BBC's Sherlock sends Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman back in time 

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BBC\'s Sherlock sends Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman back in time

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Sherlock\'s upcoming Christmas episode." class="pin-it-button pinteonclick=">Pin It

Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are going back in time.

An upcoming Sherlock special – a one-off 90 minute episode of the critically acclaimed series planned for Christmas – will be set in Victorian England, according to the show\'s producers.

The series, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, is a contemporary re-telling of Arthur Conan Doyle\'s fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, who operated for Scotland Yard during Queen Victoria\'s reign.

The BBC released a single image of Holmes and Watson in period dress late last year as a teaser, though it was not clear if the characters were simply attending a costume ball.

Since then, images of the show\'s stars have been published in the UK showing them filming in London wearing Victorian clothes.

Speaking at the South By Southwest (SXSW) market, the show\'s co-creator, Steven Moffat, said the episode is "its own thing" and will turn back the clock.

"It\'s not part of the run of three episodes," Moffat said.

Sherlock\'s usual seasons are composed of three 90-minute episodes.

"So we had this to do it, as we could hardly conceal, it\'s Victorian," Moffat said. "We wouldn\'t have done the story we\'re doing, and the way we\'re doing it, if we didn\'t have this special."

Moffat said he and co-creator Mark Gatiss "wanted to do this, but it had to be a special, it had to be a separate entity on its own. It\'s kind of in its own little bubble."

A fourth series of three 90-minute episodes will be filmed later this year, to be aired in 2016.

"The series, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, is a contemporary re-telling of Arthur Conan Doyle\'s fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, who operated for Scotland Yard during Queen Victoria\'s reign."

Actually, Holmes did not "operate for Scotland Yard" - he was a private consulting detective who occasionally helped Scotland Yard when a case was beyond their ability to solve. He tended to regard Scotland Yard with amused contempt, although I think he was fond enough of Lestrade in his own way :)

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