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Rating
4.8from
This podcast has
104 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
However ImprobableExplicit
No
Date created
2020/09/03
Latest episode
2026/09/08
Average duration
55 min.
Release period
38 days
Description
However Improbable is a podcast book club about Sherlock Holmes, by and for the people who love him. Every other week, detective lit enthusiasts Marisa and Sarah present a fresh new recording of Holmes and Watson’s adventures, and then delve into the story, its history and politics, adaptations, and why we’re still so captivated by the detective and his good doctor. Holmes himself famously said that there’s nothing new under the sun—but we’re willing to give him a run for his money. howeverimprobablepodcast.com/ https://twitter.com/improbablepod
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Granada Holmes - Part 2
2026/09/08
From 1984 to 1994, British actor Jeremy Brett starred in 36 one-hour episodes and five feature-length specials in the Granada Television Studios series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. We’re talking about arguably the most iconic Sherlock Holmes television series made in the last 50 years in two parts.In Part 2, were focusing on the second half of the show post Final Problem, which featured Brett as Holmes and Edward Hardwicke as Watson. Join us for a look into Hardwicke's Watson, the Mary question, what makes these adaptations stand the test of time so well, and the enduring legacy of Jeremy Brett.
Listen to Granada Holmes, part 1 from earlier in the podcast! https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/granada-holmes-part-1
The thrill of adventure: Empty House discussion
2026/05/19
For the first time in a decade, Doyle returns to the Holmes canon with a locked-door murder, a sharp-shooter, and a reunion—or three.
Sarah & Marisa discuss “The Adventure of the Empty House,” Holmes’ triumphant return that introduces the age-old question - can a white boy do a little martial arts?
We discuss Shakespeare, evil Watson, eugenics in the turn of the century, tiger metaphors, the lost years, and one journey’s ending in an iconic meeting.
Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:
https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com
Send us mail! [email protected]
The Adventure of the Empty House
2026/05/04
“It was indeed like the old times when, at that hour, I found myself seated beside him in a hansom, my revolver in my pocket and the thrill of adventure in my heart.”
From "The Return of Sherlock Holmes," this is "The Adventure of the Empty House" - read by Dan Heidt.
The eponymous return of Sherlock Holmes, indeed. A locked-door murder, a sharp-shooter, and a reunion—or three.
Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:
https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com
Send us mail! [email protected]
Case file: The Napoleon of Crime (Moriarity)
2026/02/20
This episode is a deep-dive case file into Holmes’s great nemesis - the Napoleon of Crime.
As a follow-up to our discussion about “The Final Problem,” we’re taking a closer look at Doyle’s great criminal mastermind - Moriarity. The all-knowing villain is introduced and brings about Holmes’s supposed downfall in that story. He’s been adapted many, many times - from his own pastiches and Holmes stories to comic books and musicals. He’s almost as famous as Holmes himself.
Sarah & Marisa discuss the many, many version of Moriarty out there, from their personal favorites to perplexing appearances. Do you have a favorite Moriarity? Something we missed? We'd love to hear it!
Find recommended reading, the comp, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:
https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com
Contact us at [email protected].
Very sincerely yours: Final Problem discussion
2025/12/30
The end of an era. This extraordinary story introduces Holmes’s two greatest nemeses - criminal mastermind Moriarity, and his own creator. Doyle was eager to move on from Holmes - but in pitting his detective against a surprise supervillain and bringing him to a sudden end, he created the perfect environment for Holmes to live forever.
In this episode, Marisa & Sarah discuss the highs and lows in the plot of this dramatic tale, the deeply touching connection between Holmes and Watson, and Doyle’s feelings towards his creation and the unprecendented response from fans of his stories.
We’re saving a deep dive into adaptations of Moriarity for a special case file, coming up next!
https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-final-problem
The Final Problem
2025/12/11
“It has been a duel between you and me, Mr. Holmes... You hope to beat me. I tell you that you will never beat me. If you are clever enough to bring destruction upon me, rest assured that I shall do as much to you.’”
From "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes," this is "The Final Problem" - read by Greg McClure.
This story was published in 1893 - and it was the last Holmes story Doyle published for 10 years.
Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:
https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com
Send us mail! [email protected]
An old maxim of mine: Beryl Coronet discussion
2025/10/02
A distressed banker, a messed-up family, and some royal jewels all tangle together in this eclectic little mystery. This is our discussion about "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet," from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Sarah and Marisa unpack the weird family vibes and deeply colonial implications of this somewhat understated little tale. Plus - maybe our favorite Holmes quote ever! And some serious requests about "The Final Problem."
Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:
https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-beryl-coronet
Send us mail! [email protected]
The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
2025/09/14
“I have lost my honour, my gems, and my son in one night.”
From The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Kira Apple.
Kira Apple is a part-time voice actor and full-time bookseller. Other voice work includes the roles of The Narrator and Mary Bangs (The Way We Haunt Now), Katya Harper (Electromancy), Cybilene (Inn Between), Commander Natalya Kastanova (The Dead: Ephemeris), Hale (The Dead: Strings of Fate), Marla (Ostium), and Jack St. James (Superstition).
Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:
https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com
Send us mail! [email protected]
The dog in the night-time: Silver Blaze Discussion
2025/08/18
One of Doyle’s personal favorites, “The Adventure of the Silver Blaze” combines a dramatic murder, the moody setting, and Victorian sporting drama.
This famous little story was published in the collection The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. It’s also responsible for one of the most famous quotes that people attribute to Holmes, which has found its way into book titles, common vernacular, and even physics!
Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:
https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-silver-blaze
Send us mail! [email protected]
The Adventure of Silver Blaze
2025/07/18
"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
"The dog did nothing in the night-time."
"That was the curious incident,' remarked Sherlock Holmes.”
From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of Silver Blaze by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Kristen O'Neal.
Kristen O'Neal is a writer, director, and voice actor. You can hear more of her voice in her podcast, Thin Places Radio. You can follow her on Instagram at @discountgoblin, or learn more on her website: kristenonealwrites.com.
Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:
https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-silver-blaze
Send us mail! [email protected]
The grotesque has deepend: Wisteria Lodge discussion
2025/06/20
From disappearing households and mysterious foreign nationals to international crime bosses and a little breaking and entering, "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge" has all the makings of a classic Holmes tale with none of the panache that sets some of them apart.
Sarah and Marisa discuss this bizarre little story, which comes from "His Last Bow." We appreciate your patience with some echo in our audio this week - we did some recording on the go!
Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:
https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/
Send us mail! [email protected]
The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge: Part 2, The Tiger of San Pedro
2025/05/30
"If you cast your mind back to some of those narratives with which you have afflicted a long-suffering public, you will recognize how often the grotesque has deepened into the criminal."
From His Last Bow, "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Rebekah Love.
Content warning: This story contains some Victorian-era racism, including some derogatory Victorian terms for non-white people.
Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:
https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/
Send us mail! [email protected]
The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge: Part 1, The Singular Experience of Mr. John Scott Eccles
2025/05/16
"If you cast your mind back to some of those narratives with which you have afflicted a long-suffering public, you will recognize how often the grotesque has deepened into the criminal."
From His Last Bow, "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge" by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Rebekah Love.
Content warning: This story contains some Victorian-era racism, including some derogatory Victorian terms for non-white people.
Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:
https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/
Send us mail! [email protected]
Case File: Elementary, season 1
2025/04/19
NEW: Read Marisa's Crime Reads article about Elementary as a pre-eminent Holmes adaptation! https://crimereads.com/elementary-is-a-masterclass-in-sherlock-holmes-adaptation/
What do Trainspotting, Charlie’s Angels, a rooftop covered in bees, and a pet turtle named Clyde have in common?
Welcome to our case file on season 1 of Elementary, which ran on CBS starting in September 2012.
Sarah and Marisa walk us back to 2012 and reminisce about watching the show when it aired, dissect its first season and the portrayals of its characters, and consider what Elementary is attempting to do in taking Holmes out of London in the 21st Century - and reimagining Watson as someone very different than we usually think of her.
Is Watson still Watson, when his gender or his Britishness is in question? Is Vinnie Jones the best Sebastian Moran out there? Why do these bees make us want to cry?
Note: Our discussion contains pretty significant spoilers for the plot of season 1 of Elementary - so if you haven't seen the show and want to remain un-spoiled, GO WATCH IT. What are you waiting for?
Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:
https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/
See justice done: Crooked Man discussion
2025/03/31
A violent crime, a terrible betrayal, a shocking death… and mongeese.
From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of the Crooked Man” is a complicated and compelling puzzle of a story that circles around betrayal, disability, empire, real-world events and Victorian geopolitics.
Content warning: CROO is chock full of Victorian racism, ableism, and imperialism. It comes baked into the plot of this one.
More info, that illustration we reference, and our reading list: https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-adventure-of-the-crooked-man
Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:
https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/
https://twitter.com/improbablepod
Podcast reviews
Read However Improbable podcast reviews
smikgtre 2025/05/14
Excellent subject matter
The content is mostly excellent, as it is based on the Sherlock Holmes stories, read aloud. That said, it is amateurishly done. For instance, the fi...
GailJayNYC 2023/12/28
Love this!
This podcast is just what I was looking for after finishing All About Agatha. I also love that you can listen to each story and then listen to the two...
😀😁😜😛 2022/06/28
Good but poor analysis
I love Sherlock Holmes, and I do enjoy this podcast. Except when they bungle themes. For example, much of what they say about ACD’s statements about i...
Sherlocked4life 2021/04/02
Amazing
This podcast is exactly what I’ve wanted. While there are incredible and prolific feminine voices, men continue to dominate the Sherlock Holmes discou...
Htrostle 2021/01/17
treat for the (non-severed) ears
This podcast is a delightful dive into the ACD canon and beyond. Im really enjoying Sarah and Marisa's insights into each story, especially what they ...
Morgan Smalley 2021/01/11
Such a treasure for long drives
This podcast is so well produced! I love hearing fresh narration for the Holmes stories and the discussions are both funny and insightful in equal mea...
ghostfool 2020/11/23
absolutely vibing
this has been keeping me excellent company while i get stuff done and i love the discussions of the stories!!
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