Blast Off #13: ‘Elementary’ Vs. BBC’s ‘Sherlock’

“In america, you know we have trains, you know it’s the present day.”

…Because Britain doesn’t have trains. Genius.

Modern re-tellings of the sherlock holmes story were happening decades before BBC’s Sherlock. Honestly, I find Elementary more likeable. Maybe not a better show overall but more likeable. It’s a fun show and a nice one to watch. You can actually invest in Miller’s Sherlock because the character is likeable as opposed to the BBC version which you can really only admire. Also, one of the best twists I’ve seen so far in television.

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Hoping tho that the professional relation stays intact for a long, long time…they should not turn into a romantic couple. Someone like him needs to walk a long road before he would even be mature enough to deal with an emotionally mature woman.

“I wonder how American audiences would feel if a UK channel was to make a British version of Superman or some other US icon and place them in London?”

That already happened. Mick Anglo converted Captain Marvel into Marvelman for British audiences. Decades later Alan Moore would pick the character back up, modernize him, and create some brilliant and acclaimed stories. Amazing what a trip across the pond and an updating will do, ain’t it?

I agree entirely. CBS is demonstrating a lack of originality that is exceeded only by its lack of integrity. Unfortunately, there will be those with no previous knowledge of Sherlock Holmes who will assume this execrable excuse is ‘canon’. In fact, the only connection it has with the creation of Arthur Conan Doyle is the names of some of the characters. 

That the CBS conglomerate should co-opt a British icon is outrageous. I wonder how American audiences would feel if a UK channel was to make a British version of Superman or some other US icon and place them in London, and change the intrinsic components of the story when they do so. How does Spiderman in Manchester sound?

Apart from the immorality of CBS’s behaviour, they don’t even have the knowledge or appreciation of the Arthur Conan Doyle stories to even attempt accuracy. Holmes would NEVER apologise for being right. He was always described as neat in his dress. (The less said about the costume department ripping off the BBC the better). He was NOT a drug addict. He took a 7% solution of cocaine (then legal) when he did not have a case to occupy his thoughts. As the stories progressed mention of the drug completely disappeared.

I agree entirely with MyrtleMartha about the deplorable interpretation of Dr Watson. 

There is no good reason for this show’s existence. It is intended only to make money. You’d think Jonny Lee Miller would realise this show is going to label him the poor man’s (and therefore lesser) Benedict Cumberbatch.  

As for those who would represent ‘Elementary’ as the only modern tale of Sherlock Holmes – shame on them. But then I shouldn’t expect any better from an organisation that has already demonstrated such an appalling lack of morals.I hope all true fans of Sherlock Holmes boycott this rip off. 

Regardless of the genesis, when you’re making a version that’s going run at the same time of another version, it had better be on par or better than the BBC version, which is one of the best produced shows period. More people should be tuning into the BBC version and seeing what a good show that is. This is CBS clearly trying to capitalize off the popularity of Sherlock on TV (they tried to do the same with the Millennium trilogy and Quean), and CBS giving us yet ANOTHER procedural formatted show. But yes, you’re correct about D’Onofrio. I can’t keep all of those Law and Orders straight. LOL

   Thanks for the great podcast.I expect Elementary will be a success with the general public, which is mostly unfamiliar with the details of the original Holmes and Watson characters. The show is at heart a clone of Monk, which did so well – helpless and annoying, but lovable, clever detective with hired caretaker. As a retired teacher, my biggest objections are first, that the leads are so extremely different from the original Arthur Conan Doyle version that any young person inspired by Elementary to try the original stories is likely to be so confused as to give up on the reading, and second, that the character of Watson is so sexist as to be potentially damaging to any young girl/woman who’d like to imagine what she might be like as a detective.ACD’s Sherlock Holmes was fiercely independent and proud,a brilliant man who loved being right and in control, very neat and particular in his grooming and clothes, and addicted to the adrenaline high of solving a mystery, using legal (though unhealthy) drugs to provide that high when he wasn’t working. Miller’s character, as suggested by the trailer at any rate, is so far from being in control that he is under the thumb of a rich father and submits to the unchosen monitoring of a nurse/nanny, says he sometimes hates being right, is slovenly and even dirty in dress – with his scruffy version of the BBC Sherlock iconic scarf, and is addicted to drugs, using work at least partly as a way to avoid taking them. The Watson character is even worse, not directly because Watson is made a woman, but because a whole range of sexist stereotypes are already evident in the CBS trailer, regardless of whether a romantic relationship evolves. The original male Watson was military in bearing, a respected doctor, an excellent shot, very brave, always honest and straightforward in character, and attached to Holmes out of fully reciprocated respect and friendship. Watson as a female could have been all those things. But, no, she has not served her country in the military, has failed even to keep her license as a doctor, squeals childishly and turns away when presented with a murder victim, and is attached to Holmes because she is hired to do so, allowing him to demean her with dishonest misrepresentations of her job (a big step down from Monk’s feisty, self-respecting nurse/assistants). This sexism is so grotesque and unnecessary that it cries out for attention from reviewers.Obviously these characters are named Holmes and Watson only in order to feed off the success and popularity of the BBC Sherlock and the recent movies. Had CBS used different names, it could have made a new sounds-like-Monk show. As it is, CBS should be ashamed of its anti-literary and sexist self.

I love your comment about the exclusivity of the arts within a culture. You know, Doctor Who is to UK as Star Trek is to US. It expresses respect. And yeah, Sherlock is awesome. Elementary? Let’s see.