▁Joseph ▁Bell ▁ ▁Simon ▁Ch and ler ▁as ▁Ins pect or ▁Warner ▁ ▁M oss ie ▁Smith ▁as ▁Mrs ▁Williams ▁ ▁Ben ▁Mac le od ▁as ▁In nes ▁Do yle ▁ ▁Dol ly ▁Well s ▁as ▁El sp eth ▁Scott ▁ ▁Charles ▁Dance ▁as ▁Sir ▁Henry ▁Car ly le ▁ ▁Production ▁ ▁Development ▁The ▁series ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁Sir ▁Arthur ▁Con an ▁Do yle ' s ▁choice ▁to ▁base ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁Sher lock ▁Hol mes ▁on ▁Dr ▁Joseph ▁Bell , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁his ▁t utor ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Edinburgh ▁and ▁occasionally ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁for ens ic ▁expert ▁for ▁the ▁Edinburgh ▁Police . ▁The ▁series ▁ex agger ated ▁the ▁similar ities ▁between ▁Bell ▁and ▁Hol mes ▁for ▁dram atic ▁effect , ▁with ▁Do yle ▁acting ▁much ▁as ▁Doctor ▁Watson ▁acts ▁in ▁Do yle ' s ▁stories , ▁and ▁included ▁several ▁scenes ▁from ▁the ▁books , ▁the ▁imp lication ▁being ▁that ▁these ▁insp ire ▁Do yle ' s ▁fiction . ▁ ▁Writing ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁notable ▁references ▁to ▁Sher lock ▁Hol mes ▁is ▁a ▁version ▁of ▁a ▁scene ▁in ▁The ▁Sign ▁of ▁Four ▁in ▁which ▁Hol mes ▁dedu ces ▁that ▁a ▁pocket ▁watch ▁provided ▁by ▁Watson ▁was ▁formerly ▁owned ▁by ▁a ▁dr unk ard , ▁upon ▁which ▁a ▁fur ious ▁Watson ▁bel ieves ▁that ▁Hol mes ▁has ▁call ously ▁acquired ▁information ▁about ▁his ▁un fortun ate ▁brother , ▁to ▁whom ▁the ▁watch ▁had ▁belonged , ▁for ▁the ▁sake ▁of ▁a ▁cheap ▁trick . ▁The ▁series ' ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁scene