The character actor David Burke, who has died aged 91, turned in his best television performance as Dr Watson, the retired army doctor assisting Arthur Conan Doyle’s Victorian detective, in ITV’s acclaimed series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984-85).
While television critics widely applauded Jeremy Brett for giving the definitive portrayal of Holmes, Burke brought his own refreshing take on the sleuth’s long-suffering sidekick, transforming him from the bumbling “dozy doc” of previous screen versions to a lively, intelligent John Watson.
