"Sherlock: The Abominable Bride" received six Emmy award nominations but the amount of success is no guarantee that the show is going to continue on forever. Producer and co-creator Steven Moffat revealed in an interview with the Telegraph that season 4 might as well be the very last season of the show.
"I don't know how long we can keep it going. I'm personally willing but I'm hardly the main draw," Moffat explained, indicating that this could be the end. "I would be moderately surprised if this was the last time we ever made this show. But it absolutely could be."
As stated in a report from the iDigital Times, the fate of the series relied mostly on the two lead actors, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, who play Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, respectively. It is further revealed that the show may be done considering that both actors now have a much busier schedule.
Freeman was previously preoccupied with the "Hobbit" films and is now a member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Everett K. Ross. Cumberbatch is already guaranteed to have a busy schedule as he is also in the MCU as the titular hero for "Doctor Strange" and the MCU films that come after it.
Moffat also released the first official photo of season 4, which sees Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes with a mastiff dog. This has caused many to speculate one of the season 4 episodes could be based on Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Hounds of Baskerville" but this is not true as the story was already adapted for season 2.
The producer also explained that they were not using well-known stories for season 4, turning to some of Doyle's less popular "Sherlock Holmes" adventures in crafting what could be the final season of the series.
"Sherlock" season 4 premieres this January 2017.
