PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST 2013: MadeInNY: ELEMENTARY {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of seminars presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's Made in New York 2013 event. This evening celebrates "Elementary," the New York-based, modern-day retelling of the adventures of consulting detective Sherlock Holmes and his "sober companion," Dr. Joan Watson.
Host Barry Monush (assistant curator, The Paley Center for Media/New York) offers opening remarks and welcomes moderator Bruce Fretts (articles editor, TV Guide magazine) to the stage. Fretts introduces the episode "We Are Everyone," which is screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 111979.)
After the screening, Fretts moderates the following panelists: executive producer and creator Robert Doherty; executive producers Craig Sweeny and Carl Beverly; and cast members Jonny Lee Miller (Sherlock Holmes), Lucy Liu (Dr. Joan Watson), Aidan Quinn (Captain Thomas Gregson), and Jon Michael Hill (Detective Marcus Bell).
The panelists touch on such topics as: Doherty's ideas for a "Sherlock in New York" story; his longtime friendship with Sweeny and "good fortune" of working alongside friends; the actors' initial doubts about the series because of other current incarnations, including the films and BBC series; the "responsibility" in playing the much-loved characters; the persuasive nature of the strong scripts; Hill and Quinn's other recent cop roles; the "support" of the city for the series; the unlikelihood of a romance between Sherlock and Joan; the slight upgrade of the characters of Lestrade and Gregson from bumbling policemen in the Conan Doyle stories to "allies" of Watson and Holmes in the show; Miller's interest in the personality and emotional aspects of the characters in the original stories; Liu's desire to portray Watson as more than a "sidekick"; plans for the return of Sherlock's brother Mycroft, played by Rhys Ifans and of Irene Adler/Jamie Moriarty, played by Natalie Dormer; and hints about an upcoming Gregson-centric episode.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics among others: Doherty's interest in exploring Holmes' drug use; his research into the concept of sober companions and depiction of Holmes "in a state of repair"; inspiration from Anonymous and Julian Assange in the episode "We Are Everyone," despite their general avoidance of "ripped-from-the-headlines" stories; the challenge of planning ahead for a 24-episode season; Miller's tattoos and their relevance for the character; "echoes" of his previous stage role in Danny Boyle's "Frankenstein" in Sherlock's physicality; previous, less-known female incarnations of Watson; Doherty's view of the show's inclusion of LGBT characters as simply "normal"; the potential return of Bell's brother Andre, played by Malcolm Goodwin; and Liu's experience with the challenges facing Asian-American actors.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: October 5, 2013 6:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:26:30
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 111972
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: Asian American Pacific Islanders Collection
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Barry Monush … Host
- Bruce Fretts … Moderator
- Craig Sweeny … Panelist
- Carl Beverly … Panelist
- Robert Doherty … Panelist
- Jon Michael Hill … Panelist
- Aidan Quinn … Panelist
- Lucy Liu … Panelist
- Jonny Lee Miller … Panelist
- Julian Assange
- Danny Boyle
- Natalie Dormer
- Arthur Conan Doyle
- Malcolm Goodwin
- Rhys Ifans