Sherlock last brought us new episodes (and only three at that) in January 2017 and fans have been forced to wait patiently ever since for news of another run of the detective series.
But although there's still no official news on that front Sherlock co-creator, writer and star Mark Gatiss has dropped a surprise treat in the form of a short video of himself in character as Sherlock's brother Mycroft Holmes to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the BBC series, which made its debut on July 25, 2010.
The video, which was created for Chinese website Youku and posted by the BBC Sherlock Turkey Twitter account, sees 'Mycroft' dressed in a smart suit and sitting in front of the camera to 'criticise' the series.
Related: Sherlock season 5 – everything you need to know
"It has come to my attention that it is ten years since a highly fictionalised account of my brother's adventures was brought to the screen. This was a mistake," he says. "Detection is or should be an exact science and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner.
"These programmes have attempted to tinge it with romanticism, which has rather the same effect as if one were to work a love story or an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid. However, in their defence, the one who plays me is very handsome."
Of course he has to get in a dig at the audience too and point out his own superior intelligence, as he says, "Some of us have re-read Proust during lockdown, or learned another three languages, but if you choose to vegetate on the sofa watching the television, that is entirely your concern".
Mycroft also refers to self-isolation as "paradise" and criticises his brother for getting involved in "all sorts of strange adventures" and creating friendships.
The anniversary of the show, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as a modern-day version of the famous detective and Martin Freeman as his friend and investigative partner John Watson, has been marked by fans on social media with the hashtag #10YearsOfSherlock.
Gatiss, along with Sherlock co-creator Steven Moffat and producer Sue Vertue, also celebrated the anniversary by taking part in a Q&A session for Sherlockology in which they discussed the most difficult scenes to film and potential future Holmes stories that they could adapt.
As for that elusive fifth season Gatiss revealed in late 2019 that there are "no immediate plans" for it to return just yet and with the main cast members now being very much in demand in Hollywood, it could be a while yet before schedules align for long enough to create new episodes – but there's always hope as Moffat has previously said that he 'assumes' they will return at some point.
Digital Spy now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Looking for more TV recommendations and discussion? Head over to our Facebook Group to see new picks every day, and chat with other readers about what they're watching right now.
Reporter & Sub-Editor, Digital Spy Susannah is a freelance writer and sub-editor, specialising in the entertainment industry. She graduated in 2014, with a BA in English and American Literature and Creative Writing, and an MA in Creative Producing. She’s been writing for Digital Spy ever since, after first getting involved through work experience, and has written hundreds of stories for the site on a range of topics, from The Sims to Doctor Who. Susannah has also written for Reveal Magazine. Her special interests are soaps (her Mastermind subject would be 2000s Coronation Street), Marvel and Star Wars. She can also quote far too many lines from Friends and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
