Some of his characters are more sympathetic than others--I liked his Pitt much better than Wilberforce, and it's impossible not to pity Peter Guillam even when he does the dishonorable thing. Sherlock, on the other hand, is as John says a dick most of the time, and I'm amazed by (much of) the fandom's ability to choose not to perceive this and instead to write him as a sweet fragile ethereal creature who's just misunderstood.

Normally I expect woobification to happen in the case of very good-looking actors like David Tennant. It's interesting that Cumberbatch is getting the same treatment when he's not nearly as conventionally attractive.