How Elementary Came To Be (Probably)
Our Players
Hello, I'm TV producer Robert Doherty.
Greetings, I'm CBS Executive #1!
Hi, I'm CBS Executive #2!
The Scene
Robert! Thank you for coming in.
No problem. What's the project?
It's kind of an exciting one!
It's good that you're sitting down, because this one just might blow your mind!
So CBS is looking for a crime procedural for Fall 2012.
Oh. Okay. But don't they already have a lot of crime procedurals?
But this one has a twist!
All right.
It revolves around a private detective, kind of a consultant, with a unique, quirky investigative style.
Like on The Mentalist.
...
Hm. That is what The Mentalist is about, isn't it.
But that doesn't matter, The Mentalist is on FX. Right?
That's right.
No, it's on CBS.
Oh. But there's another twist!
I'm listening!
This consultant is prickly and hard to get along with -- he might be somewhere on the autism spectrum -- and he's paired with a sexy woman who's kind of his caretaker and kind of helps him on cases.
So, like Monk.
Dammit!
It's okay, at least that one isn't on the air anymore.
Well, thank God for that.
But that's the idea? A new take on Monk?
Better!
Because it turns out that this private detective has a name you might find a little familiar...!
But not from those other shows you said.
And you're going to see him in a way you never have before -- in the present day! Using iPhones and computers and stuff! But this detective...iiiiiiiiiiiis........
Look at his face, he's so excited!
I mean, I am, but I also have a lunch across town at 1, so—
It's Sherlock Holmes!
Oh! So it's Sherlock.
Right! Sherlock Holmes!
Of course, right -- I mean CBS wants to adapt Sherlock, the British series.
The...?
No, it was on A&E. With Jeremy Brett. That was back before the days of Intervention, am I right, guys?
I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't know: there's currently a British series called Sherlock on BBC, starring Benedict Cumberbatch—
You obviously just made that name up.
He was in War Horse.
Didn't see it.
Me neither.
Too sad!
Anyway, he plays Holmes, in the present day, and Martin Freeman from The Office—
That's what she said! Hahaha.
[high fives Executive 1]
The other version of The Office. He plays Watson. They live at 221B Baker Street in London, Mrs. Hudson is their housekeeper, they work with Lestrade of Scotland Yard -- it's all very true to the Arthur Conan Doyle stories, just adapted to a contemporary setting.
Uh...huh.
But Americans won't have seen that, right? I mean, how even could they?
PBS aired it on Masterpiece Mystery. And it's streaming on Netflix.
...
Well, I can't keep this up.
Pardon?
Obviously we know about Sherlock.
We love it!
That Moriarty! What a creep!
We just were hoping that you didn't know about it.
But why?
The robot dog from Battlestar Galactica?
Muffit.
Muffit II. Actually.
Ah. Of course.
We want to set it in New York! And have a sexy lady Watson! And give Holmes a protective father who's concerned about Holmes after his stint in rehab!
Jesus! That sounds awful.
That's what Steven Moffatt said.
Well, I really like Sherlock. I don't want to do basically the same show, except shitty!
You don't?
Suddenly you have all this integrity, Mr. Dark Angel?
Mr. Ringer?
Hey.
Mr. Tru Calling?
Hey, that gave Zach Galifianakis one of his very first jobs!
And you can tell how much he loved it from all the crime procedurals he went on to do afterward.
I'm not sure how you think insulting me is going to change my mind?
Well, we'll pay you a dumptruck full of money.
We'll give you a sweet time slot on Thursdays at 10 where you'll have very little competition.
And we'll give you an excuse to hang out with Lucy Liu every day.
Well...can my Holmes telegraph how "troubled" he is by having a whole bunch of tattoos?
YES!
Sweeps crossover with Person Of Interest?
Boy, did we call the right whore!
Hey!
[high five]