‘Sherlock' season 5: Martin Freeman says his return is uncertain and here’s are the reasons why the drama is delayed

BBC's “Sherlock” season 5 is long-overdue, but fans have not given up on it yet. Despite the 3-year hiatus with no concrete update, they continue to hope that this detective drama will still be back on BBC Network. In this era, its viewers will still appreciate it so much, even if its producers will release it via streaming sites like Netflix.

This is really one of the most popular shows in the world, and apparently, this is because of the main characters that people have come to love. The fictional private detective character Sherlock Holmes was created by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and his books have been adapted into movies, TV series, and even an anime.

In fact, this detective drama that premiered again in 2010 is a reboot of a TV series that was first adapted for television in 1951. The very first actors of this detective drama were Alan Wheatley as Sherlock Holmes, Raymond Francis as Dr. Watson, and Eric Maturin as Colonel Moran.

Why “Sherlock” season 5 is delayed

Now, the fifth modern-day “Sherlock” installment is delayed as season 4 concluded in 2017 with just three episodes. There are reasons why its production has yet to begin, and it is not due to cancellation.

The first reason is that the showrunners of “Sherlock” season 5, Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, are busy working on another drama. BBC assigned them to lead the “Dracula” series that is set to premiere this year. Apparently, they can’t work on two projects at the same time so they have to make way for the new one.

Also, BBC mentioned that it has not renewed “Sherlock” season 5 because it is waiting for Gatiss and Moffat’s decision if they will continue. The two admitted that they have not talked about the fifth installment and they still need to sit down and discuss what plans they have for the series.

Speaking to Digital Spy, Moffat said, "I haven't really thought about it and Mark has been doing other stuff as well, so we haven't sat down and had a proper talk about what we would do with another series."

But they stressed that they have not closed the door on “Sherlock” yet. In fact, they are willing to do more episodes as they know fans are waiting for them too.

Will Martin Freeman return as Watson?

Meanwhile, Martin Freeman revealed that his return to “Sherlock” season 5 is not certain. The actor stated that he will only do more episodes for this series if he finds the upcoming story interesting and really special.

“We couldn’t come back with something that was quite good,” he told Collider. “It would have to feel really, really special.”

“Sherlock” season 5 may arrive in 2022.