Wednesday, August 29, 2012

The Mitt Romney of Sherlocks


The world of Sherlock Holmes is normally one in which fans can escape the everyday debates of things like politics and religion, so I hate to bring the topic up. But with the news of late focusing on the Republican National Convention on one hand, and publicity for the upcoming show Elementary on the other, I can’t help but notice a similarity between presidential candidate Mitt Romney and CBS’s new Sherlock: a certain lack of true enthusiasm.

 On both sides, there’s this open-minded sort of resignation, as both Republicans and Sherlockians go, “Well, it’s what we’re getting . . .”

Yes, the publicity machines are fired up and tossing out positive spin for all they’re worth. But when you get quotes from people who aren’t directly involved . . . well, not so much.

In USA Today, the ever exuberant Kristina Manente manages two “brilliant”s and one “flawless” about BBC’s Sherlock, but when it comes to Elementary, it almost sounds like she’s talking about the younger sibling who was a few bricks shy of a load, starting with “To be fair . . .”

But the lukewarm even sneaks in from the executive producer of Elementary, in what might be one of my favorite promo quotes: “I’ve seen Sherlock in other novels, in comic books, in television shows, in movies, in TV movies. Some are better than others, but nobody has managed to ruin the franchise.”

Nope, nobody has. But we’ve sure seen some attempts that did nothing to help the legend of the Master Detective.  Elementary is now less than a month away. Let the excitement begin!

Because guess what? Unlike the presidential campaign, American television doesn’t have a second candidate.

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