We have a few months to wait until we see more of hit BBC drama Sherlock, which will return in January for a trio of adventures that are currently being kept firmly under wraps (barring one very mysterious trailer).


However, according to co-creator and star Mark Gatiss there are some pretty obvious clues that could have told us exactly what we could expect for Benedict Cumberbatch’s sleuth in the new year – if we’d only been able to focus on the real hints rather than speculating over random unrelated details.

“There are things that come to fruition in this series which we’ve been planning for years,” the actor and writer (who also plays Mycroft Holmes in the series) told the audience at a Victoria & Albert Museum members’ talk last night.

“But people also find things that aren’t there. Which is my favourite. And then miss the blindingly obvious things that are there. People read an awful lot into it.”

Gatiss went on to discuss one of the more bizarre theories he’d seen over the years, which he said exemplified the kind of frenzied speculation he saw from many fans.

“I did read someone’s theory about Moriarty’s suicide, which was all based on Grimm’s fairy tales,” Gatiss recalled.

“And it would have required a dossier – like a really annotated episode guide. That’s obviously not going to happen, because this has to be something for the casual viewer, who’s not going to say ‘Oh I see…’”

He concluded: “Sometimes I’m made aware of these things and I think the level of invention is amazing, but it’s amazing that you think it’s going to turn out to be that – because it really isn’t.”


Mark Gatiss in Conversation was organized by V&A Membership, which you can join for more special offers and events here