Who is Dr. John H. Watson?

He's a Retired Army Surgeon

So firstly, he's a hero, and secondly, he's a healer. Hard to get more awesome than that, really. He also survived the Battle of Maiwand, one of the most vicious of the Second Afghan War.

He's the one who wrote up the notes for Sherlock Holmes' cases

So if you're at all fond of Sherlock Holmes, you should really love Watson, because without him, we'd be down to a couple of stories, which Holmes probably never would have written up properly for himself.

He's a ladykiller

Line up, girls! John Watson is in town. With three continents' worth of experience, one can only assume that it's worth liking him a whole lot. But don't take my word for it - some analyses of the timeline suggest that he had up to six wives - that doesn't happen by accident, ladies!

Holmes and Watson first met when they were introduced by a mutual acquaintance, Stamford, who hear them both speak of the need for new lodgings on the same day, and decided to get them together as potential flatmates. On the whole, this was a good move on Stamford's part, as after a brief discussion of their worst tendencies, they agreed to meet at 221b Baker Street to look over the rooms, and the rest, as they say, is history - a friendship spanning more than three decades, in fact.

At the time, Watson had just returned from military service in Afghanistan, after having been wounded (somewhere, either his leg, or his shoulder, or possibly both), and contracting enteric fever. 'Thin as a lath and brown as a nut', he was introduced to Sherlock Holmes in A Study in Scarlet, who pegged him as a Doctor and a soldier straight off (naturally).

He smokes tailor-made cigarettes from Bradley's of Oxford Street.

He was attached to the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers as assistant surgeon, before being sent off to fight in Afghanistan, where he was moved to the 66th Berkshires and fought in the Battle of Maiwand.

In The Sign of Four, he marries Mary Morstan, who would later die within three years. It is up for dispute how many wives he actually had, estimates ranging from 'he was a lying liar and was never married' to 'six', depending how much you believe, and in what order you place the stories. But Mary was the only one who ever had a name.

He was the faithful friend and companion of Sherlock Holmes for over thirty years, and the writer of many of his adventures.

The Granada Television Series (1984-1994)

There were actually two gentlemen playing Watson in this series - David Burke, for the first two seasons, and Edward Hardwicke (pictured right) for the remainder. It was interesting that they switched Watson's after The Final Problem, and I think it was accidentally appropriate, because we have moved on three years, and the man has been through a lot - it is natural that he would look over, and as much fun and energy as Mr. Burke brought to the role, Mr. Hardwicke brings a kind softness without losing the intelligence and sharp wit of the old Watson.