<P> The first episode, "A Study in Pink", loosely based upon the first Sherlock Holmes novel A Study in Scarlet, was written by Moffat and directed by Paul McGuigan . The story depicts the introduction of Sherlock to John, and them entering a flatshare at Baker Street in London, and then their investigation into a series of deaths, initially believed to be suicides . Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older brother, played by Mark Gatiss, also appears for the first time . The episode was first broadcast simultaneously on BBC One and BBC HD on 25 July 2010 . </P> <P> The second episode, "The Blind Banker", was first broadcast on 1 August 2010 . Written by Stephen Thompson and directed by Euros Lyn, the episode depicts Holmes being hired by an old university acquaintance to investigate a mysterious break - in at a bank in the City of London . </P> <P> The first series concluded with "The Great Game", first broadcast on 8 August 2010 . The episode introduces the character of archenemy James Moriarty (played by Andrew Scott) to the series, who sets Holmes deadlines to solve a series of apparently unrelated cases . Written by Mark Gatiss and directed by McGuigan, "The Great Game" ends with a cliffhanger in which Sherlock and Moriarty reach a standoff involving a bomb attached to a vest removed moments earlier from Watson . </P> <P> After the high ratings for "A Study in Pink", the BBC was reportedly eager to produce more episodes . On 10 August 2010, it was confirmed that Sherlock had been renewed for a second series . At the 2011 convention, Gatiss confirmed which stories would be adapted, and that the writers of the first series would each write an episode for series two . Acknowledging that "A Scandal in Bohemia", "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Final Problem" are amongst the best - known Holmes stories, Gatiss explained, "We knew after having a successful first run that the natural order would be to do three of the most famous (stories)." "There's the question of how to go out on a cliffhanger and then the thematic things of the three stories, where we were trying to get to and what Sherlock and John's relationship is a little further on . You can't just go back to:' You have no emotions .' ' I don't care .' You've got to move on somewhere and make sure the other characters have something of a journey too ." Paul McGuigan directed the first two episodes, and Doctor Who director Toby Haynes handled the last one . The second series of three 90 - minute episodes was initially planned to air in late 2011, but was delayed until early January 2012 . </P>

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