‘Sherlock’ season 3 pushed back; may not air stateside until 2014

If you love “Sherlock” (and you really should), it’s probably best to get out your hankies before delving too deep into this story. After all, next to cancellation this is probably the saddest bit of news you can get as a fan of a show.

According to a new report from Entertainment Weekly, production on season 3 of the hit BBC One drama featuring Benedict Cumberbatch has been pushed back from January until March, which means that the British network is likely not going to be able to begin airing the series until near the end of 2013.

So how does this impact the show’s eventual airing on PBS in the United States? To borrow from another Sherlock Holmes series airing here, it’s rather elementary. Thanks to the way in which international distribution works at present with many British shows (including “Downton Abbey”), PBS cannot begin airing new “Sherlock” episodes stateside until the airing window is closed back on the BBC. When you consider that it is always a terrible idea to split up a season of any show due to the holidays, we are looking at the very real possibility here that this show is likely not going to be on television in America until early 2014. This is a very long time to wait for what is effectively a show with very short seasons. Then again, Cumberbatch alone makes the wait worth it.

At the end of the day, we just wish there was a way that these networks could work out different agreements for many of these shows to get them on the air sooner … or that “Sherlock” would just air on BBC America similar to how “Doctor Who” does, with the episodes hardly being delayed at all. After all, most American shows that air in Britain do so only a matter of days after they air here (with a few exceptions depending on popularity).

How much are you going to miss “Sherlock” in the next year.

Photo: BBC One