Holly Yates

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character created by Scottish author and physician Sir Author Conan Doyle. Based in London the fictional “Consulting detective” uses logic, reason and forensic science to solve difficult cases. Holmes first appeared in 1887 and was featured in 56 short novels, however his fame grew when one story was featured in “The strand magazine”. The story was called “A scandal in Bohemia” It was released in Originally most of the stories are narrated by Holmes’ friend and colleague Watson. ORIGINAL CHARACTER

-After the original stories were published they were a huge success. Even after Doyle ended the series many people wrote their own story lines for the detective. This came to be known as the origins of “Fan fiction” But the series evolved beyond books. The novels had been adapted for the stage in The very first play depicted Holmes wearing a Deer stalker and carrying a pipe. This depiction has become synonymous with the character even today. AFTER THE NOVELS

-The most famous adaptation in recent times has been the 1984 TV series. The series was broadcast on the “ITV network in the UK and starred Jeremy Brett as the famous detective. His portrayal remains very popular and is accepted by some as the definitive on-screen version of Sherlock Holmes.” The series was seen to follow the original plot lines almost exactly. However in recent adaptations the plot lines have been altered and updated in order to fit in with today’s culture. In 2010 the BBC released their newest adaptation of the detective. The aptly named “Sherlock” With only nine episodes with three being released each series Sherlock was watched by millions and was the BBC’s most watched drama since Upon release it was met with critical acclaim. AFTER THE NOVELS

The series has become so famous that it has even had 3 movies. Starring Robert Downey Junior and Jude Law Warner Brothers gave Sherlock fans two Movies. The first “Sherlock Holmes” was released in 2009 with another one to follow two years later in 2011 named “A game of Shadows” With a budget of $125,000,000 A game of shadows made $39,637,079 (USA) in it’s opening weekend. All together the movie grossed $186,830,669. These two movies became the most successful out of the series. This year Ian McKellen portrays a retired and aged Sherlock looking back on his life. The movie is taking a different angle from how we normally view the hero. MOVIES

Near to the release of the 2009 Sherlock Holmes film “Warner Bros is supporting the release of Guy Ritchie's 'Sherlock Holmes' with a marketing campaign running across outdoor, TV, press, online and radio.” The campaign was released and aimed towards a new generation of fans by using well known actors. To support the release Madame Tussauds released a Robert Downey Jr as Sherlock Holmes and an exclusive audio-walk tour of Holmes’ London. national-ad-campaign-sherlock-holmes-film MARKETING

Called Elementary, (based off the classic catchphrase “Elementary my dear Watson”) The story follows a disgraced Sherlock Holmes fleeing London for present- day Manhattan after a stint in rehab. He arrives to find that his father has assigned a sober companion to live with him - Dr. Joan Watson, a former surgeon whose medical license was revoked three years earlier after she lost a patient. When it premiered it was watched by a total of “13 million people”, however by the end of the first series the numbers had dropped to just “9 million”. AMERICAN AUDIENCES

In an article named “Why America Fell in love with British TV” Josie Ensor tells us why America can’t get enough of British TV mostly Sherlock Holmes. She writes “The quintessentially British detective show Sherlock, meanwhile, reaches up to four million viewers an episode.” When it comes to American Audiences they seem to mostly to fall into the Hypodermic needle model of audience theories. “The phrasing "hypodermic needle" is meant to give a mental image of the direct, strategic, and planned infusion of a message into an individual.” This method works for the Sherlock franchise as it shows the strength of the media, that it can keep something going as long as it is refreshed in some way. This is evident in their versions of Sherlock. On September 27 th 2012 American audiences were introduced to the first American TV version of the classic detective. - America-fell-in-love-with-British-TV.htmlhttp:// America-fell-in-love-with-British-TV.html - AMERICAN AUDIENCES

With mixed reviews the show was technically a success however many Sherlock purists were not pleased with the show for a number of reasons For the first time the show had a female Watson, one reviewer stated: “Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman make a great partnership, while Lucy Liu as Joan Watson (seriously) and this Sherlock don't have any atom of Chemistry.” The show had been made more for American Audiences: “I gave it to the first commercial. Police show with eccentric detective, whose eccentricities have been worn thin. Holmes was great before I was born and modernizing him makes him look......yawn.” AMERICAN AUDIENCES

With the detective originating in London it’s no surprise that British audiences claim to know what’s right and what’s not when it comes to TV adaptations. ‘Sherlock Holmes has experienced major successes in every single platform its narrative has been adapted into and that in itself speaks incredible volume. Its continuous and ever growing popularity over the past two centuries show how highly regarded the narrative is considered in relation to transmedia strategies, techniques and correct implementation, demonstrating that "successful transmedia worlds (can) exert a powerful effect over fans" (Schell, pg.303).’ - BRITISH AUDIENCES

British Audiences take the show very seriously. Unlike the American audiences Sherlock fans in the UK show more of a Reception theory of audience theory. Reception theory is “meaning of a specific text tends to occur when a group of readers have a shared cultural background and interpret the text in similar ways.” This theory values the specific and personal responses of individuals or groups. It links people through experiences that are important to them as an individual. This makes sense as since the novels were first written in Victorian London, the layout of the city may have changed but some of the original sites are still there and therefore the modern audience can have a particularly close link to the detective and his classic stories. - BRITISH AUDIENCES

Original Character: After the novels: Movies and Marketing: national-ad-campaign-sherlock-holmes-film BIBLIOGRAPHY

American Audiences: How-America-fell-in-love-with-British-TV.html British Audiences: holmes.htmlhttp://convergenceishere.weebly.com/sherlock- holmes.html BIBLIOGRAPHY