Series to air in UK and U.S. on same day for first time

Sherlock type TV Show network PBS genre Crime

At last: Sherlock is getting a return date.

The BBC and PBS Masterpiece just announced premiere dates for the UK and the U.S. debuts of the eagerly awaited Victorian special edition of the acclaimed detective drama. And for the first time ever, those dates are the same day.

The Sherlock special — titled Sherlock: The Abominable Bride — will air in both territories on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. Plus there’s a new must-see full trailer, below.

It’s been a very long wait for more Sherlock. The international sensation starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman had its third season debut in January 2014. PBS’ agreement has required that the show first air on the BBC, and UK networks tend to announce premiere dates much closer to when the show will actually air compared to U.S. networks (which often announce premiere dates many months in advance as part of a marketing campaign). Sherlock also used to have wide gaps between its UK and U.S. air dates, but fan lobbying and widespread online piracy have considerably shrunk that window in recent years, and for the upcoming special the gap has basically been eliminated entirely.

In addition to the one-off episode set during Victorian times, producers are also working on a fourth season of the regular, modern-day Sherlock. Filming of season 4 was originally announced for this year, but is now expected to begin in early 2016.

Here’s the Victorian special official description courtesy of PBS: “Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) return as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the acclaimed modern retelling of Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic stories. But now our heroes find themselves in 1890s London. Beloved characters Mary Morstan (played by Amanda Abbington), Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves) and Mrs. Hudson (Una Stubbs) also turn up at 221b Baker Street.”

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