"Sherlock" star Benedict Cumberbatch opened the 2012 Olympics with the best video no one in America saw.

Before Americans enjoyed NBC's tape-delayed spectacle and pageantry of Danny Boyle's opening ceremonies, Britons were treated to the BBC's live (imagine!), Bob Costas-free coverage.

Even better, their program launched with Cumberbatch narrating a short featurette celebrating London, "the beating heart of the nation."

Interspersed with majestic footage documenting the city's glorious and tragic history, Cumberbatch is shown hailing a cab to the Olympics stadium, where he salutes the city with a glorious exhortation:

"London is about to cry out with heart and soul."

The thespian concludes with a cheeky wink to Sherlock Holmes' -- one of London's most iconic figures -- memorable line: "The game's afoot."

"Let the games commence," Cumberbatch says, turning to the camera with grin.

沪江娱乐：热门英剧《神探夏洛克》主演Benedict Cumberbatch为伦敦拍摄的3分钟倒计时短片：“罗马人称她为Londinium， Saxons人称她为Ludenwic，Alfred大帝称她为Lundenburh，然而对于世世代代的人来说，她是伦敦London！诗歌、散文、人民和地域，伦敦正在向世人打开全新的梦想舞台。”

短片通过穿插伦敦的历史轨迹，展示了一个城市的跌宕起伏。卷福乘坐着一辆驶向伦敦体育场的出租车，到达目的地后发出了充满荣耀感的欢呼呐喊。在短片末尾，卷福展示了夏洛克标志性的眨眼动作：“让比赛开始吧！”