Thee BBC officially revealing plans for the much-anticipated return of “Sherlock,” the contemporary adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective. Above is the special’s first still, showcasing Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, respectively. The precise reason as to why they’re dressed like that, however, remains to be seen.
“Sherlock” began airing in 2010, establishing a pattern of three 90-minute episodes per series. The most recent episode, “His Last Vow,” concluded series three with a bit of a cliffhanger, teasing the return of Andrew Scott’s Jim Moriarty.
Currently known only as “Sherlock Special,” (per the below image of the script shared on social media) the upcoming episode is written by series creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat and is rumored to air in late 2015 as a Christmas special.
“Steven and Mark have had a great idea what they can do next,” teased Freeman in conversation with The Mirror earlier this year, “and it is an exciting, mouth watering idea… “
A fourth series is also expected to go into production in 2015 (to then air in 2016), although specific plans have not yet been revealed.