Benedict Cumberbatch is a "bit cynical" about Elementary.

The British actor plays the leading character in the UK's Sherlock, and while he wishes those in the US show - which also tells the story of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in a modern setting - the "best of luck," he did tell lead actor Jonny Lee Miller he would rather he didn't take part.

"It's very odd. I did say to Jonny, 'Well, I'd prefer you didn't do it but you've got a kid to feed, a nice house in Los Angeles and a wife to keep in good clothes.' When you get used to a certain standard of living and they waft a paycheck at you, what are you going to do? I think Jonny was like, 'Mate, I've got a f**king mountain to climb here, you've got nothing to fear.' I wish him the best of luck, but I'm a bit cynical about why they've chosen to do it and why they cast him," he said.

Benedict saw the pilot script of the series, and admits he does not feel "threatened" by what he read: "I got hold of the pilot script just to check it out. I don't know, we'll see. I think there's room for us both to co-exist. I don't feel threatened by it and I wish him the best, which is as diplomatic as I can be."