'Sherlock' Victorian special titled 'The Abominable Bride': airdate to be 1 January 2016 on PBS, BBC simultaneously

Just two more months and the wait is finally over. The mystery, almost revealed. And it's been a long haul since July 2014, when it was announced that there would be a special episode broadcast between the third and fourth series of Sherlock. That 'special' was in the making in January 2015 when filming began in Bristol, and it wrapped up in end-February.

Step right into this special and one can travel all the way back to the cobblestoned alleys and bylanes of the Victorian era, horses, carriages and all! Now you get an idea why co-creator of the Sherlock series and the Victorian era special Mark Gatiss once tweeted intriguingly that it's about 'ghosts'!!

Lo and behold! Masterpiece and PBS have announced that the 90-minute one-off special will be titled Sherlock: The Abominable Bride. It will premiere in the U.S. at 9 p.m. on Masterpiece Mystery on January 1, 2016, deadline.com reports.

BBC One has confirmed that the special will be airing the same day in the UK, the first time the series has premiered on the same day in both countries. Rumour has it that plans are in the offing for the special to be released in Chinese theatres too. Season 3 of Sherlock had nearly a 100 million views in China. 

Watch the new trailer released for Sherlock with title and airdate here.

The period special will see Benedict Cumberbatch return as Holmes along with his partner Dr John Watson (Martin Freeman) in 1890s London. Does this mean that Holmes will be bereft of the power of modern technologies - internet, GPS and more - that he has used in the series or will he turn to the recreational drugs of the Victorian era to jog his intelligence?

We remember that it was in the Conan Doyle tale The Sign of Four that it is revealed that Holmes had a cocaine habit. That book was published in 1890? So when Sherlock is beamed back to the Victorian era, what are we to expect by way of characterisation and plot? What's the story? Is Moriarty out there? 

We understand that Mary Morstan (Amanda Abbington), Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves) and Mrs Hudson (Una Stubbs) also turn up at 221b Baker Street in this special. Sherlock is produced by Hartswood Films for BBC One and co-produced by Masterpiece.

The Abominable Bride is co-written by Moffat and Gatiss but what's better is that a BBC tweet tells us that Gatiss is "busy writing away right now" on Season 4. That's a lot more of Sherlock to eagerly wait for, but in the meantime, The Abominable Bride is almost here. More about it, later!