I've been merrily lusting--I mean! watching--Did I say lusting? after Benedict Cumberbatch via his wonderful, sparkly, digital-age Sherlock on PBS. Now that Jonny Lee Miller has taken up the moniker on CBS's Elementary (starring Lucy Liu as Watson), I'm hooked afresh.
Last spring, London's National Theatre was showing Frankenstein, Danny Boyle's freakishly dazzling production of Shelley's classic, and both Cumberbatch and Miller played the main roles. They alternated, even, which made it more exciting -- some nights Cumberbatch was the monster, sometimes Miller. And the night I went, Miller played Dr. Frankenstein. Now, I mention this because a) it founded, or perhaps cemented, a deep and enduring love for both actors, and b) made it much easier to see them as a Victorian police consultant hero -- just now both plopped down in the 21st century.
Where the BBC/PBS's Sherlock sticks to its London roots, CBS's Elementary moves Sherlock to New York in a very modern post-rehab stint. Sherlock, previously a consultant at London's Scotland Yard, took a turn for the worse with substance abuse and ended up on New York City to make a fresh start with the NYPD. Watson is, in fact, a woman, Dr. Joan Watson, who enters Sherlock's life as a compulsory sober companion, care of Sherlock's as-yet absent and wealthy father.
I'm never convinced by pilot episodes, this series' of which premiered September 27. But after a viewing of the second episode from this past Thursday, I'm going to hazard that I'm hooked. It doesn't take much with a cleverly written crime drama and a main character named Sherlock Holmes. Duh.
Also, I have to share the most lovely, entrancing song that appeared at the end of the episode. Props to those trendy folks picking the soundtrack, seriously. Below is a YouTube video of London artist James Mathé/Barbarossa playing the ethereal "Bloodlines." You can also hear it on his MySpace page here.
Pass it along! And I've simply got to find this guy's record.
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