I don't think so, because like I said - I didn't want Victorian Sherlock with Martin Freeman wearing a hideous moustache and Benedict looking like Benedict and not Sherlock. I wanted the show I was watching - Sherlock Holmes in the 21st century. There haven't been enough episodes (and I definitely can say this) for us to have gotten bored of that setting yet or to want a 'change' (even temporary).

So why Victorian? It feels like a vanity project (well,it is), something that nobody asked for but that Mofftiss just wanted to do, and who cares. This is why I'm disappointed. If I chose to watch Sherlock, theer is a reason. If I choose to watch Downtown Abbey it's because I want to see period england, not 21st century england. I want the characters I love, and I want the storyline they have built and which they have left hanging, with a bloody 3-year gap before the continuation.

Yes, of course I am curious to see what happens in the Special, mostly because I want to see why the heck they thought it was a good idea. But ultimately? It will feel like I'm watching a different production that happens to have Cumberbatch and Freeman in it.
Meanwhile, I have to wait yet another year and a half (if I'm lucky) before I see the show I actually wanted to see.

Funnily enough, I did want Victorian Sherlock!  It was something that had been on my mind even before the Special was announced, thinking that I'd love to see them do a period piece as a one-off, but wouldn't want it to interfere with the series.  And that's what they're giving me, so I'm quite pleased!  If they only were able to do one episode for this year, then I think this is a great way to do it, to remove it from the current storyline and make it separate (which is what I presume is happening, rather than having time travel or whatever). 

Doctor Who crossover - no.   The trouble is that Moffat has said he would like to do, but isn't allowed to.   I hope he never is allowed to.  I think it would be fun, yes, but they are two really different "universes" and shows (not to mention different audiences.  One is a children/family show whereas the other is a post-watershed show, even though there are many shared viewers).   I could see it work as a Doctor Who episode (Doctor Who allows for such things as the Doctor meeting fictional characters, for instance) but not as a Sherlock episode. 

No, you're not annoying at all!  Just getting me worried, because I wondered at the beginning if there was going to be some sort of flashback or dream sequence, but I haven't followed the whole setlock thing (didn't want too many spoilers) and didn't realise there was present day stuff too.  It would work best for me if this was something out on its own, a period piece, set in a universe where Sherlock only exists in the past, not in the present day.    I'm not entirely against a flashback, but I'm not sure if one episode is enough to do both moderm and past stories, while resolving the S3 cliffhangers, and sorting out the Mary and the baby thing. 

Personally, I think we fans should be careful not to feel entitled too much. It is still their show, and they are free to do with it what they want, and film it whenever they can. 

Dorothy83 wrote:

yes, Sherlock is known for the long hiatuses but this one is the longest yet. And we weren't even told outright - we were promised S4, then this suddenly got pushed back 1 year like that. *And* they keep messing with us and giving us contrasting information - that infuriates me because I feel like a fool. It might be stupid but I am indeed invested in this series, perhaps to my detriment but I am. And them taking the piss and saying something only to deny it 2 days later it's really pissing me off.

Yes, their constant lies get to me too. I generally ignore Moftiss interviews because of that. I´m wondering why they think a honest approach to their fans is out of the question.
 

I'm very interested and excited about the Special and think it has the potential to be extremely creative.  I love everything this show has given me for the past 3 series and I have no reason to think the Special will do otherwise.

It's fun speculating on how they are going to pull it off - in much the same way I wondered how they were going to pull off a 21st Century"Sherlock Homes" when the show first aired.  Well, the creativity, cleverness, and quality blew me away and I bet the Special will too.

My personal pet theory to explain the time shift is that someone (a producer perhaps) either bought (or stole) a story from John's blog and has made a mystery thriller with the characters set in Victorian times. We get to view the thriller - which in some clever way mirrors something going on with the 'real' characters in the 21st Century.

Twisting the stories and characters back on themselves would be a neat trick if done well.  Well, only a few more months (hopefully) until we know.  In Mofftiss we trust.

I don't have a problem with waiting either. And I am a big fan of the proverb "The journey is the reward"!
But if they give us Sherlock it should be 21st century Sherlock , that's why I love the BBC Sherlock. I don't need a Victorian Era one. I could watch the one with Jeremy Brett then. Maybe I see things different after I have seen the special, I'm sure it's very well written and played, but at the moment "I can barely contain myself!" to quote Mycroft in TEH
 

but then why did Amanda and Louise say something different?

I saw this in a Telegraph article on Twitter today. Amanda Abbington talking about Sherlock:

I’ve just finished doing Cuffs, a BBC police drama set in Brighton, and am filming my last series of Mr Selfridge at the moment. Then in February we start shooting the fourth lot of Sherlock. I’m sworn to secrecy, but the story arc is brilliant.

Nothing new or exciting, but another mention of when they will start filming...