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August 29, 2013 7:36 am  #1


Sherlock goes comedy? Steve Thompson on scripts (SPOILER)

This seems to have been on Twitter in April. Should we be concerned? There has always been humour in the series but I never watched it just for the comic elements or did not care about the plot. 

http://cosmoglaut.tumblr.com/post/59603198355


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"To fake the death of one sibling may be regarded as a misfortune; to fake the death of both looks like carelessness." Oscar Wilde about Mycroft Holmes

"It is what it is says love." (Erich Fried)

“Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame. I’m also a great believer in treating others as you would like to be treated.” (Benedict Cumberbatch)



 
 

August 29, 2013 8:20 am  #2


Re: Sherlock goes comedy? Steve Thompson on scripts (SPOILER)

Hm, he talks about a 'balancing act', so I hope they'll keep up the balance we know from series 1 and 2...


___________________________________________________
"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"

 
 

August 29, 2013 8:23 am  #3


Re: Sherlock goes comedy? Steve Thompson on scripts (SPOILER)

I hope so. I basically trust Moftiss and the other author to keep up the quality of the scripts. But I am worried that they seem to underestimate the audience. Of course we love Sherlock being Sherlock but look at the endless discussions about the plots just here on the board. We would not do this if it was just comey. 


------------------------------
"To fake the death of one sibling may be regarded as a misfortune; to fake the death of both looks like carelessness." Oscar Wilde about Mycroft Holmes

"It is what it is says love." (Erich Fried)

“Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame. I’m also a great believer in treating others as you would like to be treated.” (Benedict Cumberbatch)



 
     Thread Starter
 

August 29, 2013 8:51 am  #4


Re: Sherlock goes comedy? Steve Thompson on scripts (SPOILER)

I think Steve Thompson has a point. It's a pity, but true.
Fans are much more interested it Mr Cumberbatch's outfit and the comedy scenes when Sherlock is arkward or doesn't get a social clue than the plot or the crime investigation or the deductions.
The sad point is that there are many things to be found in Sherlock, but "fans" just look at the obvious.
For example the nude scene with Lara Pulver. It was done to distract, of course, but there was a purpose behind it. Sadly everybody lookes at her measurements. That's much more important than the plot. (I am not talking about how he survived the fall.)
Somehow Sherlock Holmes in the old days was about fog and hansom cabs and the deer stalker and not much about Sherlock's personality and what makes it unique concerning the deductions and puzzles, IMO.
Now Sherlock is able to provide exactly that but possibly the majority of fans are more interested in Sherlock's purple shirt than his deductions. Just look at the threads and their statistics.
As if history repeats itself.

We can't say whether "Sherlock" will lead towards comedy in series 3 because we haven't seen it.
But the wedding speech and the audience's reaction was instructive to me.
Comedy at Sherlock's expense because he doesn't get the meaning of the best man and reacts unexpected. This little part possibly proofs Mr Thompson's statement.

On the other hand after The Reichenbach Fall the fans need some comedy scenes and a relief.
We must wait and see. Hopefully the writers are able to balance it out.
 

 

August 29, 2013 9:20 am  #5


Re: Sherlock goes comedy? Steve Thompson on scripts (SPOILER)

I really think we can't say anything about it until we actually get to see series 3.
I have trust in the writers to balance it out well. I can't see someone like Moffat or Gatiss being careless about building up a good plot.
I really like Benedict Cumberbatch and I love Martin Freeman, but for me the main thing is Sherlock Holmes in all his glory, his deductions, having a good and maybe a little spooky plot and a number of interesting and intriguing puzzles to solve on the way. It's about watching Sherlock Holmes dance as he performs his deductions and follows the trail of a crime! Of course I do love the jokes and the occasional sweet and touching moment between Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, a lot in fact, but it is clearly not my main and only incentive for watching "Sherlock", or any Sherlock Holmes adaptation.

But I think it really is a little early to get worried about this, even though I understand people's concerns. Let's watch it first and then judge. I don't think we will be disappointed in the show.

I also have high hopes for the new villain. I think and hope he will be quite scary! Let him be badass!


------------------------------------------------------------------

"When you walk with Sherlock Holmes, you see the battlefield" M.H.

"My brother has the brain of scientist or a philosopher, and yet he elects to be a detective...what might we deduce about his heart?" M.H.

"Home is now behind you, the world is ahead."
 
 

August 29, 2013 10:03 am  #6


Re: Sherlock goes comedy? Steve Thompson on scripts (SPOILER)

Well said. We should be patient and wait until we have seen it. My addiction started when I watched the English original for the first time. It was a mixture of "That voice!!!" and "I would love to write like that!!!" So I am hopeful and confident that they will come up with the right balance of comedy and drama. And the sometimes you need comic relief to prepare for a dramatic climax which I am sure we will get at the end of ep. 3. 

Be: I think there may be fans who rave about the purple shirt and appreciate the plot writing at the same time. I count myself among them. 


------------------------------
"To fake the death of one sibling may be regarded as a misfortune; to fake the death of both looks like carelessness." Oscar Wilde about Mycroft Holmes

"It is what it is says love." (Erich Fried)

“Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame. I’m also a great believer in treating others as you would like to be treated.” (Benedict Cumberbatch)



 
     Thread Starter
 

August 29, 2013 10:33 am  #7


Re: Sherlock goes comedy? Steve Thompson on scripts (SPOILER)

SusiGo wrote:

Be: I think there may be fans who rave about the purple shirt and appreciate the plot writing at the same time. I count myself among them. 

Same here.
And I also would agree: the writing really has been exceptionally good up until now, just brilliant, witty and entertaining all at the same time. They certainly will continue to concentrate on a good plot. I can't imagine them turning this into a soap opera/comedy show. They probably would bore themselves to death with something like that.
 


___________________________________________________
"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"

 
 

August 29, 2013 10:43 am  #8


Re: Sherlock goes comedy? Steve Thompson on scripts (SPOILER)

I totally agree with you. 


------------------------------
"To fake the death of one sibling may be regarded as a misfortune; to fake the death of both looks like carelessness." Oscar Wilde about Mycroft Holmes

"It is what it is says love." (Erich Fried)

“Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame. I’m also a great believer in treating others as you would like to be treated.” (Benedict Cumberbatch)



 
     Thread Starter
 

August 29, 2013 11:23 am  #9


Re: Sherlock goes comedy? Steve Thompson on scripts (SPOILER)

Please don't feel offended because I can relate to Mr Thompson's concern here.
Nobody said one has do decide between plot and comedy. Or that comedy is inferior.
But Doyle's stories are not primarily funny, aren't they?
It's about crime investigation, curious or odd crimes and even a bit social critizism.
And Sherlock is not CSI Bakerstreet either.

 

 

August 29, 2013 11:31 am  #10


Re: Sherlock goes comedy? Steve Thompson on scripts (SPOILER)

Swanpride wrote:

It's all about the plot! And the characters! What is true, though, is that the show wouldn't be as succesful if it relied on a crime plot alone. Because once you know the solution, those tend to get boooooooring.

Right, and I personally certainly wouldn't have watched those six episodes again and again if it were just about solving a crime. It's the whole package that makes this show so special (and different, IMHO).
And yes, maybe ACD didn't write those funny and sometimes hilarious moments into his stories (I can't tell because I don't know them... ). Nevertheless it does work in the show, so I hope they will stick to what they did with it up until now.
 


___________________________________________________
"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"

 
 

August 29, 2013 1:47 pm  #11


Re: Sherlock goes comedy? Steve Thompson on scripts (SPOILER)

Swanpride wrote:

The original stories are sometimes hillarious, if you really pay attention to the details. Like the way Holmes tells off the king of Bohemia, or when he and Watson follow Toby and end up on the totally wrong track. And don't forget the Red-headed league. What makes this story is certainly not the case in itself, which is actually fairly simple, but the scheme the criminals use to get the pawn shop owner out of the way. Holmes sarkastic remarks are often spot on, too. And don't forget that some of the best lines of the show (Of course you missed everything of importance, You see but you do not observe, the game is on, aso) are straight from the source text.

 
Yes, you are right, the comical elements are all there in the original stories, esp. the descriptions of Holmes oddities or the way he sees the world. But also in the canon it is all about the balance. Some of Holmes' cases, mostly those who start out as funny little stories tend to have very grim endings. It's exactly that mixture of funny, bizzare, comical and dramatic that makes those stories so entertaining. And it only works if you keep bringing all of those elements into the show 
(which I think they'll certainly keep doing, as I said before, I have trust in the writers ).


------------------------------------------------------------------

"When you walk with Sherlock Holmes, you see the battlefield" M.H.

"My brother has the brain of scientist or a philosopher, and yet he elects to be a detective...what might we deduce about his heart?" M.H.

"Home is now behind you, the world is ahead."
 
 

November 23, 2013 12:39 am  #12


Re: Sherlock goes comedy? Steve Thompson on scripts (SPOILER)

BBC Sherlock has ruined television for me. I was watching Elementary last night and practically broke down the plot in real time. I could have been the writer for the episode.  Uhg.  As Irene Adler says,'brainy is the new sexy" and its the combination of so many human elements  including the PSoS)  with the super human wit of Sherlock that just has this show outdoing anything else on T.V. right now. 

I really have lost count on how many times I have watched the series so far.  When I am sick (like now) or bored or sad for a pick-me-up, I see new elements, new ways to see what is happening every single time.  Fascinating that a script can be observed and interpretted differently each time I watch. 

As I eluded to at the beginning of this comment, Sherlock has ruined the way I watch T.V. but it has also influenced me in so many different ways.  A few years ago my family lost their patriarch and it seemed like I lived life in a hazy blur, sleep walking through my days. My brain literally turned to mush.  Then one night, my sister comes into the house and says,"You have got to see this show!" I watched it with my mom and her and I have never been the same.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sherlock Holmes, "Perfectly sound analysis but I was hoping you'd go deeper."
 

November 23, 2013 5:15 am  #13


Re: Sherlock goes comedy? Steve Thompson on scripts (SPOILER)

Keep Calm and Trust Moffit/Gatiss.

That's all I can do.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
    
 
 

November 23, 2013 5:16 am  #14


Re: Sherlock goes comedy? Steve Thompson on scripts (SPOILER)

Keep Calm and Trust Moffit/Gatiss.

That's all I can do.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
    
 
 

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