Sherlock creators have warned that series four of the BBC drama could be the last.
The creator warned that, as Benedict Cumberbatch has become such an internationally-renowned actor, he now only does the show out of loyalty to his fans.
Steven Moffat said that both Martin Freeman (John Watson) and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes) don’t do the show for the money.
“We do have two film stars in the programme. They haven’t needed to do these jobs for a very long time; they’re coming back because they want to. I’m amazed that we got this far. I thought that once they had become extremely successful, we would only get to do one more series.”
However, he has also revealed that if the pair’s schedules get too hectic, there’s a possibility of the show returning years down the line.
Sherlock has become one of the BBC’s most popular programmes, gaining a huge following and was nominated for six Emmy Awards.
The Christmas special, ‘The Abominable Bride’, drew more than 12 million viewers back in January on BBC One alone. BBC Worldwide have also revealed that it was their biggest overseas export in the past year, being sold to broadcasters in 216 international territories over the past 12 months. It sold over 190,000 tickets in America and Canada and topped box offices in Asia.
Producers of Sherlock are known for keeping fans guessing and yesterday, BBC One released a photo of Cumberbatch posing with a bloodhound with no insight into the dog’s role.