This actually turned out to be quite a bit better than I first thought. After the first two episodes I was very doubtful, seeing as each episode felt rushed and the central idea that runs through all episodes - a opening in the space/time continuum which lets demons into the world - seemed rather tired and predictable.
However, as it progressed the character relationships between everyone were well developed (although, until the final episode, Spike struck me as pretty undeveloped and one who was occasionally forgotten in certain scenes) and even the main plot point (the opening of the entry into another world) became more engaging. This in the last couple or so of episodes took over, successfully, from the focus on the murder mystery of that episode that needed to be solved - although all of these remained rushed and with rather sudden and implausible leaps to ensure a tying up by the end of the episode.
Visually the series was first-rate. The, presumably genuine, scenes in the streets gave a strong sense for all being at different locations where with too many Victorian-set shows like this, there is too obviously one basic set used with a variety of different camera angles to suggest different locations - but not always successfully. Here this was not a problem. The CGI rooftops views were as spectacular as ever, even with the slightly glossy artificiality that all such scenes still seem to have.
The picture given of Holmes and Watson was very different to the one we know and love - even the Cumberbatch re-working kept all of the main tropes of SH’s character, but here was pretty much broken - in the depths of one of his periodic opium addiction episodes which are only glancingly referred to in the ‘canon’. Here however it had been much longer term and Watson’s actions and views, by the end, became more understandable as he was trying to maintain the reputation of Holmes as the ‘Great Detective’, not the wreck he had now become.
I am sure there is going to be another series - everything was left so that this would be possible, but quite who will still be there remained intriguingly vague.
So, good fun and worth a watch.