Elementary, My Dear Watson

After an extended period of putting it off, I have finally started watching Elementary.
Yes, Elementary, starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu.
I was pretty reluctant to start it for a while, I mean it all seemed a little bit of a cheap move, making another modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes to ride upon the wave of success made by the BBC's Sherlock. This time, though, the difference was New York, over London, and Joan Watson, over John Watson.
I decided that I wasn't going to get involved in such a seemingly petty move but, against all odds, I have succumbed to the weight of popular culture. I have heard many good things about it. And so, yesterday, I gave in and watched the first six episodes.

And I absolutely, unequivocally, love it.

Now, truth be told, you can't really compare Sherlock and Elementary. They're two very different shows. Sherlock attempts to take the classic stories by Arthur Conan Doyle and place them within a modern setting, and I think that it works fairly well. Elementary is more of a traditional, modern "sleuth" type show, in which Sherlock and Watson seek to solve crimes and mysteries of a less, shall we say, romanticised nature. Traditional stories aren't re-told. New stories are created. And it's due to that element of Elementary which, for me, makes it a better show.

Elementary takes the traditional with their traits and differences and moves it to a modern era with modern cases. Sherlock is a recovering heroin addict who works as a consultant detective with the NYPD. Joan Watson is a former surgeon whom is his sobriety partner, and she seeks to work with him, helping him in his cases, if she can, and ensuring that he doesn't relapse. It's an incredibly interesting show, and the development of the characters is done in an really smart way. The relationship between Sherlock and Joan is tense and, at times, strained. Sherlock gives off a very distinct impression that he doesn't really want Joan there and that puts some initial stress on the relationship between them. However, as the show progresses, respect is built, a friendship of sorts is formed, Sherlock begins to see that including Joan in his work and, to a lesser extent, his life is a beneficial thing to do.

And I have to talk about the colloquiality of Sherlock. I heard that in Elementary, Sherlock is English, being played by English actor Jonny Lee Miller. Now, when I hear that a character in an American show is English, I always automatically cringe a little because, in my experience, it's never a good representation. They get an English actor (or an American actor doing an English accent) and write into their dialogue all the American colloquialisms that an Englishman really wouldn't say. Trash, soccer, bathroom (over loo or something similar), and just things like that. Sherlock, however, is English. He sounds it, accent wise, but he also talks like an Englishman which is a breath of fresh air for a show produced in America.

Well done, is basically all I have to say. You've done very well and I shall be paying more attention to you than I will be to Sherlock. It doesn't deserve all the attention it gets anyway, particularly with its pathetic crop of episodes and obscene shooting schedule. Moffat is just being a tempting little nitwit. He needs to be taken down a peg.
Anyway! I'm off to watch more of this delightful show. Cheerio!

Movember, or Why I Choose to Mo

Well hello blog... It's been a while. This is a very strange place to me now, I've not really had a great deal of input into this form of media for quite some time. Strange.

Anyway, we've hit the midpoint of November or, as it is known to many, Movember. The moustache is growing, I am pruning it and all things are going fairly well. However, I want to do a little bit of a PSA about Movember. What it is, why I do it, all those kinds of things. I was going to do a bit of a vlog about it but, as it turns out, I am terrible at vlogging. Who knew! I can't come up with things to say off the top of my head and if I script things they sound absolutely terrible coming from my mouth. They have as much fluidity as a piece of cardboard. A frozen piece of cardboard...

Anywho, on with the show.

Movember is cause I have a lot of love for. After doing it for the first time last year, it's become an event which I feel sure will be a part of my November for many years to come. Why's that Benji, I hear you cry! Well, for good reason, fellow traverser of the internet. Breast cancer, and other such high-profile, if you will, cancers receive a lot of publicity and that's brilliant. Honestly, how could one such as I ever complain about cancer receiving too much publicity... What a daft idea. But more male-oriented(?) cancers don't seem to get as much of a look in. Prostate cancer and testicular cancer are pretty big deals. Definitely not something that anyone wants to get, really. So last year I decided to take part in this event. I mean, I'm a hairy guy so growing a moustache is no big deal, and my pride can take its temporary presence for the month. It's a no-brainer, as they say!

However, as with every X-Factor auditioner, there is a more personal reason for taking part. Prepare the tissues! (I'm joking, it's not that bad.)
A year or so ago, my granddad was suffering from a few issues which were a little bit of a cause for concern. They were causing him some difficulties so he went to the doctor to get things checked out, make sure everything under the hood was running smoothly. It wasn't long after his appointment that we heard that the symptoms he was undergoing are often associated with prostate cancer. And that was a big surprise to me. Not that cancer is ever really expected; one doesn't have a medical exam, discover that they have cancer in their nuts and respond "Well, durr, tell me something I don't know." Moving on... it was a shock and I felt quite inwardly upset. I'm really close to my grandparents on that side and I began to feel quite worried about it. I didn't want my granddad to suffer through that, and to have to undergo all the tests and the medical care and all the other wonderful things that go alongside it.
Before I go any further, there is good news in this story. After having a biopsy, it was determined that my granddad didn't have prostate cancer. Wooo! ~fireworks~ He is safe from the Big C. That was a massive relief. But I still wanted to do something to make sure that I was helping. I'm no medical researcher; I can't come up with some breakthrough cure for this great affliction that seems so prominent in our society. I'm just a nerdy bloke from Norwich that enjoys reading. But I can grow facial hair...

And so this is why I take part in Movember. I want to do something that will help, rather than sit idly by twiddling my thumbs, hoping and praying that it doesn't happen to me or anyone I love. Or anyone in general, for that matter. This year I'm not doing it on my own, which is great. A couple of my friends are taking part alongside, and it feels a lot more productive to be donating to someone else, rather than throwing cash at myself...

But I can't fund the whole thing myself: I'd really appreciate the support of anyone (and, preferably, everyone.) If you, dear reader, can afford a little then I would be eternally thankful. Really, whatever you can spare would be immense. Last year I raised £49 and I'd love to do better this year. If you do want to donate, then you I present you with my face. It's clickable so you can go straight and donate.

For those that read this far, thank you for your time.