The fourth season of Sherlock has left some viewers baffled with its deftly-timed plot twists and turns.

But creator Mark Gatiss was quick to defend the hit BBC One crime drama, telling fans that complained it was too complicated to 'go read a children's book'.

The screenwriter, 50 - who also plays Sherlock's brother Mycroft on the show - insisted that it was important to 'challenge' viewers.

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Unimpressd: Sherlock creator Mark Gatiss was quick to defend the hit BBC One crime drama, telling fans that complained it was too complicated to 'go read a children's book

He told The Daily Star: 'People ask if it's good to challenge the audience. Of course it f***ing is. Why would you not want to challenge your audience?

'I did a phone-in after the Christmas special a few years ago and someone said [Sherlock] was too complicated for people to follow. I said, "Oh, go and pour some warm paste into your mouth".'

He added: 'Go and read a children's book with hard pages if you don't want to be challenged. We're making the show we want to make. We don't make it a certain way because fans are pressuring us.'

Hitting back: The screenwriter, 50 - who also plays Sherlock's brother Mycroft on the show - insisted that it was important to 'challenge' viewers

Oh dear: Fans have been flocking to Twitter to express their confusion, complaining that the plot was too difficult to follow

Fans have been flocking to Twitter to express their confusion, complaining that the plot was too difficult to follow.

One wrote: 'I hate when Sherlock does that mind trippy don't know what is real thing with the storyline it's too hard to follow.'

Another added: 'Sherlock: The only show that gets more confusing every time you rewatch it.'

One viewer complained: 'Sherlock is too much for me to handle now. It's too fast and confusing.'

Backlash: Mark said: 'People ask if it's good to challenge the audience. Of course it f***ing is. Why would you not want to challenge your audience?'

Meanwhile, despite ratings for Sherlock going through the roof, Steven Moffat has admitted he is unsure the series can continue.

However the producer and writer, 55, revealed he would like to see a fifth series.

'Right at this moment, we really don't know about the future,' Steven Moffat told The Radio Times. .

'We love the show very much, and that means we don't want to let go of it before we have to.

'At the same time, because we love Sherlock the way we do, we don't want to keep it going past its natural term.'

Meanwhile last week Benedict Cumberbatch hinted that the fourth series of Sherlock, which debuted on New Year's Day, could be the last, despite its huge success.

Keeping things open: Despite ratings for Sherlock going through the roof, Steven Moffat has admitted he is unsure the series can continue

The end? Last week Benedict Cumberbatch hinted that the fourth series of Sherlock, which debuted on New Year's Day, could be the last, despite its huge success

The actor, 40, revealed to Weekend that while the cast 'never say never' on the show, the upcoming series features a story line that could be difficult to follow on from.

The BBC show has found huge success since it first premiered in 2010 - with it now being streamed in more than 180 territories and the third series becoming the UK's most watched drama of all time.

However Benedict, who plays detective Sherlock Holmes himself, admitted to the New Year edition of the magazine that the fourth season could easily be the last.

He explained: 'This new series goes to a place where it will be hard to follow on immediately.

'We never say never on the show, but in the immediate future we all have things we want to crack on with, and we've made something very complete as it its.

Before he added: 'So I think we'll just have to wait and see.'

Candid: He said: 'We never say never on the show, but in the immediate future we all have things we want to crack on with, and we've made something very complete as it is'



