The long wait is over: Benedict Cumberbatch will return as Sherlock Holmes in just over a month, as the BBC will show the first of the three new feature-length episodes on New Year's Day. The previous series of the show also premiered on that day two years ago.
That second series of BBC's wildly successful modern day 'reinterpretation' of Sherlock Holmes left viewers on a particularly cruel cliffhanger on January 15th 2012 (spoilers follow). Holmes seemingly fell to his death, but the show ended with a quick glimpse of the famed detective alive and well.
The last two years have seen the show's cast & crew tease fans, saying they'd actually filmed the resolution to what seemed like an impossible conundrum to work their way out of. Filming of the full season, however, was delayed by the busy schedules of both Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman (the show's John Watson). Both stars also have major roles in The Hobbit trilogy, with Cumberbatch providing the voice of the dragon Smaug.
It has already been announced that season three's episode will be entitled The Empty Hearse, The Sign of Three and His Last Vow. As ever, fans can expect stories loosely based on the classic Conan Doyle stories, with some modern day twists. The first episode, for example, is partially inspired by The Adventure of the Empty House story.
You can see the latest trailer for Sherlock series 3 below:
