While the BBC’sSherlockis a fantastic contemporary adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective stories, there’s another modern-day adaptation that has a distinct advantage over it. Many actors have taken up the Sherlock Holmes mantle over the years, and many movie directors and TV showrunners have attempted to tackle Doyle’s legendary stories about the private detective, his trusty sidekick Watson, and the dark and mysterious world of Victorian or Edwardian London. It’s a timeless story that features a character deep enough to plumb for countless stories.
There have been all manner of Sherlock Holmes movies and TV show adaptations. While most are set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries,there have been many pastiches of the story, set within different time periods, different genres, and with different sorts of characters taking up the role of the “great detective”. BBC’sSherlockis one of these adaptations set outside the Victorian Era. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Holmes in the modern-set series and helped earn the show four Emmys. However, there’s another modern adaptation that has a key advantage over it.
Elementary’s Procedural Formula Made It The Perfect Sherlock Holmes Adaptation
Holmes And Watson Actually Got To Solve Cases
Elementaryis a procedural drama set in modern-day New York City. Sherlock Holmes is played by Jonny Lee Miller in the series, which came quickly on the heels ofSherlock, but in this version, Holmes has been drummed out of Scotland Yard due to a drug problem.Holmes becomes a detective consultant for the New York City Police Department, with his live-in sober companion, Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) by his side. It’s a unique premise and brings Holmes' British sensibilities to an American world, but that’s not why it’s a great adaptation.
Elementaryis an excellent Sherlock Holmes adaptation because of its procedural format.Every episode ofElementaryis a relatively self-contained storyline, focusing on the nuts and bolts of how Holmes and Watson solve their cases. This is actually very much in line with Doyle’s storytelling style, asthe Sherlock Holmes bookscan be read independently of one another, and there’s not much of a concern regarding a long overarching narrative. This type of storytelling is perfect for a show about a detective, andElementaryis worth a watch for that element alone.
BBC’s Sherlock’s Serialized Approach Limited What The Show Could Do
BBC’sSherlocktook a serialized approach to its storytelling, with each episode building upon the one that came before it, in the manner of most prestige television shows. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, but it did limit whatSherlockcould do.Elementaryis filled with cases for Holmes and Watson to crack, whileSherlockdoes not have nearly as many. As a serialized story, Holmes' personal life and character growth take up a substantial portion of the series. Again, that’s not a problem on its own.
However, as fascinating a character as Holmes is, it’s the crimes he solves that are really the best part of Sherlock Holmes.
Holmes grows into a reluctant celebrity throughoutSherlock, and grappling with that is as much a part of the show as the cases are. However, as fascinating a character as Holmes is, it’s the crimes he solves that are really the best part of Sherlock Holmes.Sherlocktrades crime-solving for character exploration. That certainly opens the door for Cumberbatch and the other actors to explore their roles, but it also narrows the focus of the series. It goes from a story about crime in London to one about an eccentric and reclusive genius.
I Wish We Could’ve Gotten More Standalone Cases From BBC’s Sherlock
Sherlock Holmes Is At His Best When He’s Solving Cases
British TV dramas don’t tend to dabblein the procedural type of storytelling found in a lot of American TV shows. So it’s a bit of a fruitless task wishing thatSherlockhad anElementary-style storytelling style, buthaving more standalone cases be a part of the fabric of the show would have really strengthened it. Watson (Martin Freeman) and Holmes would have been great solving a variety of stand-alone cases throughout modern-day London.
A “case-of-the-week” style of show would have shown what a brilliant genius Holmes actually is. It would also have been an organic way to show Watson and Holmes' relationship. There are certainly pluses to a serialized style of storytelling, but the procedural variation would have fit well withSherlock. It would also be an accurate representation of what Doyle wrote back in the 19th century. Now,Sherlockwill have to bear that there’s another modern Sherlock Holmes adaptation that does something better.
