17 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Sherlock

Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller in National Theatre’s production of “Frankenstein”. (Photo: Catherine Ashmore/National Theatre)

The Two Modern Day Sherlocks Did a Play Together (And It’s Awesome)

Sherlock’s modern-day setting is one of the defining characteristics of the show. So much so, you could almost call the city of London a character by itself. But it’s actually not the only contemporary reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes story on TV right now. CBS’ Elementary is also set in modern-day New York and stars Jonny Lee Miller as the great detective, with Lucy Liu as Joan Watson. Though, to be fair, the setting might be one of the only things these two shows really have in common, from a creative perspective.

Cumberbatch and Miller’s performances have drawn comparisons since Elementary premiered in 2012. (There was some considerable rumor mongering about this at the time, actually.) Given how different their two interpretations of Holmes – and the respective TV series – turned out to be, the gossip storm surrounding them both playing the role seems pointlessly overblown. But despite the internet reports of snarky feuding, the two actors are friends in real life. In fact, they had just performed in a play together in 2011, right before Elementary became a thing.

Frankenstein, an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel, reimagines the story of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. It required the two actors to swap roles every night as Victor Frankenstein and the Creature. The production was a sell-out hit at London’s National Theatre, and is still broadcast as part of the company’s National Theatre Live program at least once a year. Cumberbatch and Miller won rave reviews for the performances. The pair were co-winners of the both the Olivier Award and London Evening Standard Award for Best Actor in 2011.