The modern adaptation Sherlock went off the air after a controversial fourth season in 2017, and fans have been clamoring for a season 5 ever since.

The BBC’s Sherlock was a favorite among fans, and while there has been a lot of Sherlock season 5 news and rumors for years, nothing has materialized. Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes is one of the most recognizable literary characters, and his success has been such that he and his most memorable cases have been adapted to all types of media. The BBC version, simply titled Sherlock, was created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss and brought the Great Detective (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his partner John Watson (Martin Freeman) to modern-day London.

Sherlock was praised for its stories and the performances of its main cast, especially the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock himself. The show aired from 2010 to 2017 for four seasons, one mini-episode, and a special episode, and while the first two seasons were very well-received by critics and viewers, the final seasons weren’t as successful, and the fourth season was heavily criticized. Still, rumors about Sherlock season 5 have been floating around for years, with Gatiss and Moffat giving fans hope from time to time. Despite that, Sherlock season 5 has remained a mystery.

Though there hasn’t been much news regarding Sherlock season 5 in years, Mark Gatiss’ newest TV special could be a good or bad thing for the future of the series. Coming in December 2023, Gatiss’ adaptation of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story Lot No. 249 had nothing to do with Sherlock, but it did slyly serve as a prequel to the classic Sherlock Holmes mythos. The ending of the special introduced the young future sleuth, and could help set up another Sherlock Holmes TV show set in Conan Doyle’s original time period.

Lot No. 249 stars Kit Harrington as Abercrombie Smith, as he investigates his mysterious neighbor who uses a reanimated Egyptian mummy to murder his rivals.

This could be bad news for Sherlock because it could make a fifth season unnecessary, or it could actually help the long-awaited new season because it could drum up interest. While many fans have never forgotten the series, the sneaky prequel might help revitalize those who might have forgotten about the modernized Sherlock in the years since it went off the air in 2017.

Sherlock Season 5 is Not Confirmed

There has been no concrete movement on Sherlock season 5 since 2017, but because Sherlock Holmes belongs to the public domain, there will always be new adaptations of the character. There’s very little motivating Sherlock season 5, since the actors are busy, there’s no more story to tell, and the show has already hit a downward trend. As such, the only real reason for the BBC to keep making Sherlock season 5 would be that Doyle’s works are in the public domain, and Sherlock Holmes is, therefore, one of the cheapest IPs on which to base television materials.

Sherlock Season 5 Cast

The initial problem impeding the show back in 2017 when Sherlock season 4 concluded was Cumberbatch and Freeman’s schedules. Their careers took off during Sherlock, and both Freeman and Cumberbatch are now part of the MCU in addition to other massive projects, so it’s understandable that finding a Sherlock season 5 schedule that works for everyone has been difficult.

Gatiss, Cumberbatch, and Freeman have all expressed interest at one time or another in Sherlock season 5, but they always expressed uncertainty about it actually happening. Moffat insisted he was still open to reviving Sherlock, but reminded the audience that, at the end of the day, it all depends on Cumberbatch and Freeman’s availability.

Sherlock Season 5 Story Details

One of the biggest questions when talking about Sherlock season 5 is what the main plot of the season could be, and the truth is that there’s little the show could do now, as the detective’s best cases have already been used. Surely, there are still some cases Sherlock season 5 could use, but a big part of the charm of the series was seeing those classic cases playing out in the modern world. Sherlock season 4 wasn’t a favorite for critics and viewers, but it did one thing right by giving the show a true ending.

Though the loose ends were tied up and the partnership of Watson and Holmes was forever cemented, season 5 of Sherlock could still put the dynamic duo through a slew of fascinating modern mysteries. The life-or-death stakes made the story interesting, but as a million cozy British mystery programs prove, stakes aren’t always necessary when it comes to mysteries. On the other hand, Sherlock season 5 could throw continuity to the wind and simply ignore the season 4 ending.