A ray of hope arrived the other day for Sherlock fans when it was reported that an insider on the show was claiming they’d been told that a fifth season was on the way. This was a surprising turn of events, as we’d heard from several sources that the smash hit detective series was on indefinite hiatus so that its extremely busy cast and crew could get on with other projects.
Turns out it was just too good to be true, as we’re now learning that the initial report was false. A fan asked co-showrunner (and Mycroft Holmes himself) Mark Gatiss on Twitter to confirm the story and the writer/actor responded with a short but sharp reply, saying: “Utter nonsense.”
As disappointing as this is, it shouldn’t come as a shock, as Gatiss’ dismissal of the rumor is only in keeping with his previous comments on Sherlock‘s future. Earlier this year, for instance, he explained that he and writing partner Steven Moffat will be busy with their TV adaptation of Dracula for the foreseeable future, meaning we shouldn’t expect to see season 5 until 2020 at the earliest.
Since then, however, Moffat’s signed up to helm another TV adaptation in the form of a new show based around Audrey Niffenegger’s sci-fi/romance novel The Time Traveler’s Wife. So that’s likely going to make Sherlock even less of a priority. Not to mention how much stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have on their plates, in particular their continuing commitments to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Let’s not get too dispirited, though, as most of those involved believe that Sherlock will return eventually – Martin Freeman’s controversial opinions on the matter excepted. It just might not be anytime soon.
