'Elementary' Pilot Review: Is There Room for Another Sherlock?

It's been a pretty busy week, so I'm a little behind in my TV. But I did watch the Elementary pilot, so here's my review.

Elementary is a new drama on CBS and a modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. In this adaptation Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) has been sent to New York by his father to recover from his drug problem. His father hires Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) as a live-in sober companion. Holmes spends his time as a consulting detective for the NYPD.

Miller plays Holmes with all the usual traits and eccentricities. He is able to deduce things about people just by looking at them. He also has little regard for people's feelings. Miller did a fine job portraying these traits, which are common in Holmes adaptations. What surprised me, though, was that toward the end of the episode, Holmes was, at times, a bit more sentimental, something we don't always see in a Sherlock Holmes story. Miller did a great job in these scenes, proving that he was the right choice for Holmes.

We got to know Watson fairly well in this episode, as Holmes deduced that she used to be a surgeon by looking at her hands. A background plot line involved Watson's past and led to those sentimental moments toward the end. I thought Liu did a decent job as Watson, but I found her to be a little dry at times. However, I think that as episodes go on, she will get better. I think my problem may be with the fact that they are using a female Watson. One of my favorite things about the Holmes stories is the bromance between Holmes and Watson, so it was odd seeing a female as a character who becomes Holmes's best friend. I fear that the writers may be tempted to create romantic tension between the two, and I hope they resist that temptation. I think this show will work best as long as the two characters become friends and nothing more.

Speaking of the writers, I thought the writing in this episode was very strong, especially in the dialogue between Holmes and Watson. Now I must bring up BBC's Sherlock, which has some of the best writing on any TV show that I watch. Elementary's writing was not as good as Sherlock's, but it held up pretty well. I think they can make his deductions slicker and some of the other dialogue smoother, but the Holmes-Watson dialogue is good so far. I was pleasantly surprised.

Being a CBS procedural, the plot was quite predictable. But other than that, I thought this was a strong pilot. Although I don't usually like procedurals (with a few exceptions), I will try to keep up with Elementary since I am a fan of Sherlock Holmes. However, it will not be very high priority, so don't expect me to write about it a lot.

If you watched the pilot, feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

My Most Anticipated New Fall Shows

It's been quite some time since my last post, but, summer TV being what it is, there hasn't been much to say. Plus, I've been busy getting ready for and moving into college, so I haven't had much time. So today I figured I would do another list, this time of the new fall shows that I'm most excited for.

1. Revolution (NBC)
If you watched the Olympics, you probably saw the promos for this show many times. Taking place 15 years after a mysterious event rid the world of all electricity, this show promises to be the most complex of the new season. Early buzz has been that the pilot was very good, which makes me even more excited. However, NBC has a poor track record when it comes to high-concept shows like this one (see: Awake, The Event, My Own Worst Enemy), so we'll see how far this one goes. I am going to the advance screening of the pilot here in Boston on Thursday, so expect a full review this weekend. In the meantime, I believe you can watch the pilot on YouTube.
Premiere: September 17 at 10:00 (all times are Eastern time)

2. Arrow (The CW)
As I briefly mentioned in my first post , I am a big DC Comics fan, so when I heard that a show about the Green Arrow was in development, I was quite excited. This pilot has also been praised by both critics and fans who saw it at Comic-Con. The show is most likely an attempt by The CW to get back the male viewers that they lost when Smallville ended, which is a fine plan, as long as the show is good.  The show-runners have promised that other DC characters will show up in the series, so I will definitely be tuning in to this one.
Premiere: October 10 at 8:00

3. Last Resort (ABC)
I don't know much about this show except that it's about a submarine crew that refuses to follow an order to attack a country and are then considered enemies of the United States. I have no clue where the show will go from there, but, based on the concept and the generally good marks given by critics, it could become the network's most popular drama since Lost, provided that subsequent episodes don't drop in quality.
Premiere: September 27 at 8:00

4. Elementary (CBS)
This is the show about which I am the most skeptical. Centered around Sherlock Holmes, who moves to New York to solve crimes, it is sure to be a hit with the normal viewers of CBS procedurals. However, for people like me who are fans of Sherlock, it will inevitably be compared to the excellent BBC show. The oddest thing about the show is the casting of Lucy Liu as Dr. (Joan) Watson. It's an interesting twist, but I'm not sure how it will play out to the Holmes fans. I will definitely check it out, but the pilot is really going to have to hook me in order for me to continue watching.
Premiere: September 27 at 10:00