It's confirmed! Sherlock is coming back-and it's earlier than expected!
After speculations about the next season airing earlier than previous ones, BBC finally announced on Wednesday that "Sherlock" season 4 will grace televisions again soon. The phenomenal modern adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's detective series will air with a Christmas special for 2015 followed by the usual three episodes in 2016.
Last season, avid viewers saw the brilliant detective face off with Charles Augustus Magnussen. It then promptly left its audience with the surprising twist of Moriarty's possible resurrection or death hoax. "Sherlock" season 4 promises to be the "most shocking and surprising series of Sherlock yet," according to BBC drama controller, Ben Stephenson.
"Of course, it's far too early to say what's coming, but we're reasonably confident that the very next thing to happen to Sherlock and John, is the very last thing you'd expect," Sherlock co-creator, writer, and executive producer Scott Moffat said, regarding the series' return.
Mark Gatiss (Moffat's co-creator, writer, and executive producer) further teased fans about "Sherlock" season 4 saying, "It's always special to return to 'Sherlock' but this time it's even more special as we're doing... a Special! Not only THAT, we'll then be shooting three more episodes which will take Sherlock and John Watson into deeper and darker water than ever before."
Gatiss and the rest of the crew are "terrifically excited" to start filming, adding, "The Game is on... again!"
Hartswood Film (which is producing the show) Executive producer, Sue Vertue is currently sorting out the filming schedule, since the show's main characters, Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes) and Martin Freeman (John Watson) are still busy with their respective lineup of movies. Charlotte Moore, Controller for BBC One, praised the production company for managing to make season four possible especially since "it's no mean feat pinning down some of [the UK's] most brilliant and in-demand actors and writers."
The Christmas special will start shooting January of next year, followed by the rest of the episodes filming in the latter part of 2015.
