The Evolution of Detective Fiction: A Comparative Analysis of Investigative Techniques and Characterization in Sherlock Holmes (2009, 2011) and Sherlock (2010-2017)

Abstract

Screen adaptations today vary across narrative forms and genres, but it is detective fiction that has most impressively shaped popular consciousness. As one of the oldest and most resilient literary genres, detective fiction has undergone significant transformation since its emergence in the nineteenth century, it further evolved and diversified into police procedural, crime drama, and cross-media adaptation. At the heart of this development is the figure of Sherlock Holmes, arguably the most influential and frequently reinterpreted character within the genre. This dissertation undertakes a comparative analysis of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes films (2009, 2011) and the BBC’s Sherlock television series (2010–2017), focusing on how these adaptations mirror broader changes regarding characterization, methods of investigation, and themes in contemporary detective narratives.