Mastodon Mastodon Mastodon Mastodon Mastodon Elementary - What Steven Moffat thinks about the new show
Sign Up


    Enable Dark Mode!

  • What's HOT
  • Premiere Calendar
  • Ratings News
  • Movies
  • YouTube Channel
  • Submit Scoop
  • Contact Us
  • Search
  • Privacy Policy
Get In Touch
 Join SpoilerTV
Support SpoilerTV
SpoilerTV.com is now available ad-free to for all premium subscribers. Thank you for considering becoming a SpoilerTV premium member!

SpoilerTV - TV Spoilers

Elementary - What Steven Moffat thinks about the new show

17 May 2012

Share on Reddit
This is what Steven Moffat said of Elementary:

"What we did with our Sherlock was just take it from Victorian times into modern day. They've [Elementary] got three big changes: it's Sherlock Holmes in America, it's Sherlock Holmes updated and it's Sherlock Holmes with a female Watson. I wonder if he's Sherlock Holmes in any sense other than he's called Sherlock Holmes. It's almost like they should have made Watson a woman but kept the show in Victorian times. Actually ... that would actually be quite interesting."

Source: blastr
-
Sign Up for the SpoilerTV Newsletter where we talk all things TV!

36 comments:

  1. klutzy_girl17 May 2012 at 19:19

    Um, wow. I'm not interested in Elementary, but Moffat's version isn't the only one. Why does he care how well it does? Won't affect his show. Hell, there's movies out! I wonder how he feels about this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bruce_F17 May 2012 at 19:21

    As I mentioned in another thread, Elementary is the way it is because it's the type of show that works for CBS.  Sure, doing it as a Victorian era show would have been nice but period dramas aren't really CBS' thing.  They're already taking a big gamble with "Vegas" this season.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lou17 May 2012 at 19:24

    I still think it would have been better with Lucy Liu as a female Holmes but still its CBS so it won't be anything radical and will end up being Sherlock Holmes merely in name.  

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jackie Johnson17 May 2012 at 19:27

    I would like him better if he kept his mouth shut.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Courtney17 May 2012 at 19:27

    Jeez, Moffatt. You're not the only one who ever came up with a modern Sherlock and your show came out between hugely popular movies as well so the same smarmy comment could have been made about your show.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Belizo Júnior17 May 2012 at 19:32

    I agree with moffat , even is there is others "modern sherlock"  versions is obvious there this CBS version is a cheap copy with few changes.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dan Kempner17 May 2012 at 19:35

    While I don't like his answer, they did ask him for his opinion, and he gave them just that.

    ReplyDelete
  8. sharonally17 May 2012 at 19:43

    Mr Moffatt is often not backwards with his opinions however in danger of sounding jingoistic Sherlock is British uniquely British the two movies were not American or american based and Elementary  has a female Watson no just no some things should be left alone I  like him being British I  like the quirkness of Sherlock .

    They took a bold move to update Sherlock and pulled it off with the casting and writing and made a very good show .Americanizing something like this never works .

    ReplyDelete
  9. wazzaoo17 May 2012 at 19:51

    why are they taking a gamble with vegas?

    ReplyDelete
  10. wazzaoo17 May 2012 at 19:51

    how can you say its a cheap copy without even watching it...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Bruce_F17 May 2012 at 19:55

    It's a gamble because it's quite different from the successful formula used by most CBS dramas and different from what the typical CBS viewer is used to.  Usually, when the network tries something this unique it's a disaster.

    ReplyDelete
  12. wazzaoo17 May 2012 at 19:59

    From what Ive seen Vegas looks amazing! Hope they will suceed!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Bob17 May 2012 at 20:06

    I think someone needs to write Moffat back a letter under the pen name of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle saying he hates Moffat's changes.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ineta L17 May 2012 at 20:07

    Not interested in this version...I prefer Moffat's version. It's a true masteriece with PERFECT Watson and Sherlock, so... 

    ReplyDelete
  15. ravenclawwit17 May 2012 at 20:07

    You do realize that Sherlock in Elementary is still british right? He's just living in NY.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Ineta L17 May 2012 at 20:09

     Becaus it's true. It won't be great just and average version of Sherlock. World have found PERFECT Sherlock and Watson and it's Benedict and Martin, so sorry... no chances for me watching it..They presented it as "modern Sherlock" well, hello it's not like we've been watching "modern Sherlock" since 2010.

    ReplyDelete
  17. ravenclawwit17 May 2012 at 20:10

    "blah blah how dare someone make another adaptation of a character that's been adapted millions of times, and I just psychically know this is going to be horrible even though I've never even seen it yet, blah blah". LOL I expect this sort of thing from overinvested Sherlock fans but really Moffat?

    ReplyDelete
  18. RobertAriadne17 May 2012 at 20:19

    Popular, but NOT good. Cumberbatch's Sherlock is vastly superior to RDJ's mugging.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Folie-lex17 May 2012 at 20:19

    I like Moffat's version of Sherlock as much as the next person but who the hell crowned him as the all knowing entity about all things Sherlock Holmes!?

    I'm not defending Elementary or anything (I'm not particulary banking on it being a breakout masterpiece myself) but this selfentitled, righteous attitude sits very badly with me.

    ReplyDelete
  20. David Fischer17 May 2012 at 20:20

    I find Moffat's opinion oh so ironic. I wonder if he is aware of the irony?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Jas17 May 2012 at 20:31

    Probably not. As somebody on my Twitter timeline said earlier: "I'm really glad Sir Arthur Conan Doyle came back from the grave, and told Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat "Worry about my brand.""

    ReplyDelete
  22. Courtney17 May 2012 at 23:02

    Which is only your opinion. Dozens upon dozens of Sherlock Holmes adaptations have been attempted since its inception and Cumberbatch might be a lot of people's 'preferred' by nature of being the most recent and on a half decent version but he's certainly not the only one that has been good.

    ReplyDelete
  23. RobertAriadne18 May 2012 at 01:14

    Of course Cumberbatch isn't the only one that's good; Jeremy Brett also comes to mind. 

    But although RDJ is actually pretty good, it's his bombastic demeanor and poor writing that bring the movies down. Cumberbatch has the advantage of superior writing AND acting ability. If RDJ had a tighter script and a director that can somewhat temper his performance, he would be one of the best.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thomas18 May 2012 at 01:15

    This guy is such a douche-bag. 

    ReplyDelete
  25. MeatyStakes18 May 2012 at 02:15

    Lol, I can't hate Moffat for his reaction, really; he's like "Suuure, I adapt Shelock to modern times, and no everyone does it *scoff*"

    He he, I find it juvenile, but I can't hate the guy for it.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Jeanine Lubbers Gravitt18 May 2012 at 04:29

    This is going to blow and Moffat is spot on.  CBS has tried this Holmes and lady Watson pilot 3 times...THREE!  in 1987 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_of_Sherlock_Holmes_%28film%29  and in 1994  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_Returns  How many times will they go to the well with the same TWIST as their only catcher? 

    ReplyDelete
  27. Jeanine Lubbers Gravitt18 May 2012 at 04:32

    and two previous ones in 1987 and 1994 by CBS...and they both sucked.  Why CBS has amnesia about its previous Holmes failures is beyond me...UNLESS...they are lazily thinking only of piggy-backing on the BBC series....which they are.

    ReplyDelete
  28. swanpride18 May 2012 at 10:06

    So what? The British Society with its still sometimes rigid rules is as much part of the Sherlock Holmes story as the character itself. In fact, the subtle (and in Moffat's version not so subtle) way Sherlock undermines the social rules is a big part of the story. What is there to undermine in the US? Being a little bit crazy and getting what one wants by being bold is more or less considered normal and admirable over there, especially in NY.

    ReplyDelete
  29. swanpride18 May 2012 at 10:13

    Half decent? It's one of the few version, which count. And the only modern version (as in: It's set in the actual world and actually carries the Name Sherlock Holmes, adapting the story and the character instead of just the concept), which worked. RDJ doesn't count, because it DOES NOT play in the modern world, it does play in a steam punk version of London (and personally, while I understand why people like the movies, for me they are more victorian James Bond movies than updated Sherlock Holmes story).
    Moffat tends to be very arrogant, but I can understand that he isn't happy about someone trying to jump on the gravy train. He has a reason to keep a very close look on Elementary, especially since the original plan was simply to purchase the rights for Sherlock from BBC and doing a one to one American version.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Diana18 May 2012 at 16:53

    We really do not have any interest in Elementary.  We think that they could have kept CSI Miami and A Gifted Man.  CBS should have picked up Harry's Law. 

    ReplyDelete
  31. Donna C18 May 2012 at 23:04

     *Sherlock Holmes is awakened in modern times from suspended animation as a
    result of an earthquake. He is aided in his recovery by Amy Winslow (Debrah Farentino), who lives in Baker Street in San Francisco.*

    Exactly how did that get explained?  Please, tell me he was supposed to have been in San Francisco during the 1906 earthquake.  Not he was in a London earthquake and ended up buring in San Fran.

    ReplyDelete
  32. 2spn420 May 2012 at 10:34

     I think it's more because they are basically ripping off his creation which is the first to move Sherlock Holmes into the modern era, and it is pretty clear that Elementary was created due to the success of his show Sherlock.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Ereth Reetnith21 May 2012 at 14:59

    i've read all the books years ago, and some of them again recently (i'm an old fan of Holmes). i had my reservations when bbc said they'd do sherlock in the 21st century but i watched the first ep and i recognised them! it WAS sherlock, it WAS dr. watson... (well, lestrade was actually 'improved' :D ) it was the 21st century london but it was familiar, framework, the structure, all the little details and characteristic, the moods, the attitudes, i knew them.
    i've watched the trailer for 'elementary'. i do not recognize these characters. you may call them sherlock and watson but i don't KNOW them. they just happen to have the same name.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Guy22 May 2012 at 10:32

    I think we can't judge him on what he says here and besides, I perfectly understand his reaction ; CBS approached them, as Moffat's wife said, about remaking Sherlock and if I'm not wrong, the answer was no. That's why they react like this, to me it's perfectly normal. Now I'm sure despite his anger at first, he's come to accept it and anyway, I think he should be confident. Then of course, CBS promised that it would be very different, so wait and see.

    I'm personnally quite intrigued by Elementary and I will watch it because I love Sherlock Holmes, the original one, and I love to see different approaches of his character and his stories. If people can discover how amazing Sherlock Holmes is, then let's do our possible to catch their interest and make them wonder how he's like in the original.

    ReplyDelete
  35. McSwarek23 May 2012 at 11:43

    "World have found PERFECT Sherlock and Watson and it's Benedict and Martin"

    Must be some parallel world, because they're sure not perfect in mine. :)

    ReplyDelete
  36. McSwarek23 May 2012 at 11:46

    Maybe "Elementary's" Sherlock will find a different dynamic. I don't remember undermining social rules being a theme in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books. That's Moffat's take.

    ReplyDelete

NOTE: Name-calling, personal attacks, spamming, excessive self-promotion, condescending pomposity, general assiness, racism, sexism, any-other-ism, homophobia, acrophobia, and destructive (versus constructive) criticism will get you BANNED from the party.