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The game is on—again!
BBC One revealed on Twitter Wednesday that “Sherlock” will return in 2015 with a one-off special and then head into a three-episode fourth season. Shooting on the special will begin in January 2015, with production of the episodes later in the year. That the series continues to be in production is a testament to the stars’ commitment to the series, since both Benedict Cumberbatch, who stars as Sherlock, and Martin Freeman, who plays his beleaguered sidekick, Dr. John Watson, both have thriving film and TV careers.
“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,” co-creator, writer and executive producer Steven Moffat said in a statement.
The network spread the word about the new series by having a bit of fun on Twitter, beginning with a surprise announcement late Tuesday night with these two teasing tweets:
The hashtag #221back refers to the detective’s famous address at 221B Baker Street in London, while the photo is a still from the final moments of season three, when arch nemesis Moriarty makes his surprise return (via a GIF that appears to have taken over every device screen in London).
BBC One continued with the winks to fans on Twitter later in the day:
The tweet was playing off the protagonist’s (very, very brief) exile at the end of the last season (Sherlock returned when the Moriarty GIF took over British devices).
And eventually the network logo underwent a slight redesign:
BBC One and the “Sherlock” team have developed a reputation for having fun with the fans when announcing new seasons.
To generate fan engagement ahead of the highly anticipated return of the third season of “Sherlock” after a two-year hiatus, Red Bee Media worked with BBC One to create an interactive trailer with clickable hot spots that unlocked extra pieces of content that fans could share across various social media platforms.
Red Bee also had a funeral hearse fitted out with flowers, a date, and a hashtag travel from the show to several iconic London locations, where it was met by fans.
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