Cumberbatch effortlessly makes Holmes a riveting presence. It's as if Holmes has to constantly strive to keep himself in check: It's not easy for him to be patient with the slow brains of normal people. As for social conventions like chit-chat, flattery and white lies, forget it.

'You're an idiot," he casually tells Watson at one point. Seeing his partner's reaction, Holmes adds, "No, no, no, don't be like that. Practically everyone is."

Cumberbatch's vigor and 'Sherlock's' energetic pace are grounded by Martin Freeman's thoughtful, wonderful performance as Watson. Then again, Freeman is so good in everything he does (including his great work as Tim on the UK version of 'The Office') that I very much look forward to what he'll do in Peter Jackson's upcoming 'Hobbit' films. The actor has an everyman quality and yet an elusive charisma as well: There's a steely core to his Watson that makes him much more than just a foil to a brilliant crime-solver.

This Watson, like the one in Conan Doyle's stories, is a doctor/soldier who was wounded in Afghanistan; his emotional scars stand in contrast to Sherlock's almost naive believe in the power of the intellect. Sherlock may be condescending, rude and presumptuous, but he's also brilliant and the instigator of many complicated adventures. Watson is taken aback by the habits and methods of his new roommate, but he is soon, Freeman subtly demonstrates, having the time of his life.

Moffat does like his trickster characters; his Doctor and this Sherlock have a lot in common and there's a similar cheeky wit at work in both series. And though technology and the Internet play their roles in the investigations, they never take over the narrative and Moffat and fellow writer Mark Gatiss have taken pains to pay tribute to details from Conan Doyle stories (one mystery is deemed a "three-patch problem" -- this detective resorts to nicotine patches rather than pipes).

Sherlock is, according to the detective himself, a "high-functioning sociopath," but it's never as simple as that. Still, is the thrill of the chase more important than adhering to a moral code? That question is explored in a dramatically compelling way in Sunday's outing, and it's threaded nicely throughout all three films. But the reason the character endures is because the answers to that question can be endlessly discussed.

Two notes: 'Sherlock' will be available online on the Masterpiece Mystery site from Oct. 25-Dec. 7. And for more excellent British crime drama, check out 'Luther' and 'Law & Order: UK,' both of which air on BBC America.


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