Echoing the eccentric genius : : the Sherlock Holmes paradigm in contemporary crime series

Abstract: Sherlock Holmes represents an archetype whose genius and eccentricity made him famous around the world and inspired countless other detectives that are based on him, thus creating a Sherlock Holmes paradigm. Moreover, he epitomizes the concepts of genius and eccentricity, which are already marked by a long cultural history, and helped to firmly establish them in popular culture. But what is it about Holmes that sets him apart from other characters and can explain the public’s enduring fascination with him?
In this study, it will be shown how numerous elements of the paradigm are still present in many contemporary television crime series, such as the two British series Agatha Christie’s Poirot (1989 – 2013) and Sherlock (2010 – present) as well as the two US series Monk (2002 – 2009) and The Mentalist (2008 – 2015). I will illustrate that the crucial factors of this continuum through time, space and different media are Holmes’s genius and eccentricity in their manifold manifestations. The aim is to verify Holmes as the embodiment of the continuing ambivalence of this label: On the one hand, it offers an outlet for individuality in an age of standardisation and a promise of salvation in troubled times. On the other hand, it comes at the price of being considered an outsider by not conforming to social conventions and traditional gender roles or even of being branded as mentally ill.
At first sight, it may seem paradoxical that order and orientation are brought about by a character that is actually marked by his refusal to conform to any norms. Yet it will be shown how the genius of Holmes and his eccentricities are made more relatable to the audience by the seriality of the TV shows as they provide the platform to show both patterns and progress of their protagonists, i.e. eccentric geniuses.
In order to explore the relation between the eccentric genius and society, a televised form of detective fiction is especially useful because of the genre’s intrinsic interest in social order and disorder as well as the medium’s link to society. Bearing the sociocultural factor in mind, it will be discussed how the change of time and context affects the image we have of this type and why we still have use for it. As a result, the portrayal of these characters allows us to draw conclusions about the needs, hopes and fears of the society in which they are created

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Universität Freiburg, Dissertation, 2021

Classification and Topics

• Keyword: Genius ; Crime ; Exzentrizität ; Genie

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Freiburg
• (who): Universität
• (when): 2021
• Creator: Ewers, Isabell
• Contributor: Korte, Barbara ; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. Philologische Fakultät

Further information

• DOI: 10.6094/UNIFR/218269
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:25-freidok-2182693
• Rights: Kein Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:57 AM CEST