'Sherlock' Season 5 News: Series Won't Come As Soon And As Regularly If It Gets Renewed

There is a strong possibility that fan favorite BBC show "Sherlock" could come back for a fifth season but it is unlikely that it will happen as soon or as regularly than other shows that the network is producing. The combined issue of the cast's schedule, as well as the direction that the show will take are some of the complicated issues that production has to juggle with.

According to actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the titular role in the series, he is more than open to continue on with the series and is unwilling to make any declarations that the show's fourth run will be its last. He however admitted that they all needed to find the right time to continue with 'Sherlock' Season 5.

"We love doing the show and all I'll say about it is that we're all very busy... For now, it's not going to happen again at the same regularity that it has been happening," he said in an interview with AP.

Series creator Steven Moffat has earlier expressed reservation about dragging out the show for too long. And because of the amount of factors to consider in continuing the series, the team decided to end Season 4 in a slightly different way than its predecessors. It can be recalled that Season 4 finale entitled "The Final Problem" did not have a cliffhanger like Seasons 1 to 3, making the ending of 'Sherlock' Season 5 a potential end to the series if it needs to be.

For his part, series co-creator Mark Gatiss explained in a Bustle interview that without intending to, they managed to create a substantial backstory with the first four seasons -- sort of a prequel to lead off potential sequels to the series.

Gatiss said that because of the way they ended Season 4, "Sherlock" Season 5 could serve as a new beginning for Sherlock and Watson and start a new chapter in their journey, which will never fall short of material. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote 40 other mysteries for Sherlock and Watson to solve after "The Final Problem," after all.

"If we do come back - and we'd love to come back - then we could have it absolutely start with a knock on the door and Sherlock saying, 'Do you want to come out and play?" he said. 

Episodes of "Sherlock" can be downloaded or streamed through iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Xbox, Vudu and Sony Playstation while Seasons 1 to 3 are available for streaming on Netflix. DVD and Blu-Ray copies are also available through the BBC Shop and Amazon, according to BBC America's official site.