Jonny Lee Miller is set to play a New York-based Sherlock Holmes in the modern day series, Elementary. But will he be a match for Benedict Cumberbatch?
An odd project, this. Given that Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss and Sue Vertue have successfully brought a brilliant modern day take of Sherlock Holmes to television screens with Sherlock, the decision by CBS to try the same thing is a bit baffling. After all, what can its show, entitled Elementary, really bring to the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?
Vertue revealed back in January that CBS had approached them about a US remake of Sherlock. That didn’t come to fruition, obviously, and so the network has pressed ahead with a version of its own, this time set in New York City.
You can’t help but think that it’s on to a bit of a loser, here.
Still, onwards the project goes, and the first major bit of casting has been revealed. For playing Sherlock Holmes in Elementary will be Jonny Lee Miller. Miller’s most recent work has been in Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, and TV shows such as Dexter and Eli Stone (where he played the title role). We still remember him from Plunkett & Macleane, though. Do we get bonus points for that?
The challenge for Miller will be to put his own spin on the role, and thus avoid tricky comparisons with Benedict Cumberbatch’s terrific portrayal of Sherlock. We’ll keep you posted as to how Elementary is progressing…
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