“Sherlock” season 5 has not been confirmed yet nor has it been canceled by BBC. There are various possible reasons why the British broadcasting network is taking a long time to announce the renewal of the Benedict Cumberbatch- and Martin Freeman-led TV series. It is also highly plausible that an official announcement will not happen anytime sooner than 2020.
The franchise, developed by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, has gathered millions of viewers in the United Kingdom, the United States, and other parts of the world. Even with its record-low viewership in season 4, the numbers were still quite impressive. This means that the BBC is unlikely going to nix it before “Sherlock” season 5 is produced solely because of the ratings.
One of the very obvious reasons why an announcement has not been made yet is that Gatiss and Moffat are unavailable to work on “Sherlock” season 5 for now. The duo started writing for the three-episode miniseries “Dracula,” to air on BBC and Netflix, in 2017. Moffat confirmed last month that they have just started filming for the upcoming show starring Claes Bang as Count Dracula.
Since “Dracula” is now starting to look like having the same format as “Sherlock,” it could be hinting at a more delayed renewal of “Sherlock” season 5. It is possible that Moffat and Gatiss would complete production of “Dracula” within a year. Moffat also said before that “Dracula” is “going to take two years at least.”
To speculate on possible “Sherlock” season 5 announcement, fans may apply the information above. It then leads to the possibility that BBC, the showrunners, and the main cast members might come at a decision sometime in 2020 on whether or not Sherlock (Cumberbatch) and Watson’s (Freeman) adventures would continue on the small screen.
Both Gatiss and Moffat have mentioned repeatedly that they believe there is a bigger chance BBC would order “Sherlock” season 5. However, the bigger question is when will that happen. Aside from the series creators working on “Dracula,” Cumberbatch and Freeman are also in-demand actors in the movie industry. Making their schedules meet also add to the challenges of producing the show.
