The BBC’s state of the rights to Sherlock Holmes has given artists a lot more creative freedom.

As such, many adaptations of Sherlock Holmes have made big changes to the character and his stories, with some of the most notable ones being those that brought him to the modern world. Such was the case for the BBC’s Sherlock, created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. Sherlock followed Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) in modern-day London, solving crimes with his flatmate and friend, John Watson (Martin Freeman). Sherlock was a big success, though its final two seasons decreased in quality, but an even better modern Holmes was released two years later.

Elementary Premiered 2 Years After Sherlock With A Similar Premise

Elementary Was Also A Modern Version Of Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock premiered in 2010, but two years later, Elementary was released. Created by Robert Doherty, Elementary premiered on CBS, and it starred Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson. Like Sherlock, Elementary brought the Great Detective, Watson, and other characters from Conan Doyle’s stories to the modern day, though, unlike the BBC’s miniseries, Elementary took them out of London (but Holmes was still English).

In this version, Holmes was also a consulting detective who used to work with Scotland Yard, but was also struggling with substance-use disorder. Holmes moved to New York City and began assisting the New York City Police Department in solving crimes, often coming into conflict with Captain Thomas Gregson (Aidan Quinn). However, due to his recovery process, Holmes had to have a sober companion, and so his father hired Dr. Joan Watson to accompany him, though she ended up becoming his professional partner.

Of course, Elementary also brought other notable characters from Conan Doyle’s stories, but with some changes and twists. The biggest one was Moriarty, who in Elementary was Jamie Moriarty (Natalie Dormer), who posed as Irene Adler and was the great love of Holmes’ life. Elementary stuck around for seven seasons and ended in 2019.

Elementary Was A More Consistent Show Than Sherlock

Elementary’s Quality Was Good From Beginning To End

Despite their similar premise, and as great as Sherlock was, Elementary stands as the better modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes on TV. A key element to Elementary’s success was its consistency, as it was able to maintain its quality and style from beginning to end. Sherlock, on the other hand, had a strong start in its first two seasons, but it all crashed down after season 2’s finale, “The Reichenbach Fall.” Sherlock never recovered from Holmes’ fake death, and the quality of the final two seasons dramatically decreased.

Elementary’s procedural drama format made it easier for it to be more consistent.

All seasons of Elementary were positively received by critics and viewers, with a slight decrease in its final season, but nothing alarming. Elementary was praised for its performances, writing, tone, and its approach to the source material, with all the changes made to the characters and their stories perfectly fitting the show’s story and style – which, unfortunately, can’t be said about Sherlock. While both shows were good, Elementary’s procedural drama format made it easier for it to be more consistent.

Elementary Avoided Most Of The Mistakes That Killed Sherlock

Elementary Did Some Things Better Than Sherlock

Another key element to how Holmes faked his death, and instead used fan theories in a way that felt disrespectful to the audience. Now, Elementary also used the storyline of Holmes’ fake death, though it wasn't until the show’s final episodes, with Holmes returning to give a proper ending to his story, Joan’s, and the show in general.

Elementary also never introduced a third Holmes sibling, which was one of Sherlock’s biggest mistakes. Sherlock’s final season introduced Eurus Holmes, the youngest but also most dangerous Holmes sibling, but nothing about her made sense. Elementary had a much clearer direction than Sherlock, and along with its consistency, writing, performances, and more, it became the better modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes on TV.