2. Elementary
Wit, intelligence, suspense, what more could you ask for from a television show? Elementary has all of the above. Keeping with the traditions set forth by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the source material, the traditional motif for the Sherlock Holmes character extends to this show.
Jonny Lee Miller captures the difficult nature of his character and proves to be a formidable asset to the series. The dynamic between him and Lucy Liu, who plays the contemporary version of Watson, comes across brilliantly and sets viewers up to be entranced by the budding friendship and partnership that consistently manages to contradict Holmes’ more lacking personality traits.
I am consistently impressed with the quality of story that Elementary presents too. Season 1 ended the initial Moriarty storyline (this version of the story) translated the professor to that of the female persuasion (portrayed by Game of Thrones actress Natalie Dormer). Another inspired alteration came from combining iconic character Moriarty with the equally important Irene Adler. Between the creative liberties the development team behind Elementary have taken and the updated scenery, the show remains unparalleled. Season 2 has only extended that success further as Sherlock becomes increasingly aware of his deficiencies and begins to address them.