‘Sherlock’ season 4: PBS unsure of premiere date for Benedict Cumberbatch, cast

At the moment, details about “Sherlock” season 4 are still coming in from Great Britain, especially when it comes to the ever-present mystery as to when the show is actually going to be on the air.

Based on the information that is out there, it does appear certain that the Christmas Special will come on TV on that particular day on the BBC, but it is unlikely to do the same here in North America. While there is not the same lengthy delay that we have with “Downton Abbey,” “Sherlock” episodes are traditionally a few weeks behind in when they come on PBS. Therefore, the Christmas Special would likely air in America in mid-January, and the the rest of the season 4 episodes would line up accordingly depending on when they are aired.

For the time being, PBS is smartly just keeping things vague when it comes to Benedict Cumberbatch and company. While at TCA today, network boss Paula Kerger expressed her confident in the show’s success, regardless of when it is on the air:

“We’re so proud to have it on public broadcasting. We have to wait to really know when it will be finished. Whenever it comes, we’ll put it in a wonderful place, and we know it’s going to be terrific.”

While the ratings for “Sherlock” season 3 were not at “Downton Abbey” levels, the reality here is that very little is. You just have to be happy here that the show has some level of success at all, and continues to be a big moneymaker on DVD and other streaming sales.

We will have further updates on the series when they become available, but remember for now that early 2015 is supposedly when filming for the Christmas special will begin. If you want to get clued in now to some further TV updates, just be sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Photo: BBC One