It’s been almost two years now since Sherlock (from Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat and fan-favorite writer Mark Gatiss) aired its last episode. We’ve been teased with pictures and trailers for a forthcoming special, which swaps the show’s contemporary setting for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original Victorian London, but no release date has ever been announced. Long expected to be a Christmas special, we now know the show won’t air on Christmas day, but will premiere the following week on New Year’s Day: January 1, 2016.
The special, which of course features the returns of both Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson, also has a title: Sherlock: The Abominable Bride. Also, for the first time ever, it will air on the same date on both sides of the pond, on BBC One in the UK and on PBS in the US. Here’s the official description for the special, direct from PBS:
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"Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) return as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the acclaimed modern retelling of Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic stories. But now our heroes find themselves in 1890s London. Beloved characters Mary Morstan (played by Amanda Abbington), Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves) and Mrs. Hudson (Una Stubbs) also turn up at 221b Baker Street."
In addition to the January 1 premiere, Sherlock: The Abominable Bride will also have a limited theatrical screening in both the US and UK. The big screen version will have 20 minutes of additional footage, with a set tour from Steven Moffat and a short “making-of” documentary with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.
Finally, we have a new extended trailer for the upcoming special from BBC One:
The long-awaited fourth season of Sherlock is expected to begin filming shortly after The Abominable Bride airs, in Spring 2016. There are rumors this could affect Doctor Who‘s tenth series, leading to only a series of short specials in 2016 or no new episodes at all until 2017. Hopefully, this is all untrue, but we won’t know for sure until we get confirmation from Steven Moffat or the BBC.
What do you think? Are you looking forward to Sherlock: The Abominable Bride? Tell us about it in the comments below!
(H/T Entertainment Weekly)
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