Last time, I credited Robert Doherty, creator of the CBS TV series Elementary, for excellent transitions between seasons, and the entry into Season Four is no exception. In fact, it may just be the best yet. Since the start of the series, the name “Morland Holmes” has been injected into our consciousness. It was Morland who … Continue reading DADDY ISSUES: Elementary Season 4
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LET’S FIND KITTY A NEW HOLMES: Elementary, Season 3
One of the most challenging tasks for the creator of a long-running series is how to transition from one season to another. Robert Doherty, the creator of Elementary, has the advantage of having the entire Sherlock Holmes canon at his fingertips from which he can pluck inspiration. Given that his modern-day take on the Holmes legend … Continue reading LET’S FIND KITTY A NEW HOLMES: Elementary, Season 3
HOLMES, SWEET HOLMES: Elementary, Season 2
Welcome back to our exploration of Elementary, Robert Doherty’s modern take on the Great Detective, that ran on CBS from 2012 to 2019. I lasted about a season when the show first appeared, but high praise from friends like Sergio and JJ – and a wee bit more time on my hands for watching TV than … Continue reading HOLMES, SWEET HOLMES: Elementary, Season 2
PODCAST MANIA, PART I: Five Little Pigs
“It’s psychology that interests you, isn’t it? Well, that doesn’t change with time. The tangible things are gone – the cigarette end and the footprints and the bent blades of grass. You can’t look for those anymore. But you can go over all the facts of the case, and perhaps talk to the people who … Continue reading PODCAST MANIA, PART I: Five Little Pigs
NO SHIRT, SHERLOCK: Elementary, Season One
Somewhere between the Hardy Boys and Agatha Christie, some kindly relative introduced me to the World’s Greatest Detective with a collection of six or seven of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous stories about Sherlock Holmes. I think the first story I read was “The Red-Headed League” where, even at the age of 8 or 9, … Continue reading NO SHIRT, SHERLOCK: Elementary, Season One
THE EVIL THAT MEN DO: Kiss Me Deadly and The Big Combo
It’s hard to pinpoint precisely when film noir began and ended. Its antecedents lie in the silent era, in German Expressionism and in the Warner Brothers crime dramas of the 30’s. Our teacher Elliot Lavine offers a specific starting point – 1940’s Stranger on the Third Floor (which I discussed here) – and will rattle off a title or … Continue reading THE EVIL THAT MEN DO: Kiss Me Deadly and The Big Combo
THE ELLERY QUEEN POLL: The Results!
It is always gratifying to put something up for a vote and then see a mad rush to the polls. Tens of thousands of eager fans showed up to choose the best episode of the Ellery Queen mystery series, and I was all set to post the results yesterday. But then someone who had hacked … Continue reading THE ELLERY QUEEN POLL: The Results!
ELLERY QUEEN: The Adventure of the Dubious Pollster
If you've been following along with me this past six weeks - or even if you haven't - you've received my take on the twenty-three episodes (including the pilot) of the all-too short-lived mystery series, Ellery Queen. Now it's your chance to be a part of history in the first (and probably only) fan poll … Continue reading ELLERY QUEEN: The Adventure of the Dubious Pollster
GOD SAVE THE QUEENS (THE NETWORK WON’T): Ellery Queen Episodes 21 and 22
And so it ends, not with a bang but . . . not with a whimper either (although the penultimate episode edges a little close). It’s impossible to believe that Link and Levinson could not have sustained the puzzle plots for at least one more season, and yet what we have here is most pleasurable … Continue reading GOD SAVE THE QUEENS (THE NETWORK WON’T): Ellery Queen Episodes 21 and 22
LAUGHING MATTER? Two New Netflix Mystery-Comedies
On an especially bleak day last December, I made my mom laugh. (This is my job: middle brother helps her with her finances, baby bro handles all technical and medical matters . . . I crack the jokes.) I said, “Oh, Mom, you’re always complaining that there’s nothing to watch on TV, but I just … Continue reading LAUGHING MATTER? Two New Netflix Mystery-Comedies
Ah Sweet Mystery! 