Sherlock's Other Modern Adaptation Avoided One Of The Worst Things About The British Show

One of Sherlock Holmes’ most recent and successful adaptations has been the BBC’s Sherlock, but there was another modern version shortly after it that avoided one of the worst things about Sherlock. In 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced the world to consulting detective Sherlock Holmes in “A Study in Scarlet.” The Great Detective went on to star in four novels and 56 short stories, and for decades, it has been adapted to all types of media, some of them with significant changes to the characters and their stories.

The rights to Sherlock Holmes have allowed artists to adapt the detective’s stories and accompanying characters in different ways, and the most successful ones in recent years have brought them to the modern world. First was Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the famous detective and Martin Freeman as John Watson. Sherlock brought and adapted the characters to modern-day London and was a big success, though not without some controversies. However, two years later, Elementary arrived, and it avoided one of the worst things about Sherlock.

Elementary Had A Lot More Episodes Than Sherlock (And They Came Out Every Year)

Sherlock Was A Miniseries

While Sherlock was in between seasons (seasons 2 and 3, to be exact), another modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes arrived. Created by Robert Doherty, Elementary premiered on CBS in 2012 and ended in 2019 after seven seasons. Elementary also brought Sherlock Holmes to the modern world, but with some key differences from the BBC’s adaptation. In Elementary, Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) had fallen from grace in London and spent some time in rehab for his substance-use disorder. Sherlock relocated to Manhattan, where he was forced to live with a sober companion, Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu).

Sherlock also began working with the NYPD as a consulting detective, with Watson joining him in his many cases and staying with him as his professional partner once her contract as a sober companion was over. Another huge change in Elementary was Holmes’ archenemy Moriarty, who was changed to be Jamie Moriarty (Natalie Dormer), Sherlock’s great love. Elementary was a success with critics and general audiences, and despite its similarities to Sherlock, it stood out for its quality, consistency, and format.

Sherlock BBC Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch

2 Years After BBC’s Sherlock Premiered, The Better Version Of The Show Was Released

The BBC’s Sherlock was great, but two years after it premiered, the better modern version of the Great Detective was released, with some key changes.

Thanks to the latter, Elementary avoided one of the worst things about Sherlock: the number of episodes and the long wait between seasons. Instead, every Elementary season had over 20 episodes (24 consistently from season 1 to 5, with the sixth having 21 and only the final season having 13 episodes), and it released a season every year. Sherlock, on the other hand, had four seasons with three episodes each, and there was a long wait between seasons.

Sherlock’s Format Was Not Unusual For British Shows, But The Hiatus Could Be Frustrating

The Long Wait Between Seasons Played Against Sherlock

Sherlock The Abominable Bride Benedict Cumberbatch

There are differences between American and British TV series, among the biggest ones being the number of episodes each season has. American TV shows typically go over 20, though in recent years, that number has decreased significantly. British TV shows, on the other hand, while some go over 10 (like Doctor Who usually does), have fewer episodes, and the seasons are called “series.” British TV shows also tend to have smaller groups of writers, so shorter seasons take pressure off the writers and production team.

There was a two-year window between the first three seasons, with the special “The Abominable Bride” arriving two years after season 6, thus delaying season 4.

However, in some cases, like Sherlock, the hiatus between seasons (or series) can be very frustrating. There was a two-year window between the first three seasons, with the special “The Abominable Bride” arriving two years after season 6, thus delaying season 4, which was finally released in 2017. The hiatus was even more frustrating after season 2, which ended on a huge cliffhanger after Sherlock was revealed to have faked his death, which led to viewers coming up with all types of theories on how he did so.

I Wish We Had Gotten A Few More Episodes Of BBC’s Sherlock Before The Final Problem

“The Final Problem” Was Sherlock’s Messy Finale

Although the first two seasons of Sherlock used their three episodes wisely to set up the dynamic between Sherlock and Watson, as well as gradually introduce Moriarty (Andrew Scott), I feel the show needed more episodes before “The Final Problem” arrived. Many things went wrong with Sherlock seasons 4 and 5, but the series finale was the biggest problem, as it introduced Eurus Holmes (Sian Brooke) without any previous teases, and her villainous plan didn’t make sense.

Sherlock would have greatly benefited from a few more episodes before “The Final Problem” that properly set up Eurus’ arrival, her influence throughout the show (as she was revealed to have met Moriarty), and better explained her big plan. Elementary didn’t go through these problems thanks to its format, giving it enough time to develop its characters, storylines, and more.