Wow, this is such a beautiful gif set! Thank you for sharing it!

And I also love it because it catches a small moment that, according to Edward Hardwicke, turned out to be important for him in defining how he would play Watson. This episode, “The Abbey Grange,” was the first episode of the Granada series that he ever filmed, and on the DVDs there’s a little interview with him where he shares some memories about the experience. He mentions that he remembers feeling like he was getting a bit lost in the costume and hadn’t really honed in on the little characterization points that would solidify his sense of who Watson was. Then they got to this scene, and the director of the episode came over to him and gave him a small note: “Keep the cigarette close to your face,” he said.

Hardwicke found that incidental bit of direction incredibly helpful. He said that, even though it didn’t really ‘mean’ anything, there was something about that close, contained gesture that clicked with him – it suggested intelligence and concentration and careful listening and he thought: oh yes, there’s Watson.

You can see that he kept that specific physicality through many of his ‘listening’ scenes in Granada, and ever since I heard that interview I notice and appreciate it :)