Yes, this is a real image. The BBC tweeted this photo yesterday, in the midst of the first read-through for the “special episode” of Sherlock that will air next year at some point. Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat are basically making up their schedules as they go along – they’re doing one episode at some point next year (word is that it will be filmed in January or February), then three episodes in 2016. And I guess the 2015 episode will involve John Watson having a mustache and Sherlock Holmes looking like a 19th century dandy.
Over the summer, Moffat teased the upcoming episodes, promising tears and heartache. Many take this to mean that they’ll be killing off (SPOILER) Mary Watson, John’s wife. In the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories, Mary dies at some point. Considering she was heavily pregnant when we last saw her, I wonder if they’re going to make Sherlock into “Two Men and a Baby.” Which would be amusing, but not really what we signed up for. Of course, we didn’t sign up for time-traveling Sherlock either. I don’t know what to make of that photo.
Oh, and People Mag released some of their Cumberinterview online – go here to read. I covered most of the quotes yesterday, but there’s some new stuff. He talks about the “Cumberbitches” name and how he “likes a traditional Christmas, the whole nine yards.”
#221back #Sherlock #notkidding pic.twitter.com/iTfDqfJI0R
— BBC One (@BBCOne) November 25, 2014
This is what we've been doing today! Later on a pic of Sherlock and John as they'll appear in the Special #221back pic.twitter.com/Aq4vncKpKy
— sue vertue (@suevertue) November 25, 2014
Photos courtesy of BBC, Fame/Flynet.
I’m taking it with a pinch of salt, they’re baiting the fans and it’s probably them trying to be all funny and clever and oh-so-smart.
It’s not showing until next Christmas for fecks sake.
I am a little baffled. Why bait a year in advance? Shifting the spotlight back to Sherlock, you think?
They’re probably going to play themselves in a pantomime during the episode, or somesuch meta-idiocy. What with it being a Christmas special. Yawn.
Maybe I’m a different person while tired, but dare I say, I find it…cute?
That’s… very daring!
Oh, I don’t mind the photo. I’m just curmudgeonly about a prime time BBC drama devolving into internet fan wank. I mean, the fans can wank over it all they like. I just get mardy when the BBC wanks back. Spend my licence fee better, you rudewords!
Whinge. Moan. Grumble. Rinse and repeat!
BBC wanking back is precisely what it is. I guess when they do it, it’s not called fanboys cosplaying but modern adaptation, Victorian AU edition.
Yes Sixer, I am tossing caution to the wind, all the risk-worry aside!
Live on the edge, Kiddo. Teeter on the brink. Walk that tightrope of life…
… I can’t think of any more, sorry! #Sixerfail
I’m with Kiddo, I too, find it cute. 🙂
Because it’s what they do. They started baiting straight after series 3 ended.
I think it was Cumby’s idea. He suddenly had a panic attack thinking that there might be a day in which he doesn’t give this site a reason to talk about him. Then he pouted until Freeman and Gatiss gave in and agreed to release a stunt pic.
Hence the cranky face in the picture. Was his shoulder off in a strop in the original one?
Yes. There is every reason to suspect that comments about His Lordship will not reach 20,000 by Thanksgiving Day.
And that whole “really cool” description was completely taken out of context. He has said that his fiancée Sophie Hunter is “really cool” in the way she copes with his fervent female fan base.
She doesn’t need to ‘cope’ with anything. His fan base, which is no different to any other, is nothing to do with her. Unless she sniffs around on Internet messageboards and finds out people think she can’t act and her ‘art’ is embarrassing, fans won’t feature on her radar at all. Even then, that’s still nothing to do with him; it’s just a public response to her ‘work’.
Oh and that sherlock picture..ugh. I think I’ll have to reminisce over the days when that was a classy and intelligent show. Looks like it’s all out of the window now.
That honestly makes it worse because that means he hasn’t commented on her character in general.
He doesn’t have to–she’s just a prop for him. Everyone knows what I think about the engagement situation, but even if it’s absolutely real and not PR, he’s never spoken of her like an autonomous entity, just like an extension of himself. Like she’s another limb or something.
missmary, if u say it MIGHT be real i am totally hopeless. U’re the rock-solid one on conspiracy train. our driver TBH
Lucifer: Oh I don’t think it’s real at all, ngl. Even if he decides to have an actual wedding, I’m thinking divorce in short order. I don’t wish that drama on anyone but I don’t see this lasting. *adjusts tinfoil conductor’s hat*
“She’s proud of my work, she’s proud of me, and she loves me,’ he said. ‘That’s the bottom line, isn’t it? That’s one of the reasons it’s a good fit. It could be a really difficult thing, but she’s just so in command of it.'”
It wasn’t the “cool” thing I thought was odd, more that the above seemed like a fancy way of saying, she loves me so she shuts up and puts up. His detatched way of speaking about her and the way he was physically in both videos from NY is bizarre to me.
A good fit (I still can’t with that phrase to describe his fiancee of 3 weeks) because she accepts it.
Besides, other than the NY premiere, how has she had to cope with fans? Unless she Googles herself, she has zero interaction with them.
I don’t get the ‘poor sophie’ vibe here though. Whatever they’re doing and whatever their relationship is, I’d hazard a guess she’s completely complicit.
Also, what could be ‘difficult’? Seriously, is that man going to say one effing thing that makes sense?
As per my last post and as you say, Lindy, fans are nothing to do with her. She doesn’t have anything to ‘deal’ with. I’m finding the whole ‘oh fans are trying’ vibe a little sick making. Yes he’s recognised a lot ont he street and he has his share of weirdo fans same as everyone else, but apart from that, they really don’t form a part of his everyday or personal life.
What a completely self-absorbed comment. It’s all about HIM. BC may be a fine actor, but I’ve lost any respect I might have had for him as a person.
No actually, here’s the whole “Meet the Fiancee” sidebar from People:
An Oxford-educated playwright, director and actress, Hunter appeared in the ‘04 movie Vanity Fair with Reece Witherspoon. She met Cumberbatch on the set of the ‘09 film Burlesque Fairytales and the pair announced their engagement on Nov. 5 after a year of dating. How did the star know Hunter, who grew up in London and Edinburgh, was the perfect match? “She’s just really cool,” he says.
After a YEAR of dating? PR all the way.
world is coming to an end
the universe is cold and loveless
with aquatic craniate animals all around
Abbott, don’t be so gloomy, dear. You’ve got to, got to shake it off, shake it off!! If you need something to cheer you up, @mimif very kindly introduced me to a young charmer by the name of Ciso Adler (no relation to Irene Adler). Please google him. You will feel warmth and love again. I promise.
I have lost the will to live.
Let us all just slip quietly into the gentle night. *lies prostrate holding single rose over chest*
http://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/no-words-homer-into-brush.gif
How dapper
Pretty blatant fan baiting. Unfortunately, since last season, I can’t unsee the fan baiting in Sherlock anymore, so I may be biased here. Hopefully they’ve stopped trawling tumblr for plot material.
Right there with you. It was such a disappointment.
I really enjoyed the 200th episode of Supernatural because it managed to respect the fans without being baity. Moffatt and Co. should take note.
Total disappointment, series 3 was. Marvel Comics meets Dr. Who. Except Marvel Comics has tighter plots.
Fan. Baiting.
I’m just going to ignore it and reserve all of my feelings until I can actually see the episode. (No curls, though? The curls were my favorite part)
Also, Benny dear, don’t call your fans cumbersome(s). Are you trying to be funny again? It’s not a good look for you.
Traveling to America? Maybe?
With those outfits, in a hot air balloon like Phileas Fogg?
Haha! It could happen! They look like they’re about to tie a young damsel to the train tracks.
Ooh a silent movie with a piano soundtrack!
I’m fervently praying now that this is what will happen. But I have a disappointing feeling that your version will be so much better than what season 4 will bring.
Well, Sophie has already been photographed on train tracks – it’s a way to get the whole nepotism thing going again.
Benedict is channelling his inner glare-y Christopher Tietjens in a top hat and pengwing suit. Still, glad to see they’ve patched his shoulder.
“Moffat teased the upcoming episodes, promising tears and heartache.” Yikes… if it’s anything like the fan-wankery and ridiculous plotlines of the past season I may not make it past Season 4…
Series 3 was appalling. Everyone turned into a caricature with this ludicrous slapstick and a seeming absence of any real crime stories. The one decent villain they had was utterly wasted in favour of a ‘OMG sherlock killed for jawn! He wuvs him so much’ narrative.
Yeah, I didn’t really like Season 3–nothing really happened, and I saw the whole ‘Mary is an assassin’ thing as something to make her more interesting (which kinda didn’t work).
@Soothy
Agree. The cutesy-ness of the wedding episode had me rolling my eyeballs until they hurt, the drunk Sherlock scenes were an embarrassment, and the ending to The Empty Hearse was such a cop out (“A switch!”). I did enjoy His Last Vow, and Magnussen was a cool villain. But overall, season 3 was pretty dire, given the impeccable standards of the first two seasons.
I thought episode one of series three was overall great, though a few things irked me, like the empty hearse club with the girls Sherlock/Moriarty gay fan fic idea. It was just weird and had nothing to do with the story. Episode two, the wedding was sooo awkward to me. They humanized Sherlock too much, and episode three sacrificed Magnussen. There wasnt enough character development between the final scene of episode one and episode three.
I still loved it, but it wasnt my favorite. I think Series 2 was the best
What you already said. Season 3 was too much about Sherlock/John and not enough about interesting cases. I think Magnussen was a quite interesting villain, the only beef I have with him was in regard to Moriarty. I mean, Moriarty is THE villain, the “napoleon of crime” (as Doyle put it). I felt that Magnussen seemed in part even more influental and evil than Jim Moriarty, or was that just me? They felt too close, in my opinion, both absolute geniuses, both capable of manipulating entire countries, both very powerful etc. You can have a great, interesting case and a villain without trying to make that villain always bigger and more evil than the last one. It’s not “Charmed” *lol*. Doyle managed to let Moriarty be the biggest adversary Holmes ever had, and still give him new, interesting cases. In the end people commit crimes for a variety of reasons and the whole power-manipulation-thing is just one single facet of it.
So my biggest fears for season 4 are:
– more Johnlock-fan-service-stuff (the “tears and heartache”)
– another too-similar villain, who poses another “even bigger” threat, maybe combined with
– bringing Moriarty back. I mean, I LOVE Andrew Scott as Jim Moriarty, I think s2e3 was the best episode ever. But if the storyline isn’t absolutely incredible and … believable, it will be just a cheap attempt to get the Moriarty fans back on board. And that seems extremely likely.
Ha, I noticed the shoulder was repaired!
Can someone explain fan baiting to me?
Fan baiting is releasing pictures ,trailers or behind the scene stuff to get the fan base excited or in this case riled up.
“DO YOU LOVE SOPHIE? YOU BETTER LOVE SOPHIE!! I DO!! SOOOO MUCH!!!”
Please to have Khan back…? *cough*
Still, anything to take away the taste of Season 3.
Or have I just jinxed it…
Just do a crossover with Doctor Who already. Totally a reason I’ll accept for those costumes.
Lila, maybe that’s what this is. The Time Lord takes them back in time…wow, they have lost it if that’s the case. That being said, I’d still watch.
oh but OF COURSE Steven Moffat is going to kill off the most important female character.
Though it’s actually ACD canon she dies, so not surprising.
I’m used to the Mofftis drama, but I gotta say, I’m thrilled to get any news of BBC Sherlock. I lose my cool when people complain of their favorite shows (here in the US) going on Summer hiatus–try two years!
I just saw the People pics/interview with BC–He does look like the Benedict of old in the photos. joyful and open (well, a bit more open than past photos). I hope he can have a nice holiday and rest. He needs it. As do we…
I like the short hair on Benedict. And Martin’s look reminds me of Jude Law from the movie series. Here’s hoping that the Christmas special is good.
And if Ben is going to take a holiday… I hope he gets enough sleep, relaxes and starts off fresh in the new year.
Regardless of all of the crazy that’s going on with him and Sophie, he’s a good guy and a good actor. I hope he comes out of all of this with his head held high.
I instantly thought of Jude Law’s Watson also!
you’re off the conspiracy train?
hmm.hope the madness dies down. IMO mentioning the holiday was totally unnecessary and fan baity . everybody takes holidays during this time. Whats the big deal?
@GeeMoney, I was very happy you agreed with me on the other thread. Just wanted to say that. I read most of the convo’s on the subject and by way of synchronicity found out that for ex. that a certain commenter on the ‘twin-flame’ topic are also present in the fan community on Twitter. I do believe some of these commenters were/are talking about themselves (they were too invested in this), not you. I think you just mean well and wish him the best, acknowledging you could be wrong and that it’s his life to live. That’s true spirituality to me. Someone convinced they know the absolute truth concerning another person’s (love) life scares the living daylights out of me. Life is not an exact science. Anyway, bless you.
Thank you for the comments! I was pretty upset this morning b/c it was like his free will and his choices in life weren’t being acknowledged (and my opinion, for that matter). And that’s not fair. No one can definitively say who’s going to end up with who, especially a person who found a “picture” of a person on the Internet, read her astrology chart and somehow or another is certain that she’s “the one” for Benedict. Just ridiculous.
I just thought I had an idea of the person who he could end up with. None of us know what’s going to happen. He could marry Sophie, he could marry this girl I’m thinking of, he could marry anyone. It’s up to him.
I really just wish him happiness. I’m sad for all of the backlash that he’s receiving during a time in his life when it’s supposed to be filled with love. I’m guessing it may be a learning lesson for him, but I’m hoping that he’ll come out of this ok.
Happy Thanksgiving to you… and to all on this blog! Eat lots of turkey tomorrow.
Martin Freeman with a mustache. Just. No.
“I don’t shave for Sherlock Holmes”
“Does yours rub off too?”
Considering he’s promoting a movie…there is ONE mention of it in this interview and not by him.
Just thought I’d point that out.
Seriously?
Yep, granted it’s because of the questions he’s asked (it’s People so this was never going to be focused on the movie, this is pure Benedict PR) but he could deflect some of them. Even the Sophie ones, “she’s so supportive. Promoting Imitation Game is taking a lot, and it’s a lot to ask of a new fiancee but she is amazing in how understanding she is of it all”, “I’m hoping to take a holiday after the promotion for Imitation Game is over. My heart and soul went into this movie because I wanted to get Turing’s story out there but I need a break”
Seriously Ben, let me write your scripts. Whoever is doing it needs to be sacked.
@Lindy79 – He obviously isn’t using the same script writers who rewrote “Sophie’s CV” because that was a masterpiece.
Is this really the same man? It doesn’t sound anything like him.
Well the above was my suggestions lol
It would tie more into his “I don’t want to talk about my private life, I’ rather talk about the movie” schtick he’s trying to sell, but still being nice and respectful to journalists who ask him about it.
Instead of, not wanting to talk about it….and then….talking about it at the expense of the movie.
All of this he’s doing lately really smacks of them trying to promote BC the “brand” and TIG being a byproduct of his “brand”. It’s very disheartening for the movie, but I had kind of high hopes it’d do well stateside b/c Alan Turing is such an important figure in history.
The look reminds me too much of Jeremy Brett, and there’s no competing with Jeremy Brett. Also, my money is on wife and child dying, since Watson doesn’t have children. But by 2016 I might not care anymore.
@Ruth Dunbar
I’m having trouble editing my original post (you posted while I was still typing) but you read my mind:)
You know what they say about great minds…. 🙂
Exactly what I was thinking with those hats and the mustache!
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/5/18/1305738322712/The-Casebook-of-Sherlock–007.jpg
When I was a teenager back in the 80’s my mother LOVED Jeremy Brett, and I was like, oh god, not this guy again. But he really was amazing as Sherlock Holmes (it’s a huge huge compliment to Cumby that Mom will mention him in the same breath as Brett). I love watching those old episodes now.
Has anyone seen the 90’s Sherlock as done by Jeremy Brett? Those hats remind me of that series.
Best Sherlock Holmes EVAH!! Benedict is divine, but Jeremy was sublime. Sorry, Cumberb@#$tches as I run for cover……
The third series killed my interest in the program. Anyone else far more excited about the “Black Mirror” Christmas Special (airing on December 16th, not on Christmas Day) with Jon Hamm?
I’m going to assume they’re going to a fancy dress party (that’s what our friends across the pond call a costume party, isn’t it?).
I believe in one of the Sherlock commentaries Mofftiss said that they were sent pictures of Ben in different costumes for pre-production. One of those was in period costume. The costuming people were winding them up.
This is probably more of the same. It probably doesn’t have anything to do with what’s coming up. It gives fans something to talk about other then Ben but it doesn’t reveal anything about the future series. That would be my guess.
I would say it is a tongue in cheek reference to the traditional image folks might have of Sherlock Holmes.
Not a big deal at at all.
Edited : typo
At least putting him in a top hat solves the burning question of “will we have Sherlock Curls by January?”
This is the Benedict I became a fan of. I’ll just keep this image in my head and not the weird self absorbed twat of late
Same here
I predict a December wedding during the hiatus. I also think he’s starting to get to Tom Cruise weirdness post Katie Holmes engagement. “I’m going on holiday! But it will be private! Around the Mediterranean! But you’ll never find me! ” LOL
Negative. Eddie Redmayne’s wedding is in December. He will use Greece as an opportunity for paps. He never announces holidays.
He won’t be papped with her in Greece, if that’s where he goes (he’d be nuts to go on a holiday to Greece while he’s still supposed to be pushing that Oscar campaign but he’s not really doing a good job there in the first place so…). There will be the “omg guess who I saw at Heathrow?” tweets and the unverified “I just saw Sherlock in *name of touristy spot here*” (somewhere he wouldn’t usually go since he’s so private of course, but there needs to be a plausible reason for people to see him and “his companion” eating at a popular, celeb hotspot restaurant or coming out of a store with bags in hand).
I got it! Moriarity somehow got transported back in time and John and Sherlock have to go with Doctor Who in the Tardis to capture him! 😀
Sophie directs AND acts in the special as the Doctor’s companion who has a pet octopus, which the dastardly Moriarity steals. The episode end with a cliffhanger-one of them dies. Is it pregnant Mary? The mysterious Sophie? Moriarity? The octopus.
What so wrong about baiting? I like that they actually take fans opinions and pay fan service from time-to-time, Season 3 happened to be it but so what? They did it for the fans, I can’t complain. If they want to get fans excited how the hell is that a bad thing? i think the picture is adorable.
I can’t figure out what’s wrong with wanting to promote your own show either. And I think the pic is cute/funny… And possibly homage to the RDJ/JL movies. People have lost their humor and marbles over this guy.
IS TOM HIDDLESTON IN IT?
“runs”
:-p
I think this is the longest amount of time a thread has been up before Tom has been mentioned.
Martin Freeman is looking very tired this year and last, and the mustache ain’t helpin’. I agreed with Sherlock when he said he was going to make John shave it off because he can’t be seen with someone looking so old.