The Story Lab – Week 2: Sherlock
Beginning in 2010, the BBC’s Sherlock was created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, the showrunner and writer for the BBC’s other cult hit, Doctor Who, respectively. This is relevant as the two titular characters of both shows are male protagonists, taken out of their own time, misunderstood by their peers and much smarter than anyone else around them. The character of Sherlock was created by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887 and gaining popularity in 1891 in short stories published in The Strand Magazine.
The character has stayed within the popular zeitgeist due to its complexity and the depth of his supporting players. The 2010 television series takes the character and places him in modern day London, with the use of the internet and mobile phones as tools to solve his crimes. This allows for the showrunners to play with fan theories and groups within the show such as the sub plot of the premiere episode of season 3 which revolved around how Sherlock survived his fall and the end of the previous season.
Sherlock is a modern show and its fans thrive on the internet on many social media platforms. They use the freedom of the internet to showcase the theories of the story, discuss their favourite characters and guess what the future of the show will be. Modern audiences have the ability to simultaneously watching a show while using the internet to research or talk about what they are watching. Multiple screens and platforms allow for the story and world of a show to thrive beyond the hours shown on screen and Sherlock has become a phenomenon by generating a dedicated fan base who understand the online environment.
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