A Theory of Adaptation: When, Where?

In chapter five of Huctheon's book, A Theory of Adaptation, she covers what she considers to be two of the most important things to consider when it comes to adaptations. The first one is when. Huctheon discusses how films are often readapted into different time periods by directors in order to appeal to the modern day viewer when she says, "Many adapters deal with this reality of reception by updating the time of the story in an attempt to find contemporary resonance for their audiences..." Huctheon uses the example of a 1941 film that was later remade in 1978 and included added content that was current with the time. A more modern example of an adaptation being updated to a current time period would be the 2010 BBC television show, Sherlock. There have been numerous Sherlock Holmes films adapted over and over again, however, in this adaptation, instead of seeing Holmes and Watson run around London in the nineteen-hundreds, we instead follow the adventures of Holmes and Watson in present day England. Although Benedict Cumberbatch's acting (and face) play a big role in why the show has become so popular, I think a key reason as to why the show has gained a considerable audience is because the show's creators have been able to hold onto the original story while at the same time they have been able to, as Huctheon said, "find contemporary resonance for their audiences..." The second key thing to consider when it comes to adaptations, according to Huctheon, is where. She says, "Where is as important a question to ask about adaptation, however, as when." Continuing with the theme of Sherlock Holmes, another recent adaptation of the famous detective came in 2013 with the CBS show, Elementary. Similar to Sherlock, Elementary is also a modernized version of Holmes however, in Elementary, Holmes and Watson reside in New York City instead of London. Elementary is an Americanized version of Sherlock that has been adapted from the British. Since America and Britain are relatively similar, when it comes to economic status, values, etc. there are not too many differences culturally but there definitely are some.