New Fall Season vs. BBC

So I have been power watching TV this week.  Not because I have nothing else to do, God knows there is a lot to be done, but I have my priorities in line and understand that as a good consumer and valued critic to my friends, its important for me to review and assess the quality of Entertainment being provided.  Really?  I think I almost buy that, Almost. :)

Truth is I have been looking forward to the premier of Fall TV's new lineup for no other reason than it gives me an excuse to spend my evenings after a long day at work, participating in mindless, effortless defrag.  I know, not a word, but it fits, so it should be.

I run a household, I raise two sons, work full time, I am maid, chef, nurse, tutor, chauffeur, personal shopper, and friend. Its not all that often I sit for more than 15 minutes at a time without hopping up to take care of the next crisis. So.. Fall TV is a week-long vacation in my favorite chair from 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. each day.

Here is what I've discovered.  American TV is not that great!  We are imitators not innovators. We have little to non-existent creativity and originality.  The few hits we have are knock offs from British TV.  We pilfer ideas from the British, bastardize them, and break them down until any substance is depleted. We then launch our interpretation of them and brand it as our idea.

For demonstration sake I will provide one example. Last night a new show premiered on CBS Called Elementary, its an American take on the British version of Sherlock, yes Holmes.

The British version is simply titled Sherlock and stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, and is fascinating, engaging, and WONDERFUL! Cumberbatch's portrayal of Holmes is fresh and eclectic, he is a master at playing the OCD plagued high functioning sociopath (his own words, while defending himself against an accusation of psychopath...:). Freeman's portrayal of Watson is equally engaging as the sidekick and based on this character alone, I am anxious for the Hobbit this winter in which he plays Bilbo Baggins. I am riveted when watching the BBC series on NetFlix and am looking forward with excitement for the fall season on BBC to begin.

The American version is titled Elementary and stars Johnny Lee Miller as Holmes and Lucy Liu as Watson. It was mildly entertaining, but my expectations were high and I kept finding myself comparing it to the clearly better British version, and therefore I was disappointed.  The casting of Liu as Watson was odd and really doesn't work for me.  It puts an element of sexual tension in the story line (so American) and is highly distracting. Millers delivery of Holmes was lacking somewhat and failed to portray his seriously intense eccentricities.  It was o.k., but a shadow of the quality produced by our British counterparts.

Overall, I love the BBC network.  Shows like Dr. Who (my favorite show hands down anywhere on TV or NetFlix), Copper, and Sherlock are my guilty pleasure.  Major American Network TV has nothing on them.  Cable has some promising and engaging offerings, (Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead, American Horror Story) and Movie Channels have a few (Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, True Blood, Dexter). Overall, the ABC/CBS/NBC era could disappear and I would be o.k. with it.  I prefer my alternative choices with BBC right there at the top.