When CBS first announced they were doing an American Sherlock TV series, the internet basically had a collective meltdown. People were furious. It was 2012, and the BBC’s Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch was at the absolute peak of its cultural powers. To the average fan, the idea of a "Yankee" version of Holmes felt like a cheap, uninspired cash grab. Critics called it redundant. Fans called it blasphemy.
Then Elementary actually premiered.
It wasn't a clone. It wasn't a ripoff. In fact, it ended up being one of the most consistent, emotionally resonant procedurals of the decade. While the British version eventually buckled under the weight of its own cleverness, the American Sherlock TV series—anchored by Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu—built a massive, loyal audience by doing something radical: it made Sherlock Holmes a human being instead of a superhero.
The NY Setting: More Than Just a Backdrop
Moving Sherlock to New York City wasn't just about changing the scenery from fog to yellow taxis. It was a functional choice. Robert Doherty, the creator of the show, wanted to strip Sherlock of his British safety net. In London, he's the eccentric genius everyone tolerates. In New York, he's just another recovering addict in a city that doesn't have time for his nonsense.
He lives in a brownstone in Brooklyn. He wears layers of coats and thrift-store scarves. He works as a consultant for the NYPD, but the relationship is grounded in a gritty, bureaucratic reality that the flashy BBC version never bothered with.
Captain Thomas Gregson, played by the veteran Aidan Quinn, wasn't just a bumbling Lestrade figure. He was a mentor and a friend who actually held Sherlock accountable. This shift in location allowed the show to explore the "Great Detective" as a man in exile. He’s trying to rebuild a life from the wreckage of a massive drug relapse that happened back in London. Honestly, the stakes felt higher because he was starting from zero.
Changing the Game with Joan Watson
The biggest gamble of this American Sherlock TV series was undoubtedly turning John Watson into Joan Watson.
👉 See also: Billie Eilish Therefore I Am Explained: The Philosophy Behind the Mall Raid
The backlash was predictable. Misogyny disguised as "purism" flooded message boards. But casting Lucy Liu was the smartest thing the show ever did. By making Watson a woman, the showrunners didn't lean into a "will-they-won't-they" romance—a trap almost every other show would have fallen into. Instead, they depicted a profound, platonic partnership built on mutual respect and intellectual growth.
Joan starts as Sherlock's "sober companion." She’s hired by his father to make sure he doesn't stick a needle in his arm. But she’s a former surgeon. She has a mind that matches his, even if her methods are different. Over seven seasons, we watch her evolve from a babysitter to a student, and finally, to a peer.
Miller’s Sherlock is twitchy. He’s fast-talking. He’s brilliant but deeply broken. Liu’s Watson is the anchor. She’s the calm in his storm. It’s a dynamic that actually honors Arthur Conan Doyle’s original spirit more than many realize—Watson was always the one who grounded the stories in humanity.
Addiction as a Core Narrative, Not a Quirk
If you read the original books, Sherlock's "seven-percent solution" (cocaine use) is a recurring theme, but it’s often treated as a Victorian eccentricity or a way to cure boredom between cases.
Elementary didn't play it that way.
The American Sherlock TV series treated addiction as a life-long, grueling struggle. It’s the central pillar of the show. We see Sherlock attending AA meetings. We see him struggle with the ego-crushing reality of having a "sponsor." We see how his addiction is tied to his giftedness—his brain moves too fast, and the world is too loud, so he tries to turn the volume down.
✨ Don't miss: Bad For Me Lyrics Kevin Gates: The Messy Truth Behind the Song
This version of Holmes is vulnerable. He fails. He has moments of profound loneliness where his intelligence isn't a gift, but a prison. By the time we get to the later seasons, the cases—though clever—almost feel secondary to the character studies. Watching Sherlock navigate his relationship with his estranged, powerful father (played with chilling brilliance by John Noble) or his complicated feelings for Moriarty provides a depth that episodic television rarely reaches.
The Moriarty Twist That Re-Defined the Mythos
We have to talk about Natalie Dormer.
In most adaptations, Irene Adler is the "woman who beat him," and James Moriarty is the "Napoleon of Crime." Elementary decided to combine them. It was a move that should have failed, but Dormer’s performance made it legendary.
Revealing that the love of Sherlock’s life and his greatest nemesis were the same person added a layer of psychological trauma that explained why he fled to New York in the first place. It wasn't just a plot twist. It was a character-defining revelation. It made their game of cat-and-mouse feel personal. This wasn't just about stopping a criminal; it was about Sherlock facing the person who understood his mind better than anyone else and chose to use that power for destruction.
Why It Outlasted the Competition
The BBC Sherlock gave us 13 episodes over a decade. The American Sherlock TV series gave us 154.
You’d think the quality would dip significantly with that many hours of television to fill. Sure, there are some "case-of-the-week" episodes that feel a bit formulaic, but the overarching character arcs never faltered. The show respected the audience. It didn't rely on "mind palace" CGI or over-the-top cinematic tricks. It relied on dialogue.
🔗 Read more: Ashley Johnson: The Last of Us Voice Actress Who Changed Everything
- The Dialogue: It was sharp, witty, and actually sounded like how smart people talk when they aren't trying to impress anyone.
- The Procedural Element: It actually showed the work. DNA evidence, ballistics, and tedious research were part of the process, not just magical deductions.
- The Supporting Cast: Jon Michael Hill’s Detective Marcus Bell provided a necessary grounded perspective, often acting as the audience's surrogate when Sherlock was being particularly difficult.
It’s easy to dismiss procedurals as "comfort TV" or "background noise." But Elementary was better than that. It tackled mental health, the ethics of surveillance, and the cost of brilliance without ever feeling like a lecture.
Understanding the Legacy of Elementary
Looking back, the American Sherlock TV series is a masterclass in how to adapt a classic work for a modern audience without losing its soul. It didn't try to be cool. It tried to be honest.
Jonny Lee Miller’s performance is arguably the most accurate portrayal of a neurodivergent Holmes we've ever seen. He portrays the tics, the social awkwardness, and the obsessive-compulsive nature of the character with a level of nuance that Benedict Cumberbatch’s "high-functioning sociopath" (his words, not mine) often lacked.
The show ended in 2019 with a finale that felt earned. It didn't end with a bang or a global conspiracy. It ended with two friends, back in their brownstone, ready to face whatever came next. It was quiet. It was perfect.
How to Re-Experience the Series Today
If you missed the boat when it was airing on CBS, or if you were one of the skeptics who wrote it off because it wasn't British, it's time for a re-evaluation.
- Start from the Beginning: Don't skip the first season. The pilot is solid, but the chemistry between Miller and Liu really begins to sizzle around episode six.
- Watch the Moriarty Arc: Pay close attention to the clues dropped about "V" and "Irene" early in season one. The payoff is incredible.
- Appreciate the Costumes: It sounds silly, but the costume design for Joan Watson became a fashion phenomenon. There are entire blogs dedicated to her outfits.
- Binge with Purpose: Because it's a procedural, you can watch it in chunks. But the long-term character growth for Sherlock—moving from a prickly hermit to a man who genuinely loves his "found family"—is the real reason to stay.
The American Sherlock TV series proved that you don't need 221B Baker Street to tell a great Holmes story. You just need two people, a lot of coffee, and a deep understanding of what it means to be a human being in a messy, complicated world.
If you're looking for your next long-term watch, head over to Hulu or Paramount+. All seven seasons are usually available for streaming. Start with the pilot, "Elementary," and watch how a show everyone wanted to hate became one of the most beloved versions of the character ever filmed. It turns out, Sherlock Holmes doesn't belong to London—he belongs to anyone who knows what it's like to be an outsider.