BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / The special - the game is on (spoilers)

**Posted by Russell** November 26, 2014 5:04 am

RedKitten wrote:
Sorry just wanted to point out this has been done...."Supernatural" Season 6 the meta episode "The French Mistake" which had the actors playing the characters playing the actors playing the characters. Also since it has been reported that the Moriarty thing gets cleared up in the special and I don't think that could happen in an episode set in the past.

Yes, did know of that! Sounded awesome… just never got that very far with Supernatural. A flashback would still be interesting, though.

**Posted by besleybean** November 26, 2014 6:46 am

I'm not so sure about the flashback idea...however I do have a couple of other thoughts.

The ouitline certainly seemed to indicate Jeremy Brett's presentation...could it refer to a particulat story?
The other thing was that it also reminded me a bit of ' Potted Sherlock', for anybody who's seen this.

**Posted by A lovely light** November 26, 2014 7:47 am

stoertebeker wrote:
Mmmhhhh, I seriously don't know what to think about the picture. An alternative scenario would explain Ben's still short hair but I very much hope it's a prank. To be honest I don't want a one-off special which is set during another time periode and, as much as I love Doctor Who, I don't want a crossover either. I am really a bit baffled what to make of this stuff and sadly, I am more disappointed then excited at the moment. Sorry for my lack of enthusiasm .

Count me as a second.

I don't care for a victorian Sherlock, we have enough great victorian Sherlocks outthere. I will hate a crossover with Dr Who or Dickens, i will hate something fantasy... Sherlock's episodes are so few and so seldom that i don't want them wasted on some "back-in-time" fantasy or something out of the narative line.

But for the fun have you seen BBC2 and BBC1 twitters?

https://twitter.com/BBCTwo/status/537303695227383808

https://twitter.com/BBCOne/status/537317692563533824

**Posted by SusiGo** November 26, 2014 8:07 am

Well, I was quite happy when they posted this yesterday. I like the pic and I want them to surprise me. It is fun to get Sherlock news and I prefer not to get too picky and list all the things I really do not want them to write and show.

Mark has said somewhere that it is going to be a "very special special". I really did not expect them to continue where they left off with HLV.

And there is a hint to that in the Chronicles as well. Sue says: "Every time Benedict thinks he can have his hair cut, we have a cliffhanger to pick up from, and everything has to start form exactly where it was two years earlier." So if he really has short hair, this will not be a continuation of HLV.

Last edited by SusiGo (November 26, 2014 8:10 am)

**Posted by nakahara** November 26, 2014 8:50 am

besleybean wrote:
The ouitline certainly seemed to indicate Jeremy Brett's presentation...could it refer to a particulat story?

I think Jeremy and David were dressed like that in an "The Crooked Man"- the story about former soldier stationed in Afghanistan who was betrayed by his former comrade and had to suffer in captivity for many years. Interesting....

**Posted by SolarSystem** November 26, 2014 9:16 am

At the moment I think this pic can mean anything and nothing. It could just be a bit of fodder for the fans, to keep us guessing and speculating (and it's working!), and have nothing to do with what we'll end up seeing in the special. Even if they don't continue where they left off with HLV, that doesn't mean it will be something completely different.

Here is something interesting though, a teensy glimpse at a cast sheet from the readthrough. People on tumblr think they can spot a pic of Andrew Scott (the tiny pic on the bottom):
http://aconsultingdetective.tumblr.com/post/103618304342/aconsultingdetective

**Posted by SusiGo** November 26, 2014 12:00 pm

Just found this in the "People" interview:

http://www.people.com/article/benedict-cumberbatch-female-fans-imitation-game

"As for what's next for the suddenly in-demand star, "we're filming a Christmas Sherlock special that's airing in January, and then I have to finish filming Richard III," he said, adding that he'll take a little break to spend the holidays with his family."

Of course there is something wrong with the airing date but this would mean that they are indeed starting to do this earlier than January and he will then continue work on RichardIII (or the other HC films which seems more likely)?

**Posted by Lola Red** November 26, 2014 12:27 pm

SusiGo wrote:
"we're filming a Christmas Sherlock special that's airing in January

As amazing as that would be, is that even possible time-wise? It is already almost the end of November and they just had the read though. Can you even film and edit 90 minutes of high-quality TV in just 1 to 2 months? I always had the feeling that the post-production alone took them about that long (Not complaining here, this show has more of a cinema look to it than it has a TV look, so I just assumed they needed the time to deliver such a high-quality product)

**Posted by SusiGo** November 26, 2014 1:55 pm

Yes, as I said, this cannot be true. And it cannot be January 2016 either because they said it will air in 2015. What I found interesting is the notion that they might start filming soon with Benedict returning afterwards to The Hollow Crown.

**Posted by SolarSystem** November 26, 2014 2:14 pm

I actually think they might air it on January 1st 2016. I'm not sure, but there might also be a Doctor Who Christmas Special, it's kind of traditional by now... and I don't really think they will show both specials at Christmas.
Maybe they start filming the special sooner because of problems with Benedict's or somebody else's schedule.

**Posted by Lola Red** November 26, 2014 2:26 pm

When is the filming for the hollow crown due? I think I remember that is said somewhere that the special would be filmed early next year, followed by the new season later in 2015. So maybe the reporter confused the filming for the airing date, meaning filming the special is due in January, then Benedict goes on to film the hollow crown and comes back to film the new season when he’s done there. Might also explain why he did not bother to let his hair grow, it’s not a convenient length if he still has to do other jobs in between.

**Posted by SusiGo** November 26, 2014 2:32 pm

They have been filming The Hollow Crown for about two months, starting with "Richard III" and then going back in chronology and filming the earlier plays. I think this will be probably due to Benedict's schedule. Not sure if the short hair was necessary for that because he is wearing a longer wig in some scenes.

Solar: Not sure if there will be really so much time between filming and airing date. And do we really, really know it is a Christmas special? The information about that is quite confusing.

Last edited by SusiGo (November 26, 2014 2:34 pm)

**Posted by SolarSystem** November 26, 2014 2:36 pm

I don't think they will complete the filming of S3 right after THC... don't forget about "Hamlet". I would think that rehearsals for that will start in late June, they might only be able to finish one episode of S3 before that and will have to do the rest after "Hamlet".
And well, what's they hurry? The way I see it we won't get S3 before the end of 2016 anyway...

Susi: Since there will probably be more and more problems in terms of everybody's schedules (especially Benedict's and Martin's), I could imagine that they will be very, very parsimonious when it comes to giving us new episodes... They might do some shooting whenever it's possible and then - wait.

Last edited by SolarSystem (November 26, 2014 2:40 pm)

**Posted by tonnaree** November 26, 2014 3:38 pm

I'm happy with the tidbits and teasing and I take everything with a big grain of salt.
I'm just here to have fun.

**Posted by silverblaze** November 26, 2014 4:37 pm

Agreed on the salt. I think the costume photo is just them trolling us. Which I love.

**Posted by besleybean** November 26, 2014 4:40 pm

Not really sure why they would do that...unless ir was just for a laugh.

**Posted by SolarSystem** November 26, 2014 4:48 pm

Okay...

**Posted by silverblaze** November 26, 2014 4:51 pm

Back then? So maybe it is a period piece.

**Posted by besleybean** November 26, 2014 5:19 pm

Streets of Gold?

That's Dick Whittington...so definitely panto!

**Posted by nakahara** November 26, 2014 9:48 pm

They are definitely filming "Red-headed league" then!
That story had a band of gangsters digging their way into the vaults of a bank to steal some gold. They were digging their tunnel exactly under such pavement in the street!