‘Sherlock’ season 4 spoilers: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman at work shooting new special

For all of you “Sherlock” fans, how about starting the new year off with some very cool news? We have official word now that the first installment of season 4 is officially underway!

Series stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have each been spotted filming the upcoming special in the United Kingdom; the general assumption is that this will be a Christmas Special, but there is no confirmation yet that it will actually air at Christmastime. We have a policy against posting set photos unless officially licensed, but there are some out there. We just don’t want to give anything substantial away.

This special will serve as the foundation to what is a three-episode fourth season that is very much still in the works. There is no official word yet on when these specials will film, let alone air on TV. The beauty of them, though, is that they could effectively be done at any time, and they also don’t need to be done one after the other. The general impression here is that this special will serve as a great means to tide us over until the point in which these new specials ultimately arrive.

One other great thing? Despite how famous the show’s two leads seem to find themselves these days, we still do not see any staunch indication that either one of them plans on departing the series at any point in the near future. They are glad to still be a part of it all, and so long as they remain happy with the process, as do we.

We will have even more news related to “Sherlock” as we get closer and closer to the BBC airing the special, so be on the lookout. For now, just head over here to see some other highlights and scoop, or sign up to have TV news sent right over to your email, courtesy of our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: BBC One.)