‘Sherlock' Season 4 Air Date, News Update: Could BBC Series Survive Without Benedict Cumberbatch As Holmes?

"Sherlock Season 4" as the final run for Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) on the BBC series has been bandied about as a possibility where the occupants of 221-B Baker Street will say a final farewell. However, could the "Sherlock" series survive with someone other than Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes?

The Independent cites an interview by Collider with Benedict Cumberbatch and writer-producer Steven Moffat and writer-actor Mark Gatiss (Mycroft Holmes), which touched on "Sherlock" after Season 4. Mark Gatiss famously teased that the "Sherlock" series will not have a Season 5 but will have a Season 6.

It's not a game anymore. #Sherlock season 4 coming in 2017…https://t.co/Voh3PboH77

— Sherlock (@Sherlock221B) July 24, 2016

 Similarly, Steven Moffat said that he sees "Sherlock" Season 4 being succeeded by more seasons. Interestingly, Benedict Cumberbatch highlighted a few other things on the question of fans seeing more episodes after "Sherlock Season 4."

Director @rtalalay discusses working on the first episode of series 4 with @EW: https://t.co/KHiemUUURM #Sherlock pic.twitter.com/aO3Bzg85hv — Sherlock (@Sherlock221B) July 19, 2016

"It's about what's actually right for the show, to be honest, and that has to be judged very carefully," Benedict Cumberbatch said on what he sees for "Sherlock." "Think about the very limited but classic British output of certain shows, and there aren't that many of them."

End of penultimate week of #Sherlock shoot. Luckily our Europop album 'Sauerkraut' is out soon! pic.twitter.com/MXsIKbVJSp

— Mark Gatiss (@Markgatiss) July 29, 2016

Therefrom, Benedict Cumberbatch said that as much as saying so pains him "Sherlock Season 4" may be the end. Besides the "Sherlock" series being led to an organic end, Benedict Cumberbatch pointed out that both Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are as busy and in-demand as the cast members of the BBC series.

Although Benedict Cumberbatch may seem the more willing to bid "Sherlock" farewell, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have a few more stories to tell it seems. In the past, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss revealed that they are already playing with ideas for "Sherlock" Season 5.

If push comes to shove and scheduling becomes impossible, could BBC, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss continue "Sherlock" without Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes? Which other actor do you see working well as Holmes for the "Sherlock" series in the same way Benedict Cumberbatch did?