In 1987, Daedalus Productions in the UK, produced a series of 24 full cast adaptations of stories from the Sherlock Holmes canon. They were originally intended to be heard by passengers on British Airways long-haul flights. Six of the shows were chosen to be aired over the BBC’s World Service. In 1990, they were released on cassette by the Talking Tape Company in six two-cassette boxes. Each box offered four different stories from the full production. The adaptations never aired but have made their way into the hands of many Old-Time Radio show collectors.

The part of Sherlock Holmes was played by Roy Marsden with the part of Dr. Watson played by John Moffatt. John Moffatt is no stranger to radio and, in fact, played the role of Holmes, Watson and Inspector Gregson on radio. He’s probably best known for his role as Hercule Poirot in the BBC’s presentation of many of Agatha Christie’s novels on radio. Roy Marsden appeared in Granada’s “The Last Vampyre” with Jeremy Brett.

Unlike most full cast adaptations, these featured mostly Dr. Watson’s narration interspersed with acted sequences. This technique is quite effective especially since it mimics how most people perceive the stories from the canon.