Advanced Television

Goalhanger’s Sherlock & Co surpasses 20m downloads

March 5, 2026

By Nik Roseveare

Sherlock & Co, the Goalhanger-produced narrative audio drama that reimagines the stories of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson as a modern-day true crime podcast, has surpassed 20 million lifetime streams and downloads.

Inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic tales, the show relocates Holmes and Watson to the present day, with Watson depicted as a former British Army doctor turned true-crime podcaster who documents his investigations with detective Sherlock Holmes.

To date, the show now receives 800,000 downloads a month. Around 30 per cent of listeners come from North America, while the UK and Ireland account for 37 per cent.

Its audience also skews notably young, with the majority under 30, and many listeners identifying as LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent. Additionally, the show has a paid membership club of just under 4,000 fans, who gain access to ad-free listening and bonus content through its chat community.

Sherlock & Co launched in October 2023, starring Paul Waggott as Dr John Watson, Harry Attwell as Sherlock Holmes, and Marta da Silva as Mariana ‘Mrs Hudson’ Ametxazurra. Since its debut, the show has developed a passionate global fandom. Fan art, online forums, and in-person meet-ups – including live events with the cast and creators – have helped build a vibrant listener community. In September it will host its first full live show at the Southbank Centre in London.

Created by Joel Emery and directed by Adam Jarrell, the series is written by Emery and co-produced by Neil Fearn and Jon Gill, with Tony Pastor serving as Executive Producer. It is produced by Holy Smokes Audio in partnership with Goalhanger, which originally commissioned the project – marking the company’s first fictional podcast series.

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