Well, I'm tempted to still quibble over Sherlock being "enormously" popular. Four million is certainly a lot of people, but for comparison, NCIS got 20 million last week.

Well, I guess it's a matter of perspective. Sherlock may get more viewers than The Returned, but both are dwarfed in the US by primetime network television on the big four networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX). A large segment of the right wing of this country actively hates PBS, since they don't believe any government money…

I've never watched Downton Abbey, though ironically all my (American) friends keep trying to convince me to watch. lol

Fair enough. I shouldn't have made such a sweeping hyperbolic statement. I can't expect all Brits to put Sherlock above Elementary.

To be honest, Cumberbatch and Freeman are such effective tentpoles that I never really thought about it in that way before. Thinking about it now, I'd say the side characters are developed, but agree not developed to the extent they would be after 3 seasons of a regular length show.

Could you please go ahead and stop "helping" the pro-Sherlock argument? kthx.

Heh. Of course you don't have to be a nerd. I just meant, for me, that I hate falling for obvious click bait. (Just like I hate falling for "impulse buys" at the checkout counter.) If I wasn't such a nerd, I would/could have just let this go without responding and falling for their bait so effectively. So I was…

American, and biased Anglophile, who agrees here. I'm sure I'm being snobbish, stereotyping, and not giving my fellow countrymen enough credit… but it is nonetheless how I feel.

'Murica!

Uh… because on Sherlock, Watson was immediately okay with Sherlock coming back? Not upset at all and just immediately ran to him with hugs and kisses?

Grr… I hate falling for click bait, but I am nerdy enough that I really can't help but respond. Damn my dorkiness. Fine, you win.