‘Sherlock’ Season 4 Looks Set for Early 2017
Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in "Sherlock" Season 3.
(Photo: BBC/Robert Viglasky/Hartswood Films for MASTERPIECE)
Sherlock fans should probably prepare themselves for another fairly long wait for new episodes of the popular mystery series.
(Bright side: It’s not as long as it could be?)
As everyone pretty much predicted already, it doesn’t look like there will be any new episodes in 2016. The show’s long-awaited fourth season is slated to start filming at some point this spring and it looks as though it will make it’s way to our screens in early 2017, at least according to PBS President Paula Kerger.
"We do have the next Sherlock announced, that is coming up about a year from now,” Kerger told journalists at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.
Kerger went on to explain that the situation is made more difficult due to the involved production process for each episode, and the busy schedule of star Benedict Cumberbatch
“As you know, Benedict has gotten to be somewhat popular since we began our work with him,” Kerger said. “And he very much wants to continue with Sherlock. As you know, they are produced almost like films, and we’re hoping the next one will be about a year from now.”
The show recently aired a one-off special episode on New Year’s Day, which took the show’s characters back to Victorian London. (Sort of.) Despite early assurances to the contrary, the Victorian episode did connect back to the modern-day story and the mystery of whether Moriarty had returned. (Though, of course, they did not answer that question fully one way or another, so we’ll have to wait and see what Season 4 holds on that score.)
The recent special was broadcast on the same day in both the UK and the US, but there’s no word yet on what, if any, kind of gap will be present between British and American airdates for Season 4. Keep your fingers crossed.
(After all – we’ve gotten through multi-year hiatuses more than once. Sherlock fans are nothing if not excellent at waiting.)
Excited for more Sherlock? How do you think the Victorian special will tie in to the new season? (What did you guys think of the Victorian special, anyway?) Hit the comments.
