PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST NY 2016: ELEMENTARY {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's PaleyFest New York 2016. This evening celebrates "Elementary," the New York-based, modern-day retelling of the adventures of consulting detective Sherlock Holmes and his sober companion-turned-professional partner Joan Watson. After a screening of the episode "Worth Many Cities" (for synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 127580), host Barry Monush (researcher, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and introduces Mike Hale (television critic, The New York Times).
Hale moderates the following panelists: creator and executive producer Rob Doherty; and cast members Aidan Quinn (Captain Thomas Gregson), Jon Michael Hill (Detective Marcus Bell), Jonny Lee Miller (Sherlock Holmes) and Lucy Liu (Joan Watson).
The panelists touch on such topics as: Doherty and co-creator Carl Beverly's initial interest in a New York-based show, leading to the decision to adapt Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective stories in "the London of America"; their interest in exploring all five boroughs without repeating locations; Hill's experience filming in Michigan for his previous show "Detroit 1-8-7" and relief at returning to New York; Queens native Liu's enjoyment of exploring unknown areas of the city; how the production crew is "like a military operation" and tracked down the actors even during Hurricane Sandy in 2012; why eschewing a romance between Holmes and Watson creates a "unique aspect" for the show to explore; developing the original characters of Gregson and Bell as more than simply bumbling "foils" for the hyper-competent Holmes and Watson; Liu's frustration with endless questions about race and her preference to be judged solely by her work as an actor "without the hyphen"; Doherty's commitment to a "colorblind" casting policy; comparisons to the BBC "Sherlock" series, including Doherty's observation that Liu and Miller have played the characters longer than any other actors; why the "traditional format" of television suits the show, given the serialized nature of Doyle's stories in their first publications; why the demanding nature of the actors' multi-year network contracts creates a strong work ethic and sense of discipline; and how the L.A.-based writers sometimes fail to account for New York City's unpleasant weather conditions in creating outdoor scenes.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: future plans to "dabble" in Holmes and Watson's love lives, including Holmes' intriguing romance with Fiona (Betty Gilpin); Miller's sense of Holmes' empathy and role as "a people guy"; Liu's rehearsal habits, stemming from her early days of theater, and her belief that a good acting partner should "raise you"; their favorite moments from the show, including emotional conversation scenes; their hopes for the show's future, including the fact that CBS "owns" the property; and their suggestions for future Sherlock adaptations, particularly the importance of referencing the original stories.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 6:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 127565
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: Asian American Pacific Islanders Collection
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Mike Hale … Moderator
- Aidan Quinn … Panelist
- Jon Michael Hill … Panelist
- Lucy Liu … Panelist
- Jonny Lee Miller … Panelist
- Rob Doherty … Panelist
- Carl Beverly
- Arthur Conan Doyle
- Betty Gilpin