An Interview With John Watson

How many of us have actually wished we could talk with Sherlock Holmes or Doctor Watson?  I have to say it's a thrill for me to have been emailing with the actual John Watson over the past few weeks to line up this special interview.  (A quick shout out to producer Joel Emery for arranging this!)  Now, some of you may be wondering just how that's possible.  It's all because of the podcast Sherlock & Co.  

The show started last October and is a great, fresh look at the adventures of a London detective.  With almost ONE MILLION downloads every month, this is a show that is really worth checking out.  The London Times called it as "the mystery podcast Gen Z is hooked on."   While the article talks about how a younger generation has taken to it, I can't stress enough how much I enjoy Sherlock and Co.'s modern spin on mysteries that have typically been enjoyed through books or television.  Even if podcasts don't seem like your thing, I really think Sherlock and Co. is something you'd enjoy.

But that's enough of my endorsement of the show.  Let's hear from the man himself, Dr. John Watson!

How would you describe Sherlock & Co. to people who aren't familiar with the show?  And which case would you recommend as an entry point? 

Sherlock & Co is essentially a true crime podcast. I take a (reasonably priced, sorry) microphone everywhere on our cases. 'Our' being Sherlock Holmes (he's a Detective) Mariana Ametxazurra (who runs our business, lives downstairs and used to work for Hudsons) and myself; Doctor John Watson. 

If you want to know how we all met you should listen to 'Mr. Sherlock Holmes.' That's the first episode I recorded after I got back from Ukraine. Then I recommend 'The Illustrious Client' - that was our first case. I was fortunate enough to get dragged along and I haven't looked back. That's a lie.. I do look back quite a lot and think WHAT ON EARTH AM I DOING. But generally speaking I'll get past that personal crisis pretty quickly and move on with my day. 

Most of our 'adventures' are self-contained. You can pick up any at any time and have a listen. It's not all about murder and mystery, sometimes people have problems that need solving. I can point you towards cases such as 'The Noble Bachelor' or 'The Creeping Man' for such instances.

We learn in the first episode that you were a part of the British Army's Northumberland Fusilier Regiment.  And by getting to meet your mother and Stamford in later episodes, we've gotten a few other insights into John Watson.  Can you tell us more about your life before Sherlock & Co started? 

So yes- you're absolutely right I was in the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers. I spent a lot of my time in the army obviously on tours in Afghanistan and Iraq- but also studying and furthering my medical degree. The British Army are very helpful like that when it comes to further education. Like many people, during and after Covid my life came to a bit of a crossroads. There was a tricky break-up and also the withdrawal from Afghanistan... Just when I was wondering what to do with my life - the humanitarian crisis unfolded in Ukraine and I initially went out there to assist in a medical capacity. I bumped into old friends from the army days and eventually transferred from inner city hospitals to a foreign legion. 

Before all that of course - I grew up just outside of Swindon in the UK. I worked very hard at school so I could move a LONG way outside of Swindon - specifically London, that's where I met Stamford. I probably enjoyed myself too much at University and grades were stalling somewhat. They'll refer students to other concentrated areas of study when that's the case- I got referred to Netley. My Dad was in the army so it seemed like the right kind of fit.

What is one of your favorite cases that you and Sherlock have taken on? 

You know what- we just got our teeth into an amazing case that I am currently editing and should be out by the time this article is. I'm calling it 'The Lion's Mane'. It felt so different to our other cases - we found ourselves on a remote Scottish island after the body of a man was found floating on the North Sea in his boat. His remains were.. I mean.. pretty gruesome. 

To watch Sherlock pull on a few meagre threads and pull together the resolution of this case in particular was amazing to watch. Sometimes I'm really, really involved in cases- sometimes I feel like a listener like everybody else! Aside from that one- my favourite case is probably 'Silver Blaze'. That case had everything.

How has your life changed with the popularity of the show? 

I feel like I'm online more! I feel guilty a lot of the time that I can't keep up with the level of correspondence the show receives. So I apologise to people for that. It makes you think about your life more I suppose, people want to know more. Our patreon (patreon.com/sherlockandco) even allows people to listen to Q&A episodes with myself and Sherlock answering questions from the fans. Sometimes questions pertain to a case, but most of the time they want to know our favourite cheese or where we went to school etc. 

You let your microphone run quite a bit to pick up anything that might relate to your cases. Has that led to any embarrassing or uncomfortable situations? 

Yes. I spend an enormous amount of time trying to edit out my embarrassing moments but unfortunately they are sometimes tied right into the narrative of a case. Like trying to untangle a very stubborn knot. Speaking of knots- 'The Cardboard Box' is another adventure I recommend.

I am someone who is a little too out of touch to understand Discord, can you describe the app and the interactions on it? 

Discord is basically an app that allows a community to discuss en masse! I like the fact that I'm describing something to people that I, myself, only really discovered about a year ago. When run and managed well (our moderators do an excellent job at that) the Discord 'channel' offers lots of separate rooms and areas for discussion on all manner of subjects relating to the show, our cases, us as people and the listeners themselves. 

Plenty of friendships have been formed through the show and Discord has been so important in making that possible. I will also pop into the Discord every now and again in what is known as a 'Johnline'. 

Mariana is a great addition to the show and I love when she's a part of the investigations.  What do you and she talk about that isn't work related? 

At the moment: football! But generally we will chew the fat on just about anything. We talk about Sherlock a lot. We often find ourselves comparing what our lives could have been before we met him and before we formed this company together. I think that's just a sign of how much these cases really do feel like 'adventures' to us. I hope they do to Sherlock and the listeners as well.

I have to say I was a little disappointed that you couldn't identify Johnny Cash lyrics at the beginning of 'The Dancing Men' case.  Can you make my American heart happy and tell us that you at least know a Dolly Parton song? 

Well I can tell you that 'Islands in the Stream' is probably one of my favourite songs of all time! In fact I'm gonna go put it on after this interview now that I've thought about it. Yeah I had a moment of idiocy when I froze trying to get that Johnny Cash moment in 'The Dancing Men'. It was on the tip of my tongue.

What is a book that you would recommend to Sherlock & Co. listeners? 

Oh man. I don't know! I like dramatic reads about real things so Michael Lewis is great for that. I'm a big fan of Ian McEwan. Like many people my age my attention span is gradually collapsing and turning to mush, so I plan on rebooting my love of books. I've been told that our show itself has been beneficial to many in terms of concentration spans. Especially to those with ADHD, so maybe I should listen to my own show more, who knows.

A friend of mine is trying to teach himself the Sherlock & Co. theme song on his harmonica.  Would you consider that to be flattering or a stupid thing for him to spend his time on? 

A FLATTERING AND INDEED NOBLE AIM I SAY! Let the man Harmonica, Rob! Look forward to hearing it.

Can you give us an insight into what we have to look forward to in your next episode? 

If the timing works well- I'd say a far off island. An isolated, rugged community coming to terms with the death of one of their own.