Forget 'Sherlock,' This 154-Episode Detective Series Did Sherlock Holmes Better

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Published Sep 30, 2026, 7:52 PM EDT

Collier Jennings is an entertainment journalist with extensive experience. Collier, or "CJ" to his friends and family, is a dedicated fan of genre films - particularly science fiction, fantasy, and comic book adaptations, not to mention all forms of animation. This stems from a close bond with his father, who introduced him to these genres via copies of X-Men comics and reruns of the original Ultraman series. With his near-encyclopedic knowledge and bottomless love of genre, he's tackled a wide variety of articles.

Certain characters, like James Bond or Spider-Man, have often been reimagined in different forms of media throughout the years. One character that's thrived the most is Sherlock Holmes. Whether it's Young Sherlock, which explores the legendary detective's younger years, or Without a Clue, which bases its humor on the fact that his longtime associate Dr. Watson is the actual brains behind the operation, there's no shortage of Holmes stories. Some would argue that the BBC's Sherlock is the definitive version, as it brought Holmes into the modern era and catapulted Benedict Cumberbatch into superstardom. However, there's another modern-day take on Holmes' adventures that's worth watching.

We're talking, of course, about Elementary. First making its debut on CBS in 2012, Elementary also filters the Sherlock Holmes mythos through a modern lens. It takes some major swings in terms of how it depicts certain characters, particularly Holmes (Johnny Lee Miller) and Watson (Lucy Liu). In this take, Dr. Joan Watson is hired by Holmes' father to serve as his sober companion in New York. Very soon, Holmes starts helping the NYPD solve crimes, with Watson eventually developing her own skills as a detective. Though it was initially met with skepticism, Elementary quickly became one of the more enduring interpretations of Sherlock Holmes.

'Elementary' Remixes and Updates Sherlock Holmes Lore to Great Effect

Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as Sherlock Holmes and Watson in Elementary.

From its very first episode, Elementary proved that it was more than willing to shake up what fans knew about Sherlock Holmes. While Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories briefly touched upon the fact that Holmes partook in drugs, Elementary showcased the toll they took on his life, including how they cost him his position as a consultant for Scotland Yard. Watson's partnership with Sherlock also drastically changes, as she eventually becomes his partner in crime solving and later a detective in her own right. She even launches her own detective agency in Season 3, solving cases on her own. Even the shift to New York manages to keep the flair of Holmes' classic cases while also fitting into the procedural formula of CBS's more popular shows.

Elementary saved its biggest, and arguably its best twist, for the end of Season 1. Holmes' drug issues stem from the supposed murder of his girlfriend Irene Adler by the criminal mastermind Moriarty, which makes things personal when Moriarty resurfaces to torment the detective. While things look up for Holmes when he reunites with Irene, it's eventually revealed that Irene is Moriarty. Combining Sherlock Holmes' greatest love and his greatest enemy was a wild swing for Elementary to take, but it works thanks to Natalie Dormer's unpredictable and utterly chilling performance as Moriarty.

'Elementary' Quickly Became One of CBS' Most Popular Series

Throughout 7 seasons and 154 episodes, Elementary wound up as one of CBS' most popular series, scoring high critical reviews and ratings throughout its run. Most of this was credited to the dynamic between Miller and Liu, as Watson and Holmes slowly grow into the iconic partnership that fans know and love. Their back and forth also adds some much-needed levity to some of Elementary's darker moments, especially a running gag where Holmes introduces Watson in a number of roles. Ironically, it took time for viewers to warm up to Elementary, as many people thought it was too similar to Sherlock. Series creator Robert Doherty pointed out that there was a history of modernizing Sherlock Holmes in adaptations, stretching back to Basil Rathbone's performance.

"Sherlock has been contemporized dating back to the forties. There were movies with Basil Rathbone set in the Victorian era, and then suddenly there were movies with Basil Rathbone in World War II where they’re fighting Nazis...because he exists mostly in the public domain, many hands have handled Sherlock over the years and Watson and the premise and the show. He’s been everywhere."

CBS would later return to the world of Sherlock Holmes after Elementary with Watson, co-created by Elementary producer Craig Sweeney and starring Morris Chestnut as John Watson, who uses the skills he acquired under Holmes to solve medical cases. Watson only lasted for two seasons, but its existence is proof that Elementary is just as influential as Sherlock.

Release Date 2012 - 2019-00-00

Directors Guy Ferland, John Polson, Christine Moore, Seith Mann, Jerry Levine, Lucy Liu, Larry Teng, Aaron Lipstadt, Andrew Bernstein, Michael Slovis, Sanaa Hamri, Alex Chapple, Michael Pressman, Jennifer Lynch, John David Coles, Jonny Lee Miller, Peter Werner, Jeremy Webb, Adam Davidson, Aidan Quinn, Colin Bucksey, Craig Zisk, David Platt, Helen Shaver

Writers Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Tamara Jaron, Kelly Wheeler, Jordan Rosenberg, Arika Lisanne Mittman, Peter Ocko, Mark Hudis, Nick Thiel, Brian Rodenbeck, Cathryn Humphris, Paul Cornell, Richard C. Okie, Christopher Hollier, Andrew Gettens, Lauren MacKenzie

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