The first episode of the 1954-1955 series "Sherlock Holmes" provides a good introduction to the characters as they were depicted in the series. Ronald Howard as Holmes was more upbeat than most versions of the detective have been, in keeping with the fast-paced half-hour format of the show, while H. Marion Crawford was both believable and likable as the loyal Watson. The first episode also introduces Archie Duncan as Inspector Lestrade, who appeared in this series much more prominently than he did in the original Holmes novels and stories.
The first part of the episode is taken from the beginning of Arthur Conan Doyle's first Holmes novel, "A Study in Scarlet", and shows Holmes and Watson meeting and moving into the lodgings at Baker Street. The last half of the episode is a very simple mystery, which is not from any of the original stories, and which is really used more to develop the characters than for its own sake.
The best part of this episode is seeing a screen version of the first meeting between Holmes and Watson, since that is one of the events that was, sadly, never included in the excellent Jeremy Brett series. The characters here are light portrayals, intended for enjoyment and camaraderie rather than for their depth. The chemistry between Howard, Morrison, and Duncan was generally quite good, and this episode got the characters and their relationships off to a good start.