When will people stop needing Sherlock Holmes?

In just the last few years, Sherlock has been represented in two hit movies with Robert Downey Jr. as the 19th century action hero and of course the BBC drama miniseries, "Sherlock" has been yet another hit. Despite the countless other representations of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle character, "Elementary" debuts on CBS on Thursday. 

"Elementary" puts a modern twist on the classic Doyle tale by casting British actor Jonny Lee Miller as a recovering drug addict living in New York and Lucy Liu as his female side kick, Dr. Joan Watson. The drama is a character-driven crime show, in the vein of many other procedural shows. 

According to the Guinness World Records, Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed character in movie history, with his first screen appearance dating back to 1900.

"This guy has got about as identifiable a brand as you could ever ask for. Everyone knows immediately what he means, and what he stands for. It's like Superman, you could keep on remaking this for every new age," said Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University.

Rob Doherty, the creator of "Elementary," was a longtime fan of Conan Doyle and hs version focused on Holmes as an addict not only to drugs but also to puzzle solving. 

"Our Sherlock had those same problems but I think one of the big differences is that our Sherlock hit a serious wall," he said. "He has emerged with just a tiny kernel of self-doubt where one previously never existed."

Lucy Liu, who previously starred in the two movie versions of "Charlie's Angels," plays Watson as a disgraced former surgeon with her own flaws and mystery. Though a woman in the role of Watson may be unheard of, this is not the first time a woman has inhabited the character. Margaret Colin, Debrah Farentino and Jenny O'Hara have played the Watson role in three separate TV movies since the 1970s.