'Sherlock' Season 4 Air Date, News & Update: BBC Benedict Cumberbatch Series Will Go On Hiatus After ‘Sherrinford’ Episode?

The BBC series will go into a hiatus after Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) wraps up "Sherlock Season 4" Episode 3 - believed to be the Sherrinford episode. The BBC revealed that "Sherlock Season 4" Episode 1 will be called "The Six Thatchers" while Episode 2 of the Benedict Cumberbatch-led series will be called "The Lying Detective."

In recent weeks, fans were concerned that "Sherlock Season 4" will be the final team up of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman (Dr. John Watson) in the BBC series. Others raised the concern that "Sherlock Season 5" could see Benedict Cumberbatch replaced by a different Sherlock Holmes.

It's not a game anymore. #Sherlock Series 4 coming 1st January 2017. pic.twitter.com/7laldfjXqH

— Sherlock (@Sherlock221B) October 26, 2016

However, as Parent Herald cites, Mark Gatiss confirmed that the BBC "Sherlock" series will never run without Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes. The Metro reports that fans of the BBC series will continue to see Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes after Season 5.

Still "Sherlock Season 5" will not necessarily come in the same interval as the previous seasons. Rather a hiatus is in the offing after "Sherlock Season 4" Episode 3.

Wales Online cites Benedict Cumberbatch on this direction for the "Sherlock" series. Benedict Cumberbatch had been speaking at the launch of Marvel's "Doctor Strange" when he clued fans in on plans for "Sherlock Season 5."

Once the BBC airs "Sherlock Season 4" Episode 3, fans will understand the hiatus that will follow. Benedict Cumberbatch qualified that "Sherlock Season 5" could still happen as early as 2019.

Nonetheless, "Sherlock Season 4" Episode 3 will tie up the current arc of the series in such a way that Benedict Cumberbatch feels even the fans will be happy about the hiatus. "First and foremost we have got a fourth series for people to watch and understand and when they watch it they might go 'Oh yeah, maybe there does need to be a break now because of what happens in it," Benedict Cumberbatch said, carefully avoiding any spoiler.

The BBC will air the "Sherlock Season 4" premiere on Jan 1, 2017. What is your best guess on what "Sherlock Season 4" will reveal?