The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes: Set 2

Victorian London was a boon for crooks-and a bane for Scotland Yard, which had the monumental job of thwarting crime. But Sherlock Holmes was not the only detective in town. Based on best-selling anthologies of Victorian and Edwardian fiction, The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes showcases the world-famous consulting detective's crime-solving competition in the fog-shrouded capital. This top-flight, BAFTA®-winning series of 13 finely crafted mysteries, as seen on ITV and PBS, features an incredible array of talent, including John Thaw, Sir Derek Jacobi, Joss Ackland, Jean Marsh, Michael Sheard and Richard Beckinsale.

Episode 01 - The Mysterious Death on the Underground Railway: Polly Burton, a young woman who wants to be a journalist, investigates when a girl is murdered on a London Underground train.

Episode 02 - Five Hundred Carats: Inspector Lipinzki investigates when a huge diamond is stolen from a safe. He finds his enquiries take him into the heart of South African society.

Episode 03 - Cell 13: Professor Van Dusen wagers his friends he can escape from prison. Starting from Cell 13, the challenge he faces is to cross seven barriers of steel bars, then a seventeen-foot wall and finally some open ground swept by searchlights...

Episode 04 - The Secret of the Magnifique: Detective Laxworthy hires two men who have just been released from prison. With their help he plans to carry out a major swindle in the south of France. Or does he?

Episode 05 - The Absent-Minded Coterie: Eugene Valmont investigates two cases at the same time, a baffling swindle and some counterfeit coins. Along the way, he meets an adventuress.

Episode 06 - The Sensible Action of Lieutenant Holst: Lieutenant Holst of the Copenhagen police is working on a big international case. Then a man commits suicide, and Holst finds himself in hot water.

Episode 07 - The Superfluous Finger: Professor Van Dusen is called in by Sir Hector Drummond, a well-known surgeon, when a young woman asks to have one of her fingers surgically removed.

Episode 08 - Anonymous Letters: Dagobert Trostler is called in by Countess Nadja when she finds herself on the receiving end of a string of anonymous letters.

Episode 09 - The Moabite Cypher: Dr John Thorndyke finds himself dealing with an anarchist plot to assassinate a Russian Grand Duke.

Episode 10 - The Secret of the Fox Hunter: William Drew meets his most dangerous case to date when the head of German intelligence pays a visit to England.

Episode 11 - The Looting of the Specie Room: While the steam-ship Oceanic tries to beat the world speed record for an Atlantic crossing, thieves steal gold ingots from the ship's strong-room. And then the life of Horrocks, the ship's purser, is threatened. As luck would have it, Inspector Trent is on hand to investigate.

Episode 12 - The Mystery of the Amber Beads: A gypsy woman called Hagar has a very clear idea about the murderer of Mrs Arryford. However, Hagar's view of the case is not shared by Detective Sergeant Grubber, the policeman on the job.

Episode 13 - The Missing QCs: Detective Charles Dallas finds himself mixed up in a sensational trial when two leading London barristers, the prosecution and the defence counsel in the case, disappear suddenly and without trace.