You may have heard by now the sad news that David Burke has passed away at the age of 91. The news was first broken yesterday by the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes Podcast, as they had been in touch with the family.
Since then, I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere has posted both a written tribute and a podcast episode in memory of David, featuring Gus and Luke Holwerda of the JBSH podcast, and an official obituary has been issued by The Times (UK). The obituary is worth the read if you are a fan; the written IHOSE tribute is very moving; and the IHOSE episode is a lovely cap to the reading.
If you have not listened to the interview Gus and Luke conducted with David and his wife Anna Calder-Marshall in 2022, you can listen to it here. In this episode of the podcast, the brothers talk about their trip to England that included that interview. Lastly, the JBSH podcast hosted an event in the UK in 2024 called “BrettCon,” to celebrate the Granada series’ 40th anniversary. Stephen Fry and several actors from the series sent video messages to the event, including David and his family.
David Burke was one of the finest and most beloved Watsons ever to grace the screen. He was just shy of his 92nd birthday, and he is survived by his wife Anna Calder-Marshall and his son Tom Burke.
By all accounts, he was a gentleman and a wonderful human being. He could have stayed on to play Watson much longer, which would have made many of us very happy, but he chose to leave the show to be nearer to his family, especially since Tom was very young at the time.
His was not the first intelligent and competent Watson, but this version marked a turning point in mainstream depictions, from comedic sidekick to a hero in his own right.
RIP, dear sir. You will be missed. Thank you for everything.