Tuesday 14 February 2012

ELEMENTARY, dear Jonny

Tuesday 14 February 2012
Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting, Eli Stone) has been cast as Sherlock Holmes in CBS' modern-day update entitled Elementary. A project that's causing raised eyebrows at the BBC, whose globally successful Sherlock has likely inspired this American take on the same idea.

Bizarrely, Jonny Lee Miller recently co-starred with Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch in Danny Boyle's theatre play Frankenstein (where they alternated playing Dr Frankenstein and the Monster every performance). I wonder what Cumberbatch thinks of his colleague playing the lead role in what's widely seen as a cynical cash-in on the BBC's success...

It'll also be interesting to see if the BBC take legal action against the producers of Elementary, should their show have too many similarities to Sherlock. It's a tricky legal issue, seeing as the idea of modernising Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic sleuth isn't copyrightable, but apparently there's a case to answer if Elementary reproduces the distinctive ingredients of Sherlock—like its costume design, specific plots, and visual style.

If CBS like the pilot of Elementary (currently being written by Robert Doherty, to be directed by Dexter's Michael Cuesta), expect this New York-set version to debut as part of their 2012/13 season.