Member Sheila Holtgrieve,”Daisy,” sends along this interesting article found on Laurie R King’s website about “If Watson Were a Woman.” This was first proposed by Rex Stout, the BSI who wrote the Nero Wolfe books.
Thank you, “Daisy.”
You can click on the link below to read.
http://www.laurierking.com/etcetera/mary-russells-world/if-watson-were-a-woman
Watson was a woman – at least 5 times:
1971: Dr. Mildred Watson (Joanne Woodward), *They Might be Giants* [George C. Scott as Justin Playfair, who thinks he’s Sherlock Holmes]
1976: Dr. Joan Watson (Jenny O’Hara), *The Return of the World’s Greatest Detective* [Larry Hagman as Sherman Holmes, who thinks he’s Sherlock Holmes]
1986: Jane Watson (Galina Schepetnova), *My Dearly Beloved Detective* [Ekaterina Vasilyeva as Shirley Holmes]
1987: Jane Watson (Margaret Colin), *The Return of Sherlock Holmes* [Michael Pennington as a cryogenically resurrected Sherlock Holmes]
1993: Dr. Amy Winslow (Debrah Farentino), *Sherlock Holmes Returns* [Anthony Higgins as a cryogenically resurrected Sherlock Holmes]
2012: Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu), *Elementary* [Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes]”
Fascinating, “Cocoa” . . . Never knew that! So “Elementary” and Rex Stout are not isolated instances of the concept.
Certainly!
I was surprised how many seemed to think that Lucy Liu’s portrayal of Dr. Watson was a novel approach, since Watson has been portrayed as a many times woman before… as well as a dog (more than once), a mouse, and even as a futuristic android.
While “Elementary” may not be my favorite adaption of the Canon, I think they did a brilliant job with Dr. Joan Watson, as they do retain many of the characteristics that make the Canonical Watson who he is – not all but including: honor, intelligence, medical knowledge, compassion, physical ability, an ease with the opposite sex, and a strong bond of friendship with Sherlock Holmes.
Another thing I like about Elementary: Holmes was not “cryogenically resurrected” yet again!
Please allow me to amend my earlier post and say that Watson has been portrayed as a woman at least 5 times.
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