Remarkable signs deal with Arthur Conan Doyle Estate for Sherlock Holmes format

Tamara Gilder (left) and Cat Lawson

Remarkable Entertainment

Banijay UK-owned Remarkable Entertainment has signed an exclusive deal with The Arthur Conan Doyle Estate to develop an unscripted TV format set in the world of Sherlock Holmes.

Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock: The Detective Academy (working title) will be pitched to UK broadcasters and the international market following the agreement, which was negotiated by Emily Hayward Whitlock at The Artists Partnership and Jon Wood at RCW.

The series will test players’ powers of deduction and logic as they attempt to solve puzzling crimes from the world of the famous detective.

Conan Doyle created 60 original Sherlock Holmes stories between 1887 and 1927 and the IP remains one of the most depicted characters in print, film and TV.

The Sherlock Holmes character and most of his stories are now in the public domain worldwide, meaning anyone can use the character and earlier works without permission or royalties.

However, by teaming up with The Arthur Conan Doyle Estate, Remarkable Entertainment will avoid a potential legal dispute over its use of IP and benefit from being officially endorsed by the estate while shopping the unscripted format.

It will be the first unscripted show based on the world of Holmes, who has been the inspiration for numerous films and TV dramas over the years, including the hit BBC series starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

The unscripted project joins Remarkable Entertainment’s other shows, such as Netflix music reality competition Building the Band, Deal or No Deal, Richard Osman’s House of Games, Pointless, Pointless Celebrities, Only Connect and Tipping Point.

Tamara Gilder and Cat Lawson, joint MDs of Remarkable Entertainment, said in a joint statement that the world of Sherlock Holmes “offers a truly epic creative backdrop for the next big non-scripted competition.”

Gilder and Lawson said the show “will immerse contestants in a visually stunning mystery world, where their powers of observation and deduction are put to the ultimate test.”

Tim Hubbard, creative director, global partnerships at The Conan Doyle Estate, added: ”Remarkable Entertainment’s brilliant concept and dedication to the thrill of the game and dedication not only to the great detective, but to Doyle’s genius storytelling, plots and scene setting made this the absolute favourite for our partnership.”