Cover of Sherlock Holmes original stories by Conan Doyle (Penguin Books 2009)
Sherlock Holmes entered public domain after Conan Doyles’ copyright was lost. Now creators can tune these longstanding characters into something fresh and modern. Multiple variations have recently been produced, such as Guy Ritchie’s film, Sherlock Holmes (2009), with Robert Downy Jr. and Jude Law, Sherlock (2009) on BBC starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Elementary (2012) on CBS with Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu and House produced by David Shore (Rosenberg 2014).
Each of these adaptations are inspired by the original stories from Conan Doyle, however they all try to take on new ideas so the adaptation can be different and exciting for viewers who know the same old Sherlock Holmes series by heart. A particular standout is the most recent adaptation, Elementary (2012). The television show has an American take on the prodigy and is set in none other than New York City. However, there has been controversy with this adaptation from BBC’s Sherlock. BBC was displeased when they heard CBS was creating a new adaptation of Sherlock Holmes and feared that it would be too similar to their series. BBC’s executive producer, Sue Vertue, expresses this on twitter in the following statement:
‘Mmm interesting CBS, I’m surprised no one has thought of making a modern day version of Sherlock before, oh hang on, we have!’ (Chapman 2014).
CBS Elementary displaying Jonny Lee Miller as Holmes and Lucy Lui as Dr. Joan Watson (CBS 2012)
It turns out Elementary is very different from Sherlock and has created its own modern day take on Conan Doyle’s original stories. Elementary has greatly distanced itself from Sherlock and the original stories with an American twist. The show, for one, is set in New York City, has a female Watson by the name Dr. Joan Watson, Holmes is a recovering drug addict, he is seen as physically attractive and has a love interest, which are all things that Sherlock does not have. Elementary also has 48 episodes compared to Sherlock’s 9 episodes, and therefore has shown its originality in the plot. Perhaps the gravest variance in the two television series is the cast. Sherlock has a white cast and that is that. Elementary has a diverse cast of people from all different races, and therefore this series is seen as more ‘politically correct’ (Chapman 2014). So, does the modern American take on Sherlock Holmes work? I would say so.
Reference List
Chapman, B 2014, 10 Reasons Why Elementary Is Better Than Sherlock, What Culture, viewed on 25 September 2014, < http://whatculture.com/tv/10-reasons-elementary-better-sherlock.php>
Rosenberg, A 2014, Sherlock Holmes no longer protected by copyright, the Sydney Morning Herald, viewed on 25 September 2014, < http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/sherlock-holmes-no-longer-protected-by-copyright-20140806-100vpk.html>
Doyle, C 2009, Sherlock Holmes, Penguin Books, four novels and fifty-six short stories, viewed on 25 September 2014, http://www.penguin.com.au/products/9780141040288/penguin-complete-sherlock-holmes media art
CBS 2012, Elementary, viewed on 25 September 2014, http://www.cbs.com/shows/elementary/ media art
The Darling Diaries 