Interview: Mark Gatiss

MARK Gatiss has frequently been called a Renaissance man—for good reason. He has not only co-created Sherlock, one of the most popular television shows in England, but he has also been instrumental in the 2005 revival of Doctor Who, for which he has penned eight scripts, acted in several episodes, and written a docudrama delving into the origins of the series.

- Andrew F. Gulli

His impressive list of TV, film, radio, theater, and writing credits also extends far beyond both these shows. In 1995, with a group of friends, he founded The League of Gentlemen comedy troupe, which eventually made it to television, earning several prestigious awards. He has also taken on various acting roles in both comedy and drama, most recently joining an all-star cast in the Oliver Parker-directed film version (released by Universal Pictures this past February) of the BBC sitcom Dad’s Army, in which Gatiss took on the role of Colonel Theakes. Not a bad resume for someone who hasn’t yet turned 50.

In 2010, Gatiss and fellow writer/producer Steven Moffat earned worldwide popularity with their reboot of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Sherlock, set in modern-day London and starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Watson, is a modern retelling of Conan Doyle’s classics. The idea of contemporary versions of these works was met with a great deal of skepticism from dedicated Sherlockians, who felt there was no room left for another rendition of the stories. But thanks to the perfect chemistry of Cumberbatch and Freeman, a highly talented supporting cast, and the brilliantly conceived screenplays written by Moffat and Gatiss, the series has won over skeptics and kept the spirit of Conan Doyle’s stories alive in a modern setting. Indeed, the show remains one of the highest rated on PBS and the BBC.

In addition to writing for Sherlock, Gatiss has made several appearances as the great detective’s brother Mycroft. Far from fulfilling a plot device for Holmes, Gatiss’s portrayal adds a depth to the character that is both unique and refreshing. And to widen the lens, on January 1, 2016, the BBC and PBS aired The Abominable Bride