Editing Elementary, Dear Data (section)

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox television episode
| image =Burton, Muldaur, Spiner.-Elementary, Dear Data.jpg
| caption =
| series = [[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]
| season = 2
| episode = 3
| production = 129
| airdate = {{Start date|1988|12|05}}
| writer = Brian Alan Lane
| director = [[Rob Bowman (filmmaker)|Rob Bowman]]
| photographer = Edward R. Brown
| music = [[Dennis McCarthy (composer)|Dennis McCarthy]]
| guests =
* [[Daniel Davis (actor)|Daniel Davis]] – [[Professor Moriarty|James Moriarty]]
* Alan Shearman – Lestrade
* [[Biff Manard]] – Ruffian
* Diz White – Prostitute
* [[Anne Ramsay|Anne Elizabeth Ramsay]] – Clancy
* Richard Merson – Pie Man
| prev = [[Where Silence Has Lease]]
| next = [[The Outrageous Okona]]
| episode_list = List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes
| season_article = Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2
}}

"'''Elementary, Dear Data'''" is the third episode of the [[Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2|second season]] of the American [[science fiction]] television series ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', the 29th episode overall. It was written by Brian Alan Lane and directed by [[Rob Bowman (director)|Rob Bowman]]. It was originally released on December&nbsp;5, 1988, in [[first-run syndication|broadcast syndication]].

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the [[Starfleet]] crew of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|Federation starship ''Enterprise''-D]]. In this episode, a holographic adversary is created on the [[holodeck]] of the ''Enterprise'' when Data and Geordi take some time off to play a [[Sherlock Holmes]] game. The plot line from this episode was continued in the sixth season episode "[[Ship in a Bottle (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Ship in a Bottle]]", and the Moriarty character appeared a third time in "The Bounty" (the sixth episode of [[Star Trek: Picard season 3]]).

In 1989, "Elementary, Dear Data" was nominated for two [[Emmy Awards]]: Outstanding Art Direction for a Series, [[Richard D. James (production designer)|Richard D. James]], Art Director; [[Jim Mees]], Set Decorator and Outstanding Costume Design for a Series, Durinda Wood, Costume Designer; [[William Ware Theiss]], [[Starfleet Uniforms]] Creator.<ref name="Anniversary" />