SherlockandElementarymay have the same premise, but the shows are different enough for fans of Arthur Conan Doyle’s character to watch both without worrying about comparisons. CBS’sElementarypremiered in 2012, two years after BBC’sSherlockdebuted. Between theRobert Downey Jr.-led Sherlock moviesand the BBC show, Sherlock Holmes was experiencing a popularity resurgence in the early 2010s that made an American show all but inevitable. Still, given thatElementarywould also be about a contemporary version of the character,comparisons between the CBS show and the Benedict Cumberbatch one quickly dominated the conversation.
Jonny Lee Miller played a very different contemporary Sherlock Holmes from Benedict Cumberbatch, and that was only one of many differences between the CBS procedural and the BBC show. However, considering thatElementarycame outwhenSherlockwas at its peak– both in terms of popularity and quality – the American show would often be unfairly compared to the British one.Elementarywas not trying to hit the same notes asSherlock, which is why watching both series makes for very distinct experiences.
Elementary’s Procedural Formula Makes It Completely Different From Sherlock
While bothSherlockandElementarysaw Holmes working on a different case every episode, the structure of the CBS show could not have been more different from the BBC one. As an American network television series,Elementaryusually had 24 episodes per season. It ran for seven seasons and concluded its run at 154 episodes. BBC’sSherlock, on the other hand, had 12 episodes in total and a special. Another big difference was the length of said episodes –eachSherlockepisode was 90 minutes long, whereasElementary’s episodes were 44 minutes long.
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Elementarywas a more traditional procedural whose structure was not that different from most American crime shows, the only catch being that Sherlock Holmes was now involved.Elementaryincluded all of the tropes you would expect from aCSIorLaw & Orderepisode, yet it never felt too generic thanks to the character of Sherlock Holmes. This was a different approach from BBC’sSherlock, where each episode felt like a chapter of a larger story. The cases in BBC’sSherlockfelt bigger and more interconnected than the ones inElementary.
Elementary And Sherlock Aren’t Really Similar (Despite Having The Same Premise)
Sherlock And Elementary Share Little Other Than Their Main Character
It’s easy to compareSherlockandElementarygiven that they share the same premise – a contemporary version of Sherlock Holmes’ mythos. However, there are so many differences between the shows that is arguably unfair to compare them.Sherlockhad a unique charm that would be impossible to replicate in a show with 24 episodes per season, just likeElementary’s hundreds of cases of the week offered something one would never get from the BBC show.
Sherlock Season 5: Will It Happen? Everything We Know
The modern adaptation Sherlock went off the air after a controversial fourth season in 2017, and fans have been clamoring for a season 5 ever since.
WhenElementarywas announced, there was some controversy surrounding the CBS series' similarities to BBC’sSherlockthat almost evolved into a legal battle. Back in 2012,Sherlockproducer Sue Vertue revealed that CBS had approached them to remake the British show, which did not happen (viaThe Independent). ToThe Hollywood Reporter, CBS explained thatElementarywas going to be based on Sherlock Holmes and related characters, not the BBC show. Interestingly,ElementaryoutlivedSherlock, with the former ending two years after the latter.
Sherlock
Cast
In this incarnation of Sherlock from creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman assume the roles of Sherlock and Watson as they establish their partnership and begin solving strange mysteries throughout the U.K. and beyond. Set in a more 2010’s modern setting, Sherlock’s eccentric and complex nature is accentuated as he solves seemingly supernatural crimes with unparalleled intellect while struggling to connect with others on a human level. Meanwhile, Watson blogs the stories summarizing their cases while building a strained but caring friendship with his new partner.
