1) “The Name’s Sherlock Holmes” – Sherlock
The moment that turned most of us into fans of Benedict Cumberbatch was, of course, his introductory scene in the first episode of Sherlock – the role that rocketed him to superstardom.
From the off, Cumberbatch creates the century-old character anew: audiences were used to seeing Sherlock Holmes wreathed in fog and smoking a pipe. When we and John Watson first properly meet Benedict’s Sherlock, though, he’s busy typing on his mobile phone and running tests in a state-of-the-art lab. Cumberbatch’s performance also sets him apart from what came before: he’s immediately rude, charismatic and sharp as a whip (something he shockingly uses to flog a corpse with, funnily enough).
Just like John finds his future best friend in this moment, millions of fans found their new favourite TV character in this scene. Benedict Cumberbatch was immediately at home in the role that will forever be the highlight of his career.