'Sherlock' season 4 expected to air in early 2017, says PBS president

The recent Sherlock special "The Abominable Bride" is likely all we'll be seeing from the series in 2016.

At the TCA winter press tour on Monday, PBS president Paula Kerger announced the network's rough schedule for future Sherlock episodes.

“We do have the next Sherlock announced, that is coming up about a year from now,” Kerger said, reports Zap2It.

So why is it taking so long? Kerger confirmed that it's mainly due to the incredibly busy schedules of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. Both actors very much do want to continue with the show, so PBS plans to continue to approach the production of these seasons like the production of a movie.

The most recent episode aired on Jan. 1. Although initially expected to be a standalone adventure set in Victorian London, it actually ended up tying into the overall mythology of the series in an interesting way, teasing where the show will be headed in season 4. After that tease, another year might seem excruciating, but fans know all about waiting by now.

In the meantime, one of the movies Cumberbatch has been busy with, Doctor Strange, hits theaters in November.

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