2. Benedict Cumberbatch
Some people might be angry that the most modern form of Sherlock Holmes is not in the #1 spot, given how good Benedict Cumberbatch plays the sleuth. Cumberbatchs masterful portrayal of Holmes has made him a household name and an international star. The show Sherlock is one of BBCs most anticipated, highly-watched and acclaimed shows of all time. The show is set in the modern age, and therefore technology often takes a front seat when solving the mysteries. One of the reason why Arthur Conan Doyles Holmes is so endearing is because of his paradoxical qualities. Benedict Cumberbatch fully encapsulates those qualities: hes cold, calculating, and socially inept. He has a highly addictive personality, plenty of black moods, is constantly bored with life and people, and is viciously intolerant. He is a tormented superhero. Even with his eccentricities, the modern-day slant of Sherlock pays lip service to the original consulting detective: nicotine patches replace the pipe, a long coat replaces the deerstalker image, and Watson blogs about his cases rather than narrating them in books. The show has created a whole new way to look at Holmes, over 100 years after his creation, as the series is full of modern, tech savvy things such as GPS, texting, and on-screen graphics.