Sherlock's Premiere Date Remains a Mystery That Even PBS Can't Solve
This article, Sherlock's Premiere Date Remains a Mystery That Even PBS Can't Solve, originally appeared on TVGuide.com.
Sherlock is a wonderfully brilliant series but its most impressive feat is that it constantly leaves fans wanting more. By delivering only three episodes every few years, you're never burnt out on the dramatic adventures of Benedict Cumberbatch's titular detective and Martin Freeman's sometimes mustachioed sidekick.
Although fans will have to wait a while longer for Season 4, the Sherlock gods have smiled down upon us and will present a Victorian-era special hopefully later this year. At this time, PBS, which airs the series in the U.S., has not set a premiere date because the BBC has not yet set theirs. To that point, the network advertised the new special to reporters at the Television Critics Association fall previews on Saturday as "coming soon...ish."
When asked what he could reveal about the special, co-creator and executive producer Steven Moffat joked, "We're going to put in on television and you're going to be able to watch it. And it will be full of spoilers."
Inside the Sherlock panel at Comic-Con
Taking a more serious approach, executive producer Rebecca Eaton noted that the show's producers are cognizant of the fact fans are getting restless the longer they go without news.
"I think we are all working to be as nimble as we can with this one," she said. "We are in very close touch with the BBC, and we are working very hard to not frustrate the fans... I'm sorry to be vague about it, but we're working hard to not irritate people."
The producers also cleared up some confusion regarding the upcoming special. Previously, Sherlock's co-creator Mark Gatiss (who was originally envisioned to play Moriarty before they realized he looked "a little bit" like Benedict and cast him as big brother Mycroft) referred to the special, which is set in Victorian England as opposed to the modern setting in which the rest of the series takes place, as a Christmas special, but that is not the case. When asked why then they decided to set the special in the past, Moffat joked, "We checked the books, and decided we got it wrong."
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The truth is that the Victorian setting was more conducive to the story the producers wanted to tell. "Ghost stories work better in the Victorian setting," said Moffat. "We haven't done much with them in the modern show... [and] it's a chance to tell a ghost story, a scary story."
Moffat also noted that it was easy to write for a Victorian-era Holmes and Watson, and that the most difficult challenge was to not go too over the top. There will be a slight difference in the way the characters speak, Sherlock will have the manners of a Victorian gentleman rather than acting like a brat, and Watson will be a bit more upright. Moffat also said that because of the nature of the era, the show will feel "a bit more polished."
You can see an example of what Moffat is talking about in the clip below, which was first released at Comic-Con:
The Sherlock special will premiere soon...ish.
