Holmes' sidekick Watson (played by Martin Freeman) is also no stranger to social media. An Iraq vet with PTSD, his gun keeps Holmes alive while his own blog tracks Holmes' cases.

Cumberbatch's alternately bored and hyperactive Holmes is but the latest iteration of what the Guinness Book of World Records calls the "most portrayed movie character" in history. But that's just one sphere of influence: The hyperlogical, drug-friendly detective infiltrated literature, television, comics and cartoons after Holmes' debut in 1887 mystery A Study in Scarlet. Since then, Holmes has appeared in the first detective film ever made (Sherlock Baffled) and solved future crimes in the 22nd century.

Click through our Sherlock gallery above for some of the super-sleuth's most compelling clones. Did we miss a clue? Inject your own Holmes of choice into the comments section below.

Above:

Sherlock (2010)

Whodunit: Created by Dr. Who writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock — which finally crosses the pond Oct. 24 at 9 p.m. on PBS — reimagines the iconic sleuth as a technophilic savant.

Drug of choice: Technology. Sherlock is a multitasking maestro swallowed by social networking and onscreen hypertext. It's transmedia for television addicts.

Weapon of choice: Smartphone, in an uncredited lead role. Sherlock rarely lets go of his, but has been known to fire a gun at the walls out of sheer boredom.

What's elementary? Sherlock's technocultural upgrade is a pleasure to parse, and one of the BBC's best exports with few, if any, bugs.

Authors: Scott Thill

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