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March 18, 2015 8:58 pm  #1


Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

Can anyone explain why the world is obsessed with BBC's Sherlock?

Everyone I know seems to either have the "A recent Sherlock? Oh, that's cute." condescending pat-on-the head reaction or the eye-sparkling "OMG Of freaking course!  Have you heard something about season 4?" almost teared up response.

Over the past month I converted from the first group to the second.  I haven't thought of Sherlock since 8th grade literature until last month, when I tried to think of something I could watch along with my parents during their visit.

We three are obsessed now.  And our tastes are very different.  Like, "Upstairs / Downstairs" on dusty VHS verses "Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood" newly torrented different.  Like, Mycroft (them) verses Moriaty (me) different.

This site has fans from many cultures and ways of life. What on earth is it that draws us to this show?

 


Steven Moffat: Season four is “going to be … [about] consequences. Chickens come to roost ... Things … coming back to bite you.”
 

March 18, 2015 9:37 pm  #2


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

I think sometimes lots of good things come together, and the result is so complex and yet good it fascinates more than the usual crowd of people. If a show can convince on many levels and satisfy many different interests, it becomes attractive to a larger crowd of people.

For me the Sherlock drug is for example: quality in story and visuals, characters I can relate to but also obsess over (brainy is the new sexy), ..., ...and also detective stories are always exciting :-)

I think Sherlock is also simply a phenomenon like Lord of the Rings, like Harry Potter, like Star Wars... I think there is an initial quality, a strong theme/ a strong story that speaks to many people at the same time. And then, and I think that's also a big part of it, once the snowball got started, it's inevitable that more and more people become drawn to it. I'm pretty sure it has a snowball effect. Some of my friends only came to Sherlock because I asked them to watch it. It's a missionary effect. If nobody spoke about it, nobody could discover it.
 


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"It is what it is."

 

March 18, 2015 9:41 pm  #3


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

I'm not really sure that 'the world' is obsessed with Sherlock. When you spend a lot of time on tumblr you might get the impression, but I think for example in Germany not too many people are what I would call 'obsessed' with it.
 

Last edited by SolarSystem (March 18, 2015 9:41 pm)


___________________________________________________
"Am I the current King of England?

"I see no shame in having an unhealthy obsession with something." - David Tennant
"We did observe." - David Tennant in "Richard II"

 
 

March 18, 2015 10:10 pm  #4


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

@ Solar, you are right about Germany. Sadly ;-)

But the interesting thing is that the few that are fans are more often than not "obsessed" with the series. I actually only know one "casual" Sherlock fan. For many it seems indeed to be an "all or nothing" thing. All in or not at all.
Sherlock seems to encourage this all or nothing. I also wondered if maybe it's because the fan culture has changed.

Sometimes I think there is a huge fanbase that just waits for a series to be good, to "obsess" about it. As if the main motivation was the obsession, not necessarily the series itself (in the first step at least). I often think that when I see how easily fans of one series also adopt a few other fandoms. Like the fan culture is very eager to spread... to anything by the same writers, involving the same actors...

I would also differentiate between "fandom fans" and "normal fans". The obsessive fans seem always to know tumblr, twitter and generally are very internet-active. The normal fans I know think the series is absolutely brilliant, but they don't have a clue what the word "fandom" mean, never heard of fanfiction... and yet they are big fans with background and love for discussion. But that's like a different fan culture...?

(sorry for grammar mistakes, I'm very tired...)
 

Last edited by Whisky (March 18, 2015 10:17 pm)


_____________________________________________________________

"It is what it is."

 

March 18, 2015 10:21 pm  #5


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

But apart from what you are calling "normal fans" and "fandom fans" there is a third category in my opinion, and I know at least half a dozen people who I would assign to that category: the "normal viewer" who thinks that the show is brilliant - and that's it, because he/she generally doesn't do "fan stuff". My boyfriend, two friends and three colleagues definitely belong in that category, they watched the show and they're all saying that it's one of the best tv shows they've ever seen. But that's it. None of them would ever even think about going online in order to 'look for more'. So with them it's neither "all in" nor "not at all".


___________________________________________________
"Am I the current King of England?

"I see no shame in having an unhealthy obsession with something." - David Tennant
"We did observe." - David Tennant in "Richard II"

 
 

March 18, 2015 10:31 pm  #6


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

Sherlock is a gift from the fandom gods.  Proof that they love us and want us to be happy.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
Proud President and Founder of the OSAJ.  
Honorary German  
"Anyone who takes himself too seriously always runs the risk of looking ridiculous; anyone who can consistently laugh at himself does not".
 -Vaclav Havel 
"Life is full of wonder, Love is never wrong."   Melissa Ethridge

I ship it harder than Mrs. Hudson.
    
 
 

March 18, 2015 10:33 pm  #7


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

Okay, that's good to know. I would have tended to agree with aprilwats, because I also know mostly the obsessed kind ;-)
 


_____________________________________________________________

"It is what it is."

 

March 18, 2015 10:34 pm  #8


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

tonnaree wrote:

Sherlock is a gift from the fandom gods.  Proof that they love us and want us to be happy.

Trying to picture "fandom gods"...
 

Last edited by Whisky (March 18, 2015 10:35 pm)


_____________________________________________________________

"It is what it is."

 

March 18, 2015 10:41 pm  #9


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

tonnaree wrote:

Sherlock is a gift from the fandom gods.  Proof that they love us and want us to be happy.

...and want to break our hearts over and over again...
 


___________________________________________________
"Am I the current King of England?

"I see no shame in having an unhealthy obsession with something." - David Tennant
"We did observe." - David Tennant in "Richard II"

 
 

March 18, 2015 10:47 pm  #10


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

Like Solar, I don't know about the world being obsessed with BBCSherlock... To be honest, I haven't met many Sherlockian IRL as of yet. I know there are, obviously, but they tend to be more Canonlock than BBClock (being one doesn't prevent from also being the other, though).
And it certainly wouldn't go very far if, like Whisky pointed out, the show didn't benefit from the snowball effect. Although I'm not so sure BBCSherlock has ever been something "small". It is Sherlock, after all. And Sherlock written and directed by massive perfectionnist fanboys who seem to have 'give nothing if not perfection' as a rule. So the show is bound to be of an extremely high quality. And when you look at the other crew members and the actors, you just know that you'll be given a extraordinary show.

To be fair, BBCSherlock is rather often talked about in the media, as well as its actors who cannot seem to give interviews without having to answer questions re: BBCSherlock.
And word of mouth, obviously (where would the show be if we didn't want to share it, I wonder).
I tend to think that communication is the key, here.
 


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I'd be lost without my blogger.
"It’s not a ‘gang’ show, it’s the Sherlock and John show. It’s about developing their characters and their relationship, and the characters drawn into their orbit.”  Steven Moffat



 
 

March 19, 2015 12:18 am  #11


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

SolarSystem wrote:

tonnaree wrote:

Sherlock is a gift from the fandom gods.  Proof that they love us and want us to be happy.

...and want to break our hearts over and over again...
 

Maybe that's the reason for our obsessions.  The Creators love us and want us to be happy and also want to break our hearts over and over again.  The shows give our hearts a joyous roller-coaster ride.  We stay seated though the troughs have years in between.


Steven Moffat: Season four is “going to be … [about] consequences. Chickens come to roost ... Things … coming back to bite you.”
     Thread Starter
 

March 19, 2015 11:43 am  #12


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

Another thought, even if it's a rather personal one: When I discovered Sherlock (June 2013) I was pretty much fed up with all those boring American tv shows which mostly seem to follow two, maybe three different kinds of concepts and that's it. All those CSI-like shows, all those Shonda Rhimes-like, melodramatic shows like "Grey's Anatomy"... I couldn't stand it anymore and actually started to watch all Star Trek shows again because there was basically nothing on the tele that fascinated me. That changed with Sherlock. And through Sherlock I discovered Doctor Who and then Broadchurch. Those shows feel completely different to me than the US shows which find their way to German television (maybe apart from "House of Cards")... but that's probably the reason why shows like Sherlock, Doctor Who and Broadchurch aren't a big success in Germany. Because they are different they will never be aired during prime time or only on pay tv.
 

Last edited by SolarSystem (March 19, 2015 11:45 am)


___________________________________________________
"Am I the current King of England?

"I see no shame in having an unhealthy obsession with something." - David Tennant
"We did observe." - David Tennant in "Richard II"

 
 

March 19, 2015 11:47 am  #13


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

One of my favourite TV writers, Bill Lawrence, has once said that in the industry today, there are two ways in which a show can survive: either be a massive, zeitgeisty hit (e.g. Friends, Lost, Breaking Bad) or have a dedicated cultish audience that will be deeply invested in the show, which he usually equated with his own shows (Scrubs, Cougar Town). But I feel that by now there might be a third group, where we find shown like GoT and Sherlock. For me, it seems that those shows have brought their cultish core from the past with them. The books in the case of GoT and the stories and past adaptations in the case of Sherlock. Both shows where also made at the exact right moment in time. I don’t know if ten years ago a show involving dragons would have become an international phenomenon. As for Sherlock, there was something in the air for both Martin and Ben. Many people (including Moffat) have said that it was an open industry secret that Ben was going to be a star some day. Ben has said that many directors who were involved in his rise to stardom had not yet seen Sherlock when he was casted. I don’t know about the timeline with Martin, but it might be similar. There definitely seems to be a zeitgeisty element to the show, but it somehow also has that cultish feel to it once you part of a fandom. Maybe that is why so many people are initially drawn to the show, and those who are inclined that way find a fandom that enables obsession 


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We balance probabilities and choose the most likely. It is the scientific use of the imagination.    
 

March 19, 2015 12:07 pm  #14


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

British and cable shows have nearly ruined me for American network television.  I've found the shorter seasons much more conductive to good story telling.  Before shows like The Sopranos, Six Feet Under and Dexter I never realized how much filler it can take to string a story along for the average 20 episodes in an American show.  Even shows that I loved like LOST would occasionally have me sitting there going "can we please move the plot along."

Now, of course, the shorter seasons can be agonizing in leaving you wanting more but to me that keeps it more exciting.  And Sherlock certainly takes that concept to it's extreme!


----------------------------------------------------------------------
Proud President and Founder of the OSAJ.  
Honorary German  
"Anyone who takes himself too seriously always runs the risk of looking ridiculous; anyone who can consistently laugh at himself does not".
 -Vaclav Havel 
"Life is full of wonder, Love is never wrong."   Melissa Ethridge

I ship it harder than Mrs. Hudson.
    
 
 

March 19, 2015 12:49 pm  #15


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

tonnaree, that's true. Shows like "Six Feet Under", "House of Cards" or "Hannibal" work the way they work because of their very condensed storytelling. Yes, sometimes I wish there were more episodes, but the result you get with 12 or 13 episodes can be quite mind-blowing. And it's funny you should mention "Lost", because I absolutely loved that show, but just like you I sometimes thought that the result would have been even better with fewer episodes (and let's not talk about the final season...).

And yes, "Sherlock" takes that to the extreme. But it certainly would be a different (and not necessarily a better) show if we'd get more episodes more often.


___________________________________________________
"Am I the current King of England?

"I see no shame in having an unhealthy obsession with something." - David Tennant
"We did observe." - David Tennant in "Richard II"

 
 

March 19, 2015 5:20 pm  #16


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

Thanks for writing.  These are interesting ideas to ponder.  Once we know the formula for obsession, we can churn out our own best selling novels, indie films, etc. 

I still can't quite put my finger on the main ingredient (Why is it so good?)  (Is it something to do with tragedy?)  

This is for sure: one key reason to the dramatic profusion of the fanbase surfaced is:

The short length.  It's so easy for newbies to catch up.  4 1/2 hours per season / two years - a great distraction for someone home bound for a day or two.  It's daunting to think I could loose 20 + hours of my life PER SEASON of "Lost" or "Walking Dead," and there's so many seasons!  

The length may also account for everyone's level of thirst.  Reminds me of '80s fan response after "Return of the Jedi" ended.  I was too young to be obsessed but I witnessed debates among older friends. Folks talked about plots for sequels to "Return of the Jedi" throughout Ford's "Indiana Jones" series, on into the '90's.  It was, like, 6-7 hours of Star Wars was... just... insufficient.

"Game of Thrones" is 10 hours / season.  This is a happy medium, I think.  If only Sherlock could have that budget - I bet the actors would invest the extra time.

I think another reason for the growing fanbase may be the rating. Sherlock doesn't have the sex and violence of most popular shows, so it's something that can be played at family gatherings, watched in front of the kids / grandparents, or given as a gift, etc.  Of course, there are morons out there who think anything without R level sex / violence / language is low budget and boring.  I was once among them.

Last edited by aprilwats (March 19, 2015 5:24 pm)


Steven Moffat: Season four is “going to be … [about] consequences. Chickens come to roost ... Things … coming back to bite you.”
     Thread Starter
 

March 27, 2015 3:50 pm  #17


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

Such a beautiful question!

According to me the success of the show, aside from the actors, depends on the quality of the direction! I mean there are a lot of thin features that wake your brain up, such as for example the text messages that aren't read but displayed on the screen, or all that perfect shots that let you say "Oh, I understood! Elementary Watson". What i am trying to say is that you don't watch it passively but it's like you're part of the show.

I think also the lenght is important. Every episode is meaningful and in the end it's like you're watching nine films instead of nine episodes lol.

Last but not least the waiting. The more we wait the more the obsession grow

 

 

March 28, 2015 5:35 pm  #18


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

Mela wrote:

Such a beautiful question!
you don't watch it passively but it's like you're part of the show.
 

Wow - that is well said!  Such a beautiful answer! 

Watching is like being a part of the show - like assessing mysteries as Sherlock does.  Everyone involved put a lot of effort into small details: the writers, the actors (with such sincere emotion), the camera men, the editors, those who decorate the sets...  Each detail seems to be connected to the stories intentionally, like a clue to hidden secrets.


Steven Moffat: Season four is “going to be … [about] consequences. Chickens come to roost ... Things … coming back to bite you.”
     Thread Starter
 

March 28, 2015 8:43 pm  #19


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

Specifically BBC Sherlock? Or Sherlock in general?

I think Sherlock Holmes, as a character, even in the original ACD stories, is entirely captivating and fascinating, and there's something extremely special about the deep bond and friendship that Holmes and Watson share. Once you get into one adaptation of it (ie. BBC Sherlock), if you go and watch any other adaptations now, you will instantly see it. The spark. That weird magical thing that makes Sherlock special.


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March 30, 2015 9:22 pm  #20


Re: Why is the world obsessed with Sherlock?

I came across this book Sherlock Holmes and Philosophy on Goodreads and thought it might fit here (I haven't read it myself, but it seems to cover the topic of this thread). Just thought I would post it here in case anyone is interested


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