“Southland” player Lucy Liu could be headed back to network TV if CBS picks up “Elementary,” a contemporary procedural pilot about a New York-based Briton with a substance-abuse history named Sherlock Holmes who solves crime with the help of disgraced former surgeon named Dr. Joan Watson.
Liu will portray Watson opposite a Holmes played by Johnny Lee Miller (“Trainspotting,” “Eli Stone”).
“Elementary” is the brainchild of veteran writer-producer Robert Doherty (“Star Trek: Voyager,” “Dark Angel,” “Tru Calling,” “Point Pleasant,” “Medium,” “Ringer”).
There’s already a contemporary Holmes series titled “Sherlock,” from “Adventures of Tintin” screenwriter Stephen Moffat. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “War Horse,” the upcoming “Star Trek” sequel) and Martin Freeman (“The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy”), who both happen to have roles in Peter Jackson’s upcoming “Hobbit” movies. “Sherlock” airs on the BBC in Britain and on PBS in the United States.
Liu’s other credits include the “Kill Bill” and “Charlie’s Angels” movies, as well as “Ally McBeal.”
