What Makes "Sherlock" So Good?

[Asli]

I usually dislike transferring classical literature to the modern day, but Sherlock Holmes belongs to the present day. The whole concept of the original novels and stories was about Holmes being ahead of his time, so how does that work if we leave Sherlock Holmes in the 19th century? Conan Doyle's books practically invented forensics. Besides, Sherlock Holmes was not an old man sitting in front of his fireplace but an active and athletic man, a good boxer and swordsman, a guy prepared to live in a cave in the marshes for weeks to solve a case. This series is spot on.

The second series of Sherlock started on the BBC on January 1st and that fantabulous first episode has probably ruined TV for me for the rest of the year. Everything else seems bland in comparison.

That series is pure genius. Incredible writing, acting, directing, photography, editing, music, everything! It is sure to have an impact on television - you just can't make the viewers happy with the same old same old once they have watched these masterpieces.

As a huge LotR fan, I'm so excited about this, and yet, I'm also frustrated because this probably means a longer delay for series 3 of Sherlock.

Apparently Peter Jackson was such a fan of the first series of Sherlock that he decided to shoot The Hobbit in two chunks in order to allow Martin Freeman to do the second series of Sherlock in-between. He may not be able to do that a second time though.

[cailuj365]

Apparently Peter Jackson was such a fan of the first series of Sherlock that he decided to shoot The Hobbit in two chunks in order to allow Martin Freeman to do the second series of Sherlock in-between.

Peter Jackson is a smart man. The first episode of the second series is my favorite too, but all of them are at such a high level.


It's great to see all the love for "Sherlock" on here. I hope that it gets some of the accolades that "Downton Abbey" has gotten this season. I watch "Downton Abbey" too, and while I find it enjoyable, it has a distinct soap opera feel to it. "Sherlock" may be less accessible, but IMO, it's the superior show. I think it really deserves more recognition this side of the Atlantic.

[genegri]

Does anyone know when it will be aired to public in the US?

[cygnus]

Does anyone know when it will be aired to public in the US?

PBS will be running it as part of the Masterpiece Mystery series May 6th-20th.

[ioana]

I hope that it gets some of the accolades that "Downton Abbey" has gotten this season. I watch "Downton Abbey" too, and while I find it enjoyable, it has a distinct soap opera feel to it.

Completely agree. I thought DA had lots of promise last season, but now it's just entertaining in this bandaged-Young-Frankenstein-shows-up-as-potential-heir-trainwreck sort of way.

"We are not "all in this together", we are sitting around glued to Downton Abbey."

[Evilynn]

And of course, Freeman will be Bilbo in the new Hobbit movie (Cumberbatch will be the voice of Smaug).

He'll actually plays Smaug the way Andy Serkis plays Gollum, rather than just doing the voice. (He'll do the voice of the Necromancer too, that should be voice only).

[Wyliefan]

Completely agree. I thought DA had lots of promise last season, but now it's just entertaining in this bandaged-Young-Frankenstein-shows-up-as-potential-heir-trainwreck sort of way.

I haven't yet finished DA's second season, but I'm actually liking it better so far. The first season, it was like a soap opera that was trying too hard to be classy. Now it's just like, "Yeah, we're a soap. You want to make something of it?" I like a TV series to be honest.

BTW, Sherlock fans, Cumberbatch does a hilarious BBC Radio sitcom called Cabin Pressure. There's a sample here, and the entire series is downloadable.

[ioana]

The first season, it was like a soap opera that was trying too hard to be classy. Now it's just like, "Yeah, we're a soap. You want to make something of it?" I like a TV series to be honest.

You have a point there, but IMO there were times when they stopped trying altogether now. Not sure which episode you're on now, but the whole Spanish flu episode had me with all the disheveled damsels in distress writhing on their respective pillows while manly men stroked their hand going 'there, there dahlings.' Eh well, as long as Maggie Smith is still involved, I'll watch anything .

About Sherlock: Just saw Cumberbatch in Whistleblower and his American accent was v. good. Plus, he does smug asshole quite well .

[Wyliefan]

Eh well, as long as Maggie Smith is still involved, I'll watch anything .

Hear, hear!

[LilJen]

I appreciated that Cumberbatch's pretend violin playing didn't look as fake as fake violin playing done by actors usually does.

[rjblue]

They put a lot of effort into making his violin playing look realistic.

Benedict needs to be cast as the romantic lead in a regency story- he has the perfect hair and carriage to play a man of that era.

[cailuj365]

They put a lot of effort into making his violin playing look realistic.

Thanks for posting that! I play the violin and was also impressed by his decent mimicry. While watching the episode, I noticed that his bowing was slightly behind the music, and this explains why as he was trying to imitate his coach outside the window.

Benedict needs to be cast as the romantic lead in a regency story- he has the perfect hair and carriage to play a man of that era.

Well, it's not quite Jane Austen, but he was in a BBC miniseries called "To the Ends of the Earth." I saw it streaming on Netflix, but it looks like someone's also uploaded on Youtube.

Just saw Cumberbatch in Whistleblower and his American accent was v. good.

I just watched a clip of him from that movie to hear what his American accent sounded like, and I almost wish I hadn't! Not that the accent was bad as it was decent for the most part (though it sounded like he was overdoing it on some of the vowels). His voice and diction are a large part of his appeal to me, and I think he loses some of the natural deep timbre to his voice when he switches to the American accent. I think I like his voice just the way it is.

[Asli]

His voice and diction are a large part of his appeal to me, and I think he loses some of the natural deep timbre to his voice when he switches to the American accent.

I'm sure he doesn't lose the timbre of his voice because of the accent. He deliberately changes his voice according to the role. In that movie he only has a short time to come across as a shallow character and he probably figured that his velvety baritone voice doesn't suit that purpose. It is all part of what the British call "acting" (TM).

[cailuj365]

I'm sure he doesn't lose the timbre of his voice because of the accent. He deliberately changes his voice according to the role. In that movie he only has a short time to come across as a shallow character and he probably figured that his velvety baritone voice doesn't suit that purpose. It is all part of what the British call "acting" (TM).

Well, I've listened to an interview where he did an American accent, and his voice sounded higher then too. I just think the deep quality to his voice makes him further stand out in addition to his excellent acting, sort of like Alan Rickman. (Yes, I've heard Benedict's Alan Rickman impression. Had me ) In any case, I'm glad that Benedict does a lot of voice work.

[znachki]

So, have you heard the latest on the CBS series Elementary? They've done a gender switch on Watson, and cast Lucy Lui in the part. And that's not the bad part.

Read it and weep...

http://www.deadline.com/2012/02/lucy...ot-elementary/

[kwanfan1818]

They should have cast Sandra Oh with Laura Linney as Sherlock.

[Cachoo]

REHAB??? Joan Watson (sober companion)? Conan Doyle must be turning in his grave. Why do we (Americans) always do this? Why not stick with the original? I know there are times Americanizing something works but so much of the time it stinks. I say this as a fan of Laurie King's take on Sherlock in books. But when it comes to tv we I imagine we could do a thread on series we have copied unsuccessfully. Betcha this one will be the latest example.

[znachki]

Not a big fan of Lui, and I could possibly live with a gender switch. However, if what usually happens, happens, it will become all shippy. I know, I know, people argue all the time about the homoerotic subtext and etc., but even if it's there - it's subtext.

Plus, Sherlock as a post-rehab ex-pat? What happens with the encyclopedic knowledge of his city? What happens to Watson's war experience (unclear whether that remains)? It just gets worse all the time.

I was willing to give the show a shot, but those odds keep going down. Of course, this is just a pilot. It might not make it to series.

Say what you want about Moffat and Gattis, but at least they respect and love the source material. The CBS folks? Must have only seen the RDJ movie.

[danceronice]

I'm sure he doesn't lose the timbre of his voice because of the accent. He deliberately changes his voice according to the role. In that movie he only has a short time to come across as a shallow character and he probably figured that his velvety baritone voice doesn't suit that purpose. It is all part of what the British call "acting" (TM).

I would say it's more part of what the British call "trying and missing with American accents." There are a few (VERY few) British actors who can pull off a convincing American accent, compared to the number of American actors who can pick up at least Recieved Pronunciation easily. Something about the vowels makes it much easier for Americans to ape a UK accent than the other way around. About the only exception is, as they're still closer phonetically, Southern and a few New England regional accents are easier to fake. Also the rare film that shoots for historically-accurate American Revolution...Tom Wilkinson managed both a 1770s mid-Atlantic accent as Ben Franklin and Joe Kennedy's affected Bostonian convincingly.

(Now, never ask an American to try Irish, Scottish, or God help us, Welsh.)

[cailuj365]

So, have you heard the latest on the CBS series Elementary? They've done a gender switch on Watson, and cast Lucy Lui in the part. And that's not the bad part.

Read it and weep...

http://www.deadline.com/2012/02/lucy...ot-elementary/

Oh geez. They might as well have created a completely new series if they were going to make all these changes.