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ET was first on the set of the new CBS drama Elementary -- a modern day U.S. reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes -- and spoke with Lucy Liu about her role as the famous detective's sidekick Watson.

"Sherlock Holmes has always been a bit awkward with women, and having Watson there is something that's just a little bit uncomfortable" Liu said about the show's creators opting to make Holmes' partner female. "There's a little bit of awkwardness all the time, and so having that kind of conflict as an undercurrent can make a scene much more interesting."

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Sherlock Holmes -- who in the updated series is a recovering addict sent from Britain to New York by his father -- is played by former Eli Stone star Jonny Lee Miller, who explained the advantages of playing such an iconic character. "It's a great thing, because you can go back and look at the books, and you can see what has been seen -- recently or not so recently -- and really try and invent your own version of the character."

Liu and Miller both told ET they get along well and have a very similar working style, but Liu dismissed speculation about possible romantic sparks between the two characters. "There is a chemistry between the two of them. It's a chemistry that I think the audience will want to engage in, but I don't know if there's going to be that push-pull, will-they won't-they."

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Watch the video for a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at filming and to hear why viewers will not be hearing the famous Sherlock Holmes phrase "Elementary, my dear Watson."

Elementary -- which also stars Aidan Quinn (Prime Suspect) and Bill Heck (Pan Am) -- premieres next Thursday, September 27 at 10 p.m. on CBS.

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