Elementary! (Or CBS capitalizing on the success of Sherlock)

The picture above is not from the series. It's from a movie called The Zero Effect which was a modern take on the Sherlock Holmes story A Scandal in Bohemia.

But it looks as though CBS wants in on the success that the BBC has been having with the series Sherlock by creating their own modern-day retelling with a series titled...

...wait for it...

...Elementary.

Although this is not really the first attempt at an American version of Sherlock Holmes. Along with the movie The Zero Effect mentioned above, both the series's Monk and House both take aspects of the character and the stories of Sherlock Holmes.

I mean House even lives on 221B Baker Street for heathen snakes!!

And to ensure the series is a dismal failure, it will take Sherlock Holmes and have him solving crimes in modern-day New York City.

However, if they end up enlisting someone like David Tennant, Eddie Izzard or Christopher Eccleston in the role I might change my opinion of the production.

I had heard a rumor from someone that Robert Downey Jr. might star in the series but I think that is total bullshit. Especially after the rigorous schedule of filming the series Ally McBeal nearly killed him.

Besides, given how much he probably made between Sherlock Holmes and Iron Man I don't think he'll have much interest in breaking his back making a weekly television series.

I really can't think of another American actor off-hand who could really pull off the eccentric qualities of Holmes. At least not in the way that Benedict Cumberbatch has made the part his own on television.

But I fear we're probably going to end up with someone like Ashton Kutcher or Charlie Sheen as Sherlock Holmes.

Tops on my holiday wish list: Sherlock Holmes starring Peter Cushing

This will probably be my gift to me this Christmas. Or at least my post-Christmas gift to me!!

I've been waiting for the BBC to release the Sherlock Holmes television series Peter Cushing starred in after taking over the title role from Douglas Wilmer in 1968.

From what I have seen online, it has become my second favorite Sherlock Holmes series next to the one Jeremy Brett starred in for Granada Television. And for a lot of the same reasons as the Granada series such as the costumes and the actor playing the title role. I like Cushings sharp, energetic and occasionally rude take on Sherlock Holmes. Which is very much the way the character was written in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's story.

Although, he doesn't have that maniac spark that I really liked about Jeremy Brett's take on Holmes. At the same time that's the reason I liked Cushing's Holmes.

Much like Basil Rathbone, Douglas Wilmer, Robert Stephens and much later Jeremy Brett, I like seeing people's approach to the character. In the same way as Doctor Who or James Bond, each actor brings something different to the table. And much like both of those series's, it's inevitable you have your favorites. And Peter Cushing and Jeremy Brett are definitely mine.

What delights me even more is to find out that there WAS a proper adaptation to A STUDY IN SCARLET. Although, there are a few deviations from the original story, this one sticks pretty close to the original text. I thought the only adaptation was a 1930's starring a rather portly Reginald Owens as Sherlock Holmes, which had very little in common with the story except for sharing the same name.

My thoughts on the new Sherlock Holmes film...

I'm not completely put off by the thought of Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson respectively. In that respect Guy Ritchie got it fairly right as far as age is concerned. In the first Sherlock Holmes stories, both Holmes and Watson are actually around the age of 27. Although, this would make both actors too old to play the part seeing that Robert Downey Jr. is 43 and Jude Law is 36. But in the grand scheme of things they're young guys. So, let's not split hairs.

Although, here's a tidbit of information for you all. One of Jude Law's earliest acting appearances was all the way back in 1991 in an episode of The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. The episode was Shoscombe Old Place which starred the ultimate Sherlock Holmes Jeremy Brett.

I happen to like Jude Law. I thought he gave a really great performance as Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas in the film Wilde. That was the movie that kind of won me over for his acting chops. Sort of the same way Chaplin won me over for Robert Downey Jr.'s acting.

Strangely enough, both films are bio's.

But with this said, I think this is probably the most unusual Holmes and Watson since Nicol Williamson and Robert Duvall were Holmes and Watson in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.

And yes. You read that right. Robert Duvall as Watson.

I don't know much about the series of comic books by Lionel Wigram this upcoming movie is based upon. So, I really can't give an opinion on something I haven't seen or know nothing about.

I suppose from a marketing standpoint, I understand Guy Ritchie's choice for Holmes. There's no bigger name in Hollywood that is in demand other than Robert Downey Jr. at this very moment. And like I said, he's an actor I really like. And I'm happy he has cleaned up his life and he's getting the respect and the attention he deserves.

But here's my feelings. I think a lot of books and movies take a huge risk at trying to make Sherlock Holmes more dynamic. Because it can either work brilliantly or it can blow up in your face.

A good case in point is the movie A Study in Terror which starred John Neville as a more youthful Sherlock Holmes than most moviegoers were use to seeing with the tagline: "Sherlock Holmes meets Jack the Ripper! Here comes the original caped crusader!"

Both Batman T.V. series and James Bond were massively popular at the time. So, the producers were really heavily marketing it on that angle.

And it's a great film!! It didn't do good originally in the box offices. But it's one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes films.

The reason I feel this movie works is because despite stuff like making Holmes a man of action and even giving him a knife which pops out the end of his walking stick, the producers stick close to the original character of Sherlock Holmes. They still remain true to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character while making him James Bond with a cape.

An example of reinventing Holmes that went horribly, horribly wrong is 2002's USA Networks production Sherlock also titled A Case of Evil starring James D'Arcy. It's yet another attempt to do a Young Sherlock Holmes type movie. The producers also saw it fit to give their Young Sherlock a sex drive and make Dr. Watson an eccentric inventor.

How could you possibly go wrong with that? Well, you could and it did!! The movie was awful. AND once again you have Richard E. Grant horribly miscasted as Mycroft Holmes.

As I have stated before I thing REG should be the one playing Sherlock Holmes in most of the productions he has been a part of.

But it's an example of how reinventing the character can make for a really bad film. In this particular film's case, it tried to completely reinvent the whole history of Sherlock Holmes.

With all that said, I'm willing to give Guy Ritchie's film a chance. Mostly because that part of me that likes to see how someone approaches the character of Sherlock Holmes. Good or bad, I like to see how actors approach the character.

Here's another historical fact for you all before I close this blog. When William Gillette took his play Sherlock Holmes to England, the young boy who played Billy the Page on stage was a young Master Charles Spencer Chaplin...

...who Robert Downey Jr. portrayed.