It looks like Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock could return, as producer teases "there is a future" for the BBC show

Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock
(Image credit: BBC)

The BBC Sherlock show starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman could make a comeback someday, producer Sue Vertue has teased. 

The show ran for four seasons and a Christmas Special, wrapping up in 2017. Alongside Cumberbatch as Sherlock and Freeman as John Watson, Mark Gatiss, Andrew Scott, and Amanda Abbington had roles in the show as Mycroft Holmes, James Moriarty, and Mary Watson, respectively. 

"We always say never say never. I've still got the set in storage somewhere, which is probably rotten, to be honest with you," Vertue told Deadline. "It's just getting everybody aligned, it's getting the actors to want to do it."

"We love that show and there is a future for it. One day. Maybe. If everyone wants to do it," she added.

Gatiss, who co-created the show with Steven Moffat, has previously teased that a movie could happen someday. "We'd like to make a film but trying to get everyone together is very difficult," Gatiss commented to Deadline earlier this year, adding: "You'll have to ask Benedict [Cumberbatch] and Martin [Freeman]."

While seasons 1-3 of the BBC show were very well received by critics, the Christmas Special and season 4 debuted to a more mixed reception.

Still, the show was a cultural phenomenon while it was airing, with a seriously committed fanbase – and the dramatic season 2 finale had everyone speculating throughout the long wait for answers (though, what really happened was never conclusively explained). 

While you wait for BBC Sherlock to possibly return, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows and all the most exciting upcoming new TV shows to fill out your watchlist. 

Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English. 

Read more
Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock
Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch says there’s only one thing that would make him return to the BBC drama, as well as "a lot of money"
First look at Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby in the Peaky Blinders movie
He's "not allowed to announce it", but Peaky Blinders creator says the saga will "continue" after the Netflix film
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Mr and Mrs Smith was one of the best shows of 2024 and the perfect limited series – let's hope season 2 lives up to it
Nick Mohammed in Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso season 4 could start filming soon according to a mysterious statement from one of the actors
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
Sarah Michelle Gellar is more open than ever before to a Buffy revival – and the director of one of this year's best horror movies has already staked their claim on it
Anita holding folded towels
Doctor Who writer shuts down theory that fan-favorite character could return: "All great things in Doctor Who are the result of a budget cut"
Latest in Crime Shows
True Detective
Matthew McConaughey still thinks his own season of True Detective is the best one: "It was one of the great events in TV"
FBI: Most Wanted
Two popular FBI spin-off shows have been canceled, and unhappy fans think it's "a big mistake"
Neil Patrick Harris in Doctor Who's 60th anniversary specials
Dexter fans praise "insane" casting for new series' second season as Doctor Who's Neil Patrick Harris joins Peter Dinklage, Uma Thurman and more
The Åre Murders
A Nordic murder mystery is topping Netflix's streaming list, but you've probably never heard of it
Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock
Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch says there’s only one thing that would make him return to the BBC drama, as well as "a lot of money"
Lashana Lynch as 'Bianca' in The Day of the Jackal
Bond star Lashana Lynch explains why she was "actually quite happy" not to work closely with Eddie Redmayne in new cat-and-mouse thriller The Day of the Jackal
Latest in News
Overwatch 2
My hopes for an Overwatch anime or Diablo horror movie are going strong as Blizzard president points out "we are Blizzard Entertainment, and not simply Blizzard Games"
The New Thunderbolts leaping into action
Marvel's New Thunderbolts* comic steals the MCU's asterisk, and the reason why is just as big of a mystery
Pokemon Go players brace for the worst as Niantic is sold off for $3.5 billion: "This game is entering its death knell"
Stamp PSP
A 16-year-old pitch for a newly discovered first-party PSP game has me mourning the death of PlayStation's Japan Studio all over again
Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion actor Neil Newbon says he "got rid of" agents who deliberately kept him away from video game gigs: "They just didn't want me to do it"
Mass Effect
Jennifer Hale says she didn't see a single line as Mass Effect's Commander Shepard until it was time to record: "It was all cold reading on the spot"