The Sherlock fandom isn’t ever given much to go on, with three-episode seasons showing up every two years or so before disappearing after meting out great coats and emotional devastation in equal measure. Fan fervor is starting to build again with the impending release of the Christmas special, “The Abominable Bride,” and the prospect of a new season “sometime in 2016.” However, as fans look ahead to more Sherlock, the inevitable end looms large. Stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have robust careers outside of the BBC hit, so will the end come sooner or later?
Well, co-creator Steven Moffat addresses that very issue in an interview with Variety about his other major project, Doctor Who. While commenting on the longevity of Doctor Who, Moffat says what every fan knows but doesn’t want to admit:
“Doctor Who is the all-time perfectly evolved television show. It’s a television predator designed to survive any environment because you can replace absolutely everybody. Most shows you can’t do that with. For example, once Benedict Cumberbatch gives up Sherlock, what are we going to do? We are going to stop, that’s what we are going to do. Most shows have a built-in mortality.”
While Cumberbatch and Freeman have spoken at length about how much they enjoy working together at 221b Baker Street, and the three-episode format is tailored to fit into busy schedules, nothing gold can stay. Maybe fans should stop acting like total creeps if they want to keep Sherlock on the air.
