About this episode
The Night Before Christmas Original Air Date: December 24, 1945 Summary: While Dr. Watson is preparing to play Santa Claus for Mrs. Hudson's nieces, Holmes receives an urgent visit from an old friend, Lord Woodham. Woodham has received a blackmail note threatening that the valuable jewels and bank notes he intends to give his relatives will "disappear" unless he pays £5,000. Holmes recognizes the handwriting as that of his nemesis, Professor Moriarty (or a criminal associate named Mariotti, depending on the transcription). To catch the culprit, Holmes infiltrates Woodham's Christmas party disguised as Father Christmas, leading to a confrontation with the mastermind behind the scheme. The story was inspired by elements of the Conan Doyle story "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle". The Case of the Double Zero Original Air Date: November 19, 1945 Summary: Set in a casino in the South of France, this mystery involves the suspicious deaths of two local gamblers. Holmes and Watson investigate the "double zero" at the roulette table, which seems to be at the center of a deadly game of chance and murder. While the script was an original creation for the radio show, it was noted as being inspired by an incident from the first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet.
