The cast and crew were at New York Pizza Diner in London to film scenes for series three

The 41-year-old Love Actually star looked a little less formal than his co-star, in a striped shirt and dark jacket.

Martin, who plays Sherlock's sidekick, Dr John Watson, was seen to be indulging in a glass of red wine as part of the a scene for the upcoming series.

The terror that turns our acting giants to jelly: Laurence...

He appeared to be dining alone in the clip, before Sherlock appears to turns up unexpectedly.



Martin Freeman gets his make-up done before shooting scenes alongside Benedict

The Sherlock star chatting to a member of the BBC crew on set in London

One thing we do know about episode one is that it will be loosely based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story The Adventure of the Empty House – in which Holmes reveals he faked his own death.

The end of series two was one of the most thrilling cliffhangers in modern television.

In the final episode, entitled The Reichenbach Fall, viewers saw Sherlock watch his own funeral from a distance after appearing to leap from a tower block.

Martin looks deep in thought as the cast prepare to film a scene for series three of the show

Fans have been eager to find out how Sherlock faked his own death, but an air date for the next series has yet to be released

Earlier this month, BBC bosses teased Sherlock fans with a 26-second clip, giving a brief glimpse of the eagerly-anticipated episode .

And while the short clip didn't offer much of an insight into what the new series has to offer, it will certainly maintain momentum ahead of the release.



Lars Mikkelsen - star of Danish crime drama The Killing - is the latest villain to be pit against the genius detective, as Charles Augustus Magnusse.

Fans gathered in their droves last week to catch a glimpse of the Sherlock stars as they filmed scenes in the streets of Marylebone.

Crew help Benedict with his long coat which he has been rarely seen without over the last series

Benedict is seen chatting on his phone while filming scenes for the third series of Sherlock