Jonny Lee Miller to play Sherlock Holmes in CBS's Elementary

Way back in 2008 when we reported that BBC had ordered a "contemporary update of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle classics" we were — to say the least — not thrilled. This series turned out to be Sherlock and in our review of its first season, we called it "superb", adding that it was "creative and innovative with well written scripts and a great look yet still respect[ed] the characters originally created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle more than 100 years ago."

Now CBS wants to do the same, and we're once again not thrilled. Last month the network ordered a pilot for Elementary, calling it "modern take on the cases of Sherlock Holmes, with Sherlock now living in New York City." Our response: "Ugh."

Yes, we know we're being hypocrites on the subject.

But CBS seems determined to move forward, announcing today its choice for Sherlock Holmes: Jonny Lee Miller. All things considered, and despite our reservations about the series as a whole, not a bad choice. He most recently appeared as a major character in the fifth season of Dexter (as Jordan Chase) and plays the role of Roger Collins in the upcoming film Dark Shadows.

There's still no guarantee that the pilot will convert to a series, but based on our experience with the BBC production, we're at least willing to keep a somewhat, sort of, open mind.