Tuesdays with Media: Serlock vs. Elementary

Sherlock Holmes has had a bit of a resurgence in popularity lately.  In particular, modern day adaptations seem to be in vogue with Sherlock on BBC One and Elementary on CBS.  While both shows share the same source material, each has its own take on the public domain character.  Which one is superior?  Let's take a look.

Sherlock is at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to character development because each of its three seasons has only three 90-minute episodes, while Elementary's two seasons have had twenty-four 45-minute episodes apiece (60 minutes with commercials).  That means that Elementary has had more time to develop its characters and story arcs.  Simply based on format, Elementary has the advantage to showcase the characters.  Point to Elementary.

While the format of Sherlock puts it at a disadvantage for developing the characters, it has the advantage for each individual case.  Each episode focuses on one case, so with double the time, Sherlock can let the story build a lot more before finally being resolved.  Additionally, the shots are often more creative.  There are more visual effects to show what Holmes is thinking.  When he explains how he was able to deduce something, Holmes narrates as there are close-up shots of each clue, reminding the audience that they had a chance to make the same conclusions.  Elementary mostly just has static shots of the good detective explaining what we saw earlier in the episode.  With fewer episodes each season, the production staff of Sherlock have more time for each episode to put together a more visually-stimulating story.  Point to Sherlock.

Character-wise, we have our main detective played by Benedict Cumberbatch on Sherlock and Jonny Lee Miller on Elementary, both very talented actors.  I prefer Miller's take on the character, though that has as much to do with the writing as the acting.  In my opinion, Holmes needs to be a likable jerk, but I just end up hating Cumberbatch's portrayal of the detective.  Miller's Holmes is a jerk, yes, but one that the audience can relate to: he's a recovered heroine addict who's new drug is solving crimes and feeling superior to everyone around him.  The drug addict component makes Holmes more flawed, which I enjoy.  Point again to Elementary.

You can't have Holmes without Dr. John Watson, which both provide in Martin Freeman on Sherlock and Lucy Liu (as Joan Watson) on Elementary.  I prefer Freeman, though Liu's performances in the second season are noticeably improved from the first.  Freeman and Cumberbatch have great chemistry together and they really look like they're having fun together, even when Watson gets annoyed at Holmes' cryptic way of explaining a crime scene.  However, I do enjoy how Liu's Watson has become Holmes protege and she often has a part to play in solving the case by providing some medical knowledge that Miller's Holmes begrudgingly acknowledges.  Plus, the producers of the show took a risk by changing Watson's gender and I applaud them for not making Watson Holmes' love interest.  Even so, point goes to Sherlock on the Watson front.

If you've been keeping track, both shows are tied.  For the tie-breaker, I've decided to simply look at which tells a better story.  Sherlock's version of Holmes is much less likable, but works on more interesting crimes, while Elementary's Holmes is more related, but works on more mundane cases.  However, Elementary's version has had to face his own internal demons more and even put a detective that he regularly worked with in the hospital because of a miscalculation.  Yes, the detective lived, but it still took several episodes for the two characters to be on speaking terms again; that's refreshing to see on television, where so much effort is often put into maintaining the status quo.  Sherlock's Holmes hasn't faced nearly as many obstacles, mostly just people thinking that he and Watson are a gay couple, but that's more of Watson's problem since Holmes never cares what other people think.  The final point goes to Elementary.

I want to reiterate that both shows have very talented people working on them, both in front of and behind the camera.  I prefer the American version, but then again, I am part of its intended audience.

Sherlock is distributed in the US by PBS and Elementary is distributed by CBS Television Distribution