There are quite a number of TV shows and movies about the Victorian detective, but it’s the 2010 series, Sherlock, that proved the procedural drama would change TV forever. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the famous detective and Martin Freeman as his second in command, John Watson, Sherlock’s first 10 minutes were tense and promised to take audiences on a ride filled with adventure and brilliant characters.
Granted, many didn’t know how revolutionary the procedural show‘s opening scene was. With today’s technological advancements, it’s easy to forget that there are some aspects of storytelling and editing that seemed impossible decades ago. Prime Video’s Young Sherlock is currently trending, and it’s a reminder to look back at its predecessor to examine how far stories about the arrogant titular character have come.
Sherlock’s Press Conference Scene Was A Revolutionary Start
Sherlock’s First Episode Changed TV
Sherlock’s pilot episode, “A Study in Pink,” achieved something that TV shows during that era could only dream of. In the opening scene, viewers were introduced to John Watson, who later became Sherlock’s right-hand man, as well as the mystery that would serve as the case of the week.
During the first 10 minutes of the modern adaptation of Sherlock, DI Greg Lestrade was depicted at a press conference offering information to the media about the suicides that were happening in the city. Just as he told them that they were not murders, the journalists received a text saying “Wrong!” at the same time.
10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Sherlock 15 Years Later (#1 Is Undeniable)
It has been 15 years since the BBC’s Sherlock premiered, and revisiting the show brings out some very harsh realities about it and its characters.
When DI Lestrade mentioned that they were safe and had nothing to worry about, the same thing happened again. In the novels, Sherlock was a Victorian genius who used telegrams and magnifying glasses during his investigations. Sherlock, on the other hand, presented a detective who clearly proved that he could use modern technology to make law enforcement officers look like they didn’t know what they were doing.
The texts on the screen were also a brilliant introduction to Sherlock. Even before he was properly introduced, he was shown as an arrogant figure capable of outsmarting the police. It also showed that Sherlock took great pleasure in humiliating law enforcement officers.
The “Texts Onscreen” Trope Has Become A Staple Of Modern TV
Modern TV Shows Now Have Texts Floating On A Screen
In the late 2000s, the use of smartphones was becoming more and more commonplace. However, it posed a challenge for creators of movies and TV shows because they didn’t know how to translate what was happening on a phone screen without showing the actual screen.
Now, seeing texts onscreen isn’t something that strains incredulity. In fact, it’s become so normal that viewers expect to see it in TV shows set in modern times. The old version of showing a phone’s interface was, in a way, distracting because the camera would have to focus on the screen, instead of the character.
Thankfully, modern TV shows and movies can now project text messages directly onto the screen instead of cutting away from the scene taking place in the series. This way, we can now see characters react in real time to whatever it is they are reading on their phones because the messages are basically floating in the air.
The rest of Sherlock continuously used this technique whenever text messages were being read, giving the show an upper hand in modern storytelling because of this innovative solution.
- Release Date
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2010 – 2017-00-00
- Showrunner
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Steven Moffat
- Directors
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Steven Moffat