The story of Sherlock Holmes was first published
in 1887, but the story continues to resurface throughout history and did again
in today’s culture. BBC created a TV series called “Sherlock” that was released
in 2010. After its release it became an immediate success. During an interview of
the cast (linked below), it is revealed that during its third season it is the
most popular show on television, it is watched by people all around the world
including 20 million people in China. In summary the “brilliantly dark” show
has become a cultural phenomenon. The co creator of the show Stephen Loffet said that it was very
surprising that the series gained popularity. He said, “Series don’t do this. It’s
a common myth that series grow. Hit series start high and drift down, so it’s
extraordinary that Sherlock is drifting up.”
This show, with Sherlock being the
main character, leads me to assume that today’s culture favors the Byronic hero.
The Byronic hero continues to show up in some of today’s most popular
television shows such as the arrow, batman, kick ass, and more. The question
that this raises for me is: why has this story line in particular become so
widely hero so preferred in today culture?
The classic Byronic hero is
arrogant, lives in a state of relative isolation or is a wanderer, broods over
misdeeds, is charismatic, self-destructive, and is generally a misunderstood
outcast from society. Lady Caroline Lamb uses the phrase “mad, bad, and
dangerous to know” to describe Lord Byron, who was a Byronic hero of his own
time.
My own personal opinion is that
this “new” obsession with Sherlock is due a revived obsession with Byronic hero’s,
but rather it just shows that people like Sherlock more than other Byronic heroes.
Of course, credit must also be given to the writers and the actors of the show,
but people seem to love mystery. Not only does Sherlock’s character provide a
sense of mystery, but his profession of detective provides even more of a sense
of mystery. This obsession with mystery may be driven by society’s obsession
with problem solving and logical deduction.
The revival of Sherlock Holmes suggests
to me that the reason this story line in particular become so widely hero so preferred
in today culture has to do with their appreciation of dark humor and great
writing and acting and the scientific mindset of today’s society.
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ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your blog post! I am a huge fan of the Sherlock BBC series, as well as the CW's Arrow show. I can identify with the appeal of both shows because I find the idea of the "troubled" main character (the hero) trying to figure out what his purpose is in life. In Arrow, Oliver Queen has a mission and he is finding his place back into society after being gone for 5 years on an abandoned island; in Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes is finding his place in society with the help of his friend, Dr. John Watson. The appeal of the Byronic hero in television series allows the series to grow in popularity. - Amanda Scott (AS)
ReplyDeleteI'd agree: the Sherlock of the series is a Byronic figure, which seems to add to his appeal.
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