Sherlock was officially recommissioned for a second series at the end of August, which is just as well given the cliffhanger the first series left viewers with!

Anyone hoping for a longer series next time around, prepare for disappointment. The BBC confirmed the format of the series will remain the exact same – that means we’re getting another three 90-minute episodes. We can live it, but it’s a shame there are not more – a Christmas special would have been great.

There is one change – Series 2 will air Autumn 2011, not Summer like before. It means we’ve got a bit of a long wait unfortunately. We suspect Steven Moffat’s commitment to Doctor Who played a key part to this.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman will both return. Interestingly, recent reports have said Freeman has turned down the role of Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming Hobbit movie due to Sherlock.

In a press statement, Sherlock co-creators, Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, gave some hints at what we can expect next year: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the warmth of response to our new Sherlock Holmes and John Watson and can’t wait to take them on three new adventures next year. There’ll be baffling new puzzles, old friends and new enemies – whether on two, or four legs. And we might well be seeing the cold master of logic and reason unexpectedly falling. But in love? Or over a precipice? Who can tell?”

Four legs? The Hound of the Baskervilles, then? Or are Moffat and Gatiss just messing with us? And might they bring Irene Adler as Sherlock’s potential love interest?