Elementary, the long-running detective drama starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu, has been hailed as "much better" than the BBC's Sherlock by viewers on Reddit. The show premiered in 2012 and is inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle's characters, with Miller portraying Sherlock Holmes and Liu playing Dr. Joan Watson.
The modern-day adaptation follows a disgraced Sherlock after he moves from London to Manhattan. Forced to live with Joan, a former surgeon turned sober companion, he begins working as a police consultant in New York, where he investigates a range of puzzling cases.
Cast and critical acclaim
Alongside Miller and Liu, the series regulars include Aidan Quinn and Jon Michael Hill. Multiple episodes also feature John Noble, Nelsan Ellis, Desmond Harrington, James Frain, Rhys Ifans, Natalie Dormer and Sean Pertwee.
Across its seven seasons, Elementary has received widespread critical acclaim and currently holds a near-perfect score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fan reaction on IMDb
The show has acquired a loyal fan following, with viewers also penning reviews on IMDb. One fan who initially avoided the show admitted: "I didn't want to watch this because I adore the BBC Sherlock. However, after denying myself for weeks and weeks I decided to download the first 8 episodes and get to work watching them before I made a full opinion. I was surprised at how easy it was to fall in love with Jonny Lee Miller's Sherlock and Lucy Liu's female Watson."
Another reviewer wrote: "It's so wonderful to see how Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson have been revamped to a different style altogether. Hats off to the makers for thinking and executing so effectively. I loved every bit of it." A third said: "Elementary was such a great show that it's actually underrated as far as cop shows go."
A fourth fan praised the series as their go-to show, adding: "Jonny and Lucy have great chemistry and the cases are intricate and often keep you guessing. With real life issues and compassion, mixed with Sherlock's rugged and laser focus on cases, it's almost never a smooth ride. The longer you stick with it the better it is, Sherlock turning into a more human man, and Watson becoming a great detective in her own right."
All seven seasons of Elementary are now streaming on 4.
