Part of what makes BBC One’s Sherlock so interesting is that it’s a contemporary take on a classic story. But what makes the series’ upcoming, standalone special so interesting is that it sends its cast back in time, making what is new old again for one night only and one case only.
As reported by NME, the network has released a new trailer for the special which, like the last spot, takes Benedict Cumberbatch’s smartphone-toting super-sleuth back to the Victorian era and dresses him in classic Holmesian duds, including the iconic deerstalker cap. This spot is shorter and features a bunch of new footage, while playing up the Gothic/horror elements that are sprinkled throughout the original stories.
Though previous Sherlock episodes have merely re-imagined some of Conan Doyle’s most famous tales (A Study in Scarlet = A Study in Pink, etc.), this special appears to be breaking new ground, as its only connection to the Doyle canon is through a reference to the case of “Ricoletti of the club foot and his abominable wife” in the story entitled The Musgrave Ritual.
The holiday special is set to air on BBC One at 9 pm on January 1, 2016 and will also be screened at more than 100 theaters across the U.K. that same night.
Just make sure you don’t get too attached to all the stuffy, Victorian fun, as Sherlock will return to the present once the special has aired. Three new episodes of the series are reportedly on the way and are due to start shooting early next year. That said, if this unique event draws enough interest (and makes enough money), BBC One may look to make this a holiday tradition.
Either way, there’s no indication that Sherlock is going anywhere any time soon. Show co-creator Mark Gatiss recently said that he and fellow co-creator Steven Moffat hope to continue the series for “as long as we can.”
