BBC’s Sherlock has created a worldwide sensation with its first four seasons and their contemporary take on detectives Sherlock Holmes and John Watson pursuing crimes till the end in a fast-paced, heart-thumping chase through ancient London. But Season 5 has been up in the air for some time and now, we may finally have some answers.
The Situation As It Stands
Season 4 might have faced some blowback due to a poorly written finale, but fans are still clamoring for a return. There’s been no word from BBC since the finale of Season 4 aired in 2017. However, Benedict Cumberbatch said in a 2018 interview with NY Daily News, “Don’t hold your breath, but you never say never.”
He also said that no-one’s closed the door on Sherlock and expressed serious interest in playing the character again. The creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have even talked about the possibility, saying that they can’t at the moment because they’re both still working on “Dracula,” making us think that Season 5 is somewhere on the books. In the future.
So Who Would The New Season Star?
Well, we certainly can’t have Sherlock without Benedict Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch embodies Sherlock with his funny accurate need-for-speed voice. We want Martin Freeman to come back too, of course, but that’s complicated at the moment. But, Louise Brealey and Una Stubbs are both eagerly hoping to get back to the Sherlock set!
Anytime Soon?
Well, schedules suggest that everyone’s currently too busy to work on Season 5. Cumberbatch previously said, “we’re all busy getting a kick out of doing other things…It just means not right now.” Meanwhile, Freeman is off filming for The Time Traveler’s Wife.
Adding to the overall messiness of that, there’s been some controversy between the Holmes and Watson pair, with Martin saying that it’s hard to live up to fans’ expectations and the show’s lost appeal due to their interference, which many think refers to the rumors of Holmes and Watson being gay.
Taking all of that into account, maybe not soon, but there’s still hope. So keep checking the news, fans, because you never know when an official renewal from BBC might drop by to surprise you!