Sherlock vs Elementary

[Grendal_71]

Ok, I'm not trying to be too big a snob here.  I've watched both, and I still prefer "Sherlock".  When we discovered "Sherlock" on BBC DVDs and watched them on our PBS Masterpiece Theater, we were thrilled with the stories, the acting, and the take on both SH, but also Watson (as an wounded doctor from service in Afghanistan), to his brother Mycroft, Adler, and especially Moriarty (wow, is he creepy and awesome!).  The attempt on how Sherlock observes the world was fresh and intresting as well.

Yes, it came out first, and yes, there are obvisouly a lot less episodes than "Elementary", which is a weekly series.  I have watched some episodes of "Elementary", and I'm not trying to be too judgemental of Lucy Liu, but I still prefer the BBC's take.

Has anyone else watched either or both?  What are your thoughts?

-Yes, this is Grendal_71, and this is my first post back after many,many moons away.  I have survived multiple deployments, and am enjoying being home and playing domestic games with the spouse.  It's good to see this site still up and operating.  Errrrr.

[Tomato]

I haven't watched "Elementary" yet, and I'm likely not going to. Part of the reason "Sherlock" won me over was that there was real effort on the part of the writers about specifically how he made his deductions, some of which are clear homages to the original stories. He uses modern tools like cell phones and search engines merely as a way of organizing and tracking down his own deductions and theories, not to impress a hot chick by looking her up on google.

"Not everything is deducible?" Try "we're too lazy to write a real deduction, but we think we're being clever by playing the google card." I'll pass, thanks.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Sherlock is a good Sherlock Holmes story.  Elementary is an okay procedural series which happens to steal a few names from the Sherlock Holmes books.  There is no comparison, really.

[Talavar]

Throw in the fact that Elementary is a shameless rip-off of the BBC's success with Sherlock, and I don't think you'll find many people willing to argue that Elementary is the superior show.

[Tomato]

Throw in the fact that Elementary is a shameless rip-off of the BBC's success with Sherlock, and I don't think you'll find many people willing to argue that Elementary is the superior show.

Well, that, the Downey movies, and the long successful run of "House M.D." And, y'know, the fact that Sherlock Holmes is one of the most enduring fictional characters in literature.

I'm just saying, you can't riff on Elementary for being a knock off of a show that was, itself, the second or third "modern" take on the character, and especially not concerning a character who has been adapted as much as Sherlock Holmes has. It's problem is that it doesn't seem to be that good of an adaptation.

[Grendal_71]

Well, Benedict Cumberpatch (if that is indeed his real name) OWNS Johnny Lee Miller...

"I'm not a psycopath Anderson, I'm a high functioning sociopath....do your research"  -- Brilliant!

[Reepicheep]

I'm a major fan of Sherlock Holmes, and I have been for a very, very long time. My final major project in my architectural design course is an exhibition for Arthur Conan Doyle based in one of his old houses. I absolutely love the stories.

Trust me when I say, you don't know a Sherlock snob until you've met me.

The Robert Downey Jr movies, despite his pristine acting, made me quite angry - it was just so very wrong. Benedict Cumberbatch makes me very happy and I am excited for more. Jeremy Brett, however, is the only real Sherlock for me.

Knowing how much of a snob I am, I'm gonna struggle to bring myself to watch Elementary. I can't stand when Sherlock is used for the sake of Sherlock. Maybe I'll try it, but I fear for those around me when I dispense my fury.

[Talavar]

I'm a big Holmes fan myself, but don't have a (serious) problem with the Robert Downey Jr. films.  While things have been changed for those films, they've also featured major elements of Holmes that many other adaptations forget - his Bohemian nature & style, his frequent use of disguises, his canonical skills at boxing, stick-fighting and fencing (though the RDJ films focus on action too much).

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

I liked the first RDJ movie, although it still wasn't as good as Sherlock, but found myself bored out of my skull watching the second one.  It just held no interest to me at all.

I think Moriarty was a large part of him, this version of him held no interest to me at all.