‘Sherlock’ season 4: Was it hard getting Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman on board?

At the moment, let’s face it: We are in a drought when it comes to updates pertaining to “Sherlock.” There is a Victorian-era special already in the can that could air at Christmastime, but after that, there is still quite a bit mystery surrounding what will come next for the series. Three more episodes will eventually be filmed, and they could air at some point next year or even (gasp) beyond, though we’re fairly confident for now about 2016 as a possible launch date.

What should not surprise anyone is the notion that Steven Moffat has to convince the show’s stars in Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman to keep doing it. These are two very busy men, and this is not like American television where you contract an actor for six seasons and they have a hard time leaving unless they really want out.

Speaking to the BBC News, Moffat, simply had the following to say about keeping the actors on board: “They don’t need Sherlock anymore … So we have to persuade them to do it – which is fair enough.”

With this said, we do not imagine that this is a particularly taxing negotiation process. We do hear that the two men do still enjoy playing these characters, and they are also very fond of the format that has been established. They can come on and film a handful of episodes, go away for a time to do other things, and then come back and film more when they start to miss it. There is probably an expiration date at some point, but just be happy it is not now.

If you do want to get some other updates right away when it comes to “Sherlock,” then be sure to head over to the link here right now. Also, sign up to gather some further TV news and clues courtesy of our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: BBC One.)