'Sherlock' Season 5 Release Date, Cast: Will a New Installment Premiere Next Year?

Despite the BBC's silence on the future of “Sherlock,” many are still hoping to see more of crime drama series starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock and Watson, respectively. Some are even hoping for a chance to see “Sherlock” season 5 in 2020. But is it possible to happen?

If fans are going to look at the previous installments’ schedules of the premiere, 2020 seems like a good time for “Sherlock” season 5 to be released. It marks the third year since the fourth season 4 came out, and it was the same duration of hiatus between seasons 3 and 4.

However, there are several indications that the three-year mark will not be maintained for “Sherlock” season 5. For one, series co-creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have partnered up again to work on another high-profile series. The Claes Bang-led cast of the upcoming “Dracula” series has only started filming in early March, and BBC One has not even announced a release date for “Dracula” at this point.

These bits of information could mean that the work of Moffat and Gatiss for “Dracula” could extend up to 2020. It is then impossible for them to release a three-episode run of “Sherlock” season 5 next year. In an earlier interview with RadioTimes, Gatiss said they are not worrying much about the next season of “Sherlock” especially when they are still working on a different project. “One thing at a time. ‘Dracula’ occupies a lot of headspace,” Gatiss added.

If BBC’s silence is discouraging fans, they can listen back to the showrunners’ previous statements when asked about “Sherlock” season 5. Despite the backlash that the series faced for the finale of season 4, Gatiss and Moffat are both positive about the possibility of working with Cumberbatch and Freeman again in the future. Another good point to consider is the fact that even the BBC has not closed its doors in renewing the series by never announcing that “Sherlock” season 5 is not going to happen.