CBS's "Elementary"

[Undead Medic]

It seems CBS have taken the move of making Watson a woman:

 

CBS' Sherlock Holmes pilot, Elementary, will indeed be a modern take on the famed story.

 

our editor recommends

 

 

 

 

'Dexter' Killer Tapped to Play Sherlock Holmes in CBS Pilot

 

For the first time, Holmes' famed sidekick, Watson, will be played by a woman with Lucy Liu nabbing the part, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

 

Full "Story" Here.

 

Another article Here in The Express on the Internet fan reaction.

[Angstosaur]

stunt casting?

 

a female Watson, hmmm ... is that to avoid any homo-erotic fanfic being written about 'Elementary' ? ;-)

 

also ... will they be having a British actor act an with an American accent in the role of Sherlock in NY? because that just seems wrong to me ...

Edited March 4, 2012 by Angstosaur

[Undead Medic]

stunt casting?

 

a female Watson, hmmm ... is that to avoid any homo-erotic fanfic being written about 'Elementary' ? ;-)

 

Give the fanfic writers some credit, they'll find a way around that tiny detail!

[Angstosaur]

Give the fanfic writers some credit, they'll find a way around that tiny detail!

 

yeah ... there's always Lestrade ... and they could cast a male in the role of the housekeeper and have Mr Hudson, a name already in use for a butler ... and then Watson could find herself in a strange triangle ... OK, I'll stop there ...

[Undead Medic]

stunt casting?

 

a female Watson, hmmm ... is that to avoid any homo-erotic fanfic being written about 'Elementary' ? ;-)

 

also ... will they be having a British actor act an with an American accent in the role of Sherlock in NY? because that just seems wrong to me ...

 

From what I've heard the character of Sherlock is being kept British. But that could just be rumour...

[Banshee]

Fanfic will always find a way...

[Sherlock]

I really don't know how I feel about this but I suspect CBS's version will be awful.

[Undead Medic]

I really don't know how I feel about this but I suspect CBS's version will be awful.

 

I have to confess to being dubious, not because Watson is set to be a woman, more of the motivations behind that decision. I for one don't believe this is due to a desire to balance out the gender bias on TV, but more to appear "different" and edgy.

[Sherlock]

No I strongly suspect it's more to do with the Americans being 'edgy' over anything remotely homoerotic. That and the fact that if they do anything too closely resembling 'Sherlock' Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss will sue.

[Undead Medic]

That's pretty much my feeling; its like they're standing up and proclaiming "Look It's different, See... Nothing like the BBC version, honest!"

[Banshee]

That's pretty much my feeling; its like they're standing up and proclaiming "Look It's different, See... Nothing like the BBC version, honest!"

Yeah, well... They are going to try so hard to be different that they are going to end up being the same...

[Erika]

I'm holding out putting any opinions on this until I actually see it. I don't think that anybody has any more rights to remake Sherlock Holmes then anybody else. There have been over 200 different versions of our beloved character over the 130+ years of his existence. The execs for Sherlock even said that themselves.

 

I like Lucy Liu. She is a good actress, and I'm sure she will portray this Joan Watson well. It's the writing and stories I'm more nervous about really...

 

The only thing I don't like is that they asked permission from Moff and Co. to remake THEIR series into an American version, then they were turned down and went ahead with it anyways. Hmm. As long as it's not a deliberate copy, which would be without permission, then that wouldn't bother me as much.

[Undead Medic]

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Lucy Liu, I used to love her as Ling in Ally McBeal, and she is awesome in Kill Bill. It is more the motivation for making Watson female and the potential for cringe-worthy plots that I'm dubious about. I'll probably watch it out of curiosity and it may well surprise me.

[Punch me in the face]

I'm not really feeling Elementary myself, and it isn't necessarily because it has a Joan Watson.

I might have a look at it some time, but I do know I would have to be very, very bored to do so.

[Banshee]

I just get this feeling of "oh, for the love of everything, could an American network come up with something new?" Which I guess is a bit unfair, cos every so often they do come up with new ideas, but they are so few and far between (and get canned so quickly)... *sigh*

[Punch me in the face]

I just get this feeling of "oh, for the love of everything, could an American network come up with something new?" Which I guess is a bit unfair, cos every so often they do come up with new ideas, but they are so few and far between (and get canned so quickly)... *sigh*

 

"Oh, they took something British, changed (a few little) bits, (put USA behind it) and think they're so original."

Is kind of what I'm thinking. Well... I am not saying no original ideas are come up with in the USA, but I'm so tired of hearing that CBS asked the rights for something, didn't get it, decides to go through, or gets yelled at because they wanted to remake something and got claims on copyright, etcetera, and so forth... OTL

[Banshee]

"Oh, they took something British, changed (a few little) bits, (put USA behind it) and think they're so original."

 

*cough*Being Human US*cough*

[Punch me in the face]

*cough*Being Human US*cough*

 

Really? Dear God. I don't watch it, but I've come across the name of the series often enough...

I mean, game shows, okay- Everyone from every country seems to get rights from fellow channels and then airs it in their own language...

But SERIES, for God's sake! Series are series, they can be found on the internet, or the rights can be bought and it can be aired on any channel, worldwide, WHY is it always so necessary to make your *own* version?

[Banshee]

WHY is it always so necessary to make your *own* version?

 

I keep being told that it is because "British shows are not made with American sensitivities in mind", make of that what you will... *sigh* I can't even.

[Punch me in the face]

I keep being told that it is because "British shows are not made with American sensitivities in mind", make of that what you will... *sigh* I can't even.

 

......... I am at a loss of words.

[Banshee]

......... I am at a loss of words.

Yeah... The thing a lot of American networks forget is that British shows, when they catch on over there, it is quite often because they are very different to American shows. So, grabbing the concept and remaking it "the American way" probably won't work. At least not with the audience that liked the original show, which I would guess is the one they are tryin to target with the remake... There are plenty of examples of this out there... Though I'm told there is also the odd remake that actually worked, but they are often so different from the original that they barely count as remakes...

[Lirael]

What worries me is a rumour I heard that in this version Watson will have lost her license...no, just...no! that is not Watson.

 

And honestly, I'm pretty sure if that if they wanted to turn Watson into a woman for a new approach, they'd have done the same to Sherlock, so I see the sex change as a way to throw in actual romance. Ugh

[Angstosaur]

Interesting interview about 'Elementary' with Steven Moffat:

 

'Steven Moffat 'annoyed' at American version of Sherlock'

 

Includes this:

 

Steven Moffat says he hopes it will be good or it may degrade the Sherlock brand.

"It isn't a version of our show," he said. "They've just decided to go off and do one of their own, having been turned down by us to do an adaptation of our version.

"So how do you think I feel about it? Annoyed is in there."

 

and this:-

 

When asked about a possible fourth series, Moffat revealed that Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch was keen to continue playing the lead role.

[I-Spy]

Would have been more interesting if they made both characters into women. That keeps the dynamic between the characters kind of the same, while adding an interesting new twist. There hasn't been a noteworthy female duo on American TV since Xena and Gabrielle back in the 90s. I wonder how a female Sherlock and Watson in modern day would interact with one another...

 

Anyway... with John now being Joan, but much you folks wanna bet Sherlock and his sidekick are gonna hook up somewhere down the line? Heh that was probably the intention behind them giving John a sex-change. God forbid they have the balls to instigate anything homosexual between two main characters on American TV, you know?

[Undead Medic]

Would have been more interesting if they made both characters into women.

 

But then they would have been accused of "Rampant Misogyny" and "Pandering to the heterosexual male fascination with woman on woman action" If even the slightest trace of subtext had been evident. It's a no win scenario.