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KimberlyDang
Writing37
ProfessorHaas
11December2014

SherlockHolmesinModernDay

AccordingtoliteraryscholarLeroyPanek,theoriginalaudiencefortheVictorianEra
wasthemiddleclassmalereaderwholongagohadtheabilitybutnottime,toreadfiction
(19).ThemoderntextsofSherlockHolmescanbecomparedtosimilaraspectsthatalso
popularizedConanDoylesSherlockwhichfeaturesDr.Watsonasthenarratorbecausehewas
mostrelatabletotheaudience.InexecutiveproducerandshowrunnerStevenMoffat'sSherlock,
whichairsonBBC,Dr.WatsonisportrayedtobearetiredmaledoctorwhereasinElementary
byCBS,Dr.JoanWatsonisafemalesobercompanionofSherlockHolmes.Modernversionsof
Sherlock,adaptedfromArthurConanDoylesSherlock,isbasedofftheclassicalconventionsof
adetectivegenrebutshareafewdifferencesinordertoattractthe21stCenturyaudiencewithout
losingitscoreappealthatmadeitclassicalltheseyears.
ThemodernversionsofthedetectivegenrekeepthesamecharacteristicsoftheSherlock
Holmesbutstilladapttomodernideas.Forexample,SherlockHolmesisstillabletousehis
sourceofknowledgetoaccuratelydescribeasubjectbasedonappearancebutheincorporates
electronicdevicesinthemoremoderntexts.Tofurtherexplain,inBBCsSherlockHolmes:
TheHoundsofBaskerville,SherlockuseswebcammingtocommunicatewithDr.Watsonwho

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isatthecrimescene.Likewise,anotherexamplefromthemodernversionofSherlockHolmesis
theshowfromCBScalledElementary.TheshowcontainsaSherlockHolmesandJoanWatson
butthesettingisbasedonNewYorkCityincludingamorediversecast.Inthisparticular
modernversiononlySherlockhastheBritishaccentandWatsondoesnot.Thesemoderntextsof
SherlockHolmesexpandstherangeofaudiences.TheshowElementarytargetsitsprimetime
AmericantelevisionaudiencebecausethesettingtakesplaceintheUnitedStatesandAmerican
audiencesareabletorelatewiththismoderntext.Theideaofusingupdatedlifestyleconnectsto
mostviewersbecausetechnologyanddiversityisabigpartofdailylifeintodaysera.
The21stcenturyportrayalsofArthurConanDoylesDr.JohnWatsonstillretainmany
ofthesameelementsandconceptsaswhenWatsonwascreatedwhileconcurrentlyintroducing
newandmodernideasintohischaracter.DoylesintroductionofDr.Watson,amiddleclassman
leavingthearmyhasprovidedasortofbackstoryforallnewreiterationsofthecharacter.
PopularT.V.showssuchasBBCsSherlockandCBSsElementaryhavegenerallyleftthe
conceptofWatsonthatConanDoylecreateduntouched.However,theyhaveexpandedhis
character,addinganewelementofnovelty.Forexample,theCBSshowElementaryinvented
WatsonasanAsianwoman,anideaneverbeforeusedonnationaltelevision.Thesenew
elementsprovidednewkindsofinsightthatallowedwatcherstoexplorenewconnectionswith
thecharacters,bothshallowandindepth.Thoughthesenewtransformationsattractedthe
watcherorreaderusingnoveltyasthebait,muchofWatsonscharacterwaskeptinorderto
provideaninletfortheobserver.Forexample,inBBCsSherlock,Watsonsthoughtswerestill
muchmoresimilartotheviewers,comparedtoSherlocks.Thedirectorschoiceofkeepingthe
sameconceptofWatsonasaveragemiddleclassmanwasanexampleofallowingtheaudience

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tohaveacharactertheycouldeasilyrelateto.ElementaryscounterpartofSherlocksWatsonis
Dr.JoanWatson.ThenoveltyofafemaleWatsonwascompoundedwiththefactthat,asBrain
Chapmanstates,shewasaciviliansurgeon,andIthinkthissimplyopensmorepossibilitiesfor
storylines(WhatCulture).AnexampleoftheextendedconnectabilityofthisversionofWatson
wouldbeherabilitytorelatetothefemaleviewersoftheshow.Watsonslegacyhasevolved
throughthetimesinordertokeepupwiththegrowingandeverchangingpopulation.
InthefirstepisodeofElementary,Dr.JoanWatsonispaidtolookoverSherlockHolmes
whereasDr.Watson,inConanDoylesSherlock,wasstartedofftobeSherlocksroommate.The
scenestartswithWatsonandHolmesinasubwayinamediumcloseupshotthatshowedhow
compactthesubwaywas.InthescenewhereSherlockandDr.Watsonleavethesubwaystation,
Dr.Watsonignoresacallfromherparents.Holmes,withoutanybackgroundknowledge,isable
tofigureoutshehadignoredacallfromherparentsandknowingabouthermothertakingher
dadbackafterherdadsaffair.Thissceneisshotfromahandheldcamerawithacloseupshoton
bothWatsonandHolmes.Thehandheldshotistoputtheaudienceinthesamesituationsasthe
charactersandinthiscasebothWatsonandHolmesarewalking.Thebumpinessoftheunsteady
cameraexpressesthechaoticsettinginthebackground.Mediumcloseupshotsareusedoneach
charactertoputtheaudiencesfocusonthecharactersandallowstheaudiencetoseethe
character'semotions.OnWatsonsface,shehasthelookofconfusionduetoHolmesbeingable
toexplainwhyshedidnotanswerthephonewhereasHolmeshasalookofconfidencewhichis
showninthemediumcloseupshots.Watson,likemostaveragepeople,isconfusedbyhow
Holmeswasabouttofigurethesituationwithherparentsbyjustwatchingherignorethephone
call.Averagepeople,whocan'tdescribemanyfeaturesofasubjectinonesecond,canrelateto

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JoanWatsonbecausetheysharethesamekindofthinking.Thenextpartofthescenewasfilmed
usingatrackingshot,whenWatsonandHolmesarewalkingonthewaytothecrimescene.The
smoothnessofthecamera,unlikethehandheldshot,expressesthetranquilityofthesceneand
buildsuptheintensityforwhatisabouttocome.ThemodernversionofSherlockHolmesshow
hisabilitytosolvecrimeswhichbuildstheanxiousandexcitedfeelinginthe21stcentury
audiencemakingtheviewerswantingmore.
ModernandpremodernversionsofSherlocksharemanysimilarattributessuchasbeing
theheroandgenius.ConanDoylesSherlockdisplaysageniuswhoisabletofiguretheanswer
toallthecrimesheinvestigatesandshareawkwardconversationswithpeople.Sherlockfrom
Sherlockisageniusaswellwhodislikesthepolicebecausehebelievesthepolicecannotsolve
crimesontheirown,howeverSherlockfromElementaryuseshisresourceswhoarethepolice.
Though,likethepreviousSherlocks,ElementarysSherlockisverysmart,cleverandisquickto
figureoutsolutionsofthecrimescenes.Sherlockisseeninbothmodernandpremoderntextto
beawkwardtowardspeople.InmoderntextsofSherlock,theaudiencelooksatSherlockasa
hero,anadmirablerolemodeltheycouldlookuptowhichwaswhatpeoplefromtheVictorian
ErafeltwhilereadingSherlock.Sherlocktiestogetherthedetectivegenrebyinvestingallthe
crimesandconventionsofasuperherobybeingaherowhichiswhyaudiencesfromthe
VictorianEraand21stCenturyappealtoSherlocktexts.
IntheepisodeAStudyinPinkfromSherlock,Watsoninvestigatesthevictim.Aclose
upisonWatsonsfaceshowsthepressureWatsonisfeelingunderHolmes.Watsonfeelsthe
pressurebecausehethinksHolmesexpecthimtosolvethemurdercorrect.Aftergettingthecase
wrong,Holmesthengiveshisexplanationwithoutlayingafingeronthesubject.Theshot

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displayedisthelowangleshottoshowtheaudiencetheintensityandsuperiorityofSherlock
overWatsonandthepolice.InbothpremodernandmoderntextsofSherlock,heisgivenalotof
respectbecauseofhissuccesswhichiswhythecharactersfeelinferiortowardsholmes.Thelow
angleshotistoalsoshowtheaudiencethereissomethingbelowSherlockHolmesthatpertains
tothesceneandinthiscaseistheladyinthepinkdress.ThecameratiltsupasSherlockis
gettingupsohecouldfurtherexplainthesituationandthesettingdisplayedintheroom.Thelow
keylightingshowninthesceneistodepictthedarkandgruelingscenery.AllofSherlocks
crimescenesinmodernandpremodernversionsarealldarkandbrutal.Theshakinessasthe
handheldcameraistryingtofollowSherlockHolmesallowstheaudiencetoviewSherlockin
theeyesofWatsonandthepolice.ThepurposeoftheshakinessisshowtheaudienceSherlockat
thesameeyelevelasanyothercharactersinthescene.Inthismoderntext,Sherlockexhibitsthe
sameattributesofholdingmoreauthorityoverWatson.TheaudienceisawareofSherlock's
tacticsincurrentandoldtextsofSherlockbuttheaudiencealwayswanttoknowmoreofthe
mysterywhichalsocontributetotheconventionsofadetectivegenre.
ThetvseriesElementaryandSherlockdisplayanupdatedversionofConanDoyles
Sherlock.ModerntextsdisplayconventionsthatpopularizedthedetectivegenreinVictorianEra
andmodernera.SeveralaspectsincludingWatsonasagirlandanupdatedtechnologybut
keepingtheoriginalconceptofSherlockiswaswidelypopularizedinthecurrentT.V.audience.
ThemoderntextsofSherlockconsistsofrelatingwiththeaudience,buildingsuspenseand
havinganadmirableherotolookupto.

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Citation

Panek,Leroy.AnIntroductiontotheDetectiveStory.BowlingGreen,OH:Bowling
GreenStateUniversityPopularPress,1987.Print.

SherlockHolmes,TheHoundsofBaskerville.MillCreekEntertainment,BBC2012.Film.

Elementary,Pilot.Perf.JonnyLeeMiller,LucyLiu.CBS2012.Film.

"Superhero".TvTropes.N.d.Web.15November2014.

Chapman,Brian."10ReasonsWhyElementaryIsBetterThanSherlock."
WhatCulturecom10ReasonsWhyElementaryIsBetterThanSherlock
Comments.N.p.,9Jan.2014.Web.26Nov.2014.