Thursday is a big night for me, with two of my favorite new dramas airing – the first one is over on ABC, and the second is CBS’ ELEMENTARY, which begins its run tonight at 10/9c after an all new PERSON OF INTEREST. Jonny Lee Miller (who you all should know from ELI STONE, DEXTER, HACKERS, his marriage to Angelina stars as a modern day Sherlock Holmes – an addict who solves crimes.  Lucy Liu is his Watson, Joan Watson to be exact, his sober coach, hand picked by Sherlock’s dad, and whose job is to stick with Sherlock day in and day out while he works through his inner demons.  While doing so, she just might be able to shake some of her own.

The show is immediately established as a procedural to fit in with what other shows CBS is offering, but the grittiness of Sherlock and Miller’s portrayal of him, provides something different than we’re used to seeing.  Another plus is that Miller doesn’t have to hide his natural English accent (he’s one of the better hiders, I should point out), but he seems to have a freedom in the lack of “covering up” for his American-part roles before.  And don’t forget Lucy Liu (who I wish would have been nominated for that guest star Emmy for her role on SOUTHLAND), playing much of the strong and silent type in the episode, opening up slightly to a grief stricken victim, and letting Sherlock get under her skin.  Their friendship is going to be something fantastic (and everything I’ve seen or read from the EPs implies that they will stay platonic), so the show has me excited to see where it’s going.  Bonus?  Aidan Quinn – from the woefully underrated PRIME SUSPECT – is Sherlock’s captain, and he fits right in with the chaos.

What say you – are you watching ELEMENTARY?