Sherlock, BBC1's Sunday night drama that has drawn both big audiences and critical acclaim, will be returning for a second series, the show's producer confirmed today.

Sue Vertue told BBC1's Breakfast programme that a meeting was planned with BBC executives to discuss production plans for the second series. "There will be more. We're having a meeting to talk about how many and when really," she said.

The updated tales of the consulting detective, created by Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat and writer and actor Mark Gatiss, have been a huge success for the BBC – with fans clamouring for more episodes on blog and online forums as soon as Sunday's final episode concluded.

"Steven and Mark are very busy – Steven is obviously doing Doctor Who as well - so it's just when we're going to do them," said Vertue. She also said that the episodes will remain at 90 minutes long.

Vertue was joined on the Breakfast sofa by Moffat, her husband, who described himself and Gattis as "massive, massive Sherlock Holmes geeks", before explaining how the pair had created their version of Moriarty - unveiled on Sunday night to somewhat mixed reviews.

"We knew what we wanted to do with Moriarty from the very beginning. Moriarty is usually a rather dull, rather posh villain so we thought someone who was genuinely properly frightening. Someone who's an absolute psycho," Moffat said.

"In a way Moriarty is the man who makes Sherlock a hero … he's a rather amoral character Sherlock Holmes, so you want someone for him to respond to that turns him into the hero he's sort of destined to be."

Moffat later told Radio 5 Live: "We're going in for a meeting any second now about it. But yes, of course it will [come back]. It's not officially confirmed yet but yes, it will – of course it will."

The BBC said last week that it had been "thrilled" by reaction to the programme. Overnight figures for Sunday's final episode had a combined audience of 7.3 million viewers on BBC1 and BBC HD.

Sherlock has turned Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the consulting detective, into a television superstar.

"Benedict was the only person we actually saw for [the part of] Sherlock," said Vertue. "Once Benedict was there it was really just making sure we got the chemistry for John [Watson, played by Martin Freeman] – and I think you get it as soon as they come into the room, you can see that they work together."

Vertue produces Sherlock for Hartswood Films, the independent production company founded and chaired by her mother, Beryl Vertue.

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