'Sherlock' creator would 'start writing tomorrow' if Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman returned

It has been five years since we saw anything new about BBC's popular detective mystery series 'Sherlock'. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as the deadly duo of consulting detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend and confidante Dr. John Watson, the series was created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. There have been calls by fans of bringing the series back, but it has not been possible as yet, perhaps due to the two stars being busy with other projects. Since starring in the show, the two actors have gone big in Hollywood (particularly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), having starred in important film franchises. And thus availability is likely an issue.

Moffat made the same clear in a recent interview on BBC Today about his debut West End play 'The Unfriend'. He said he would "start writing tomorrow' if the stars were to return.

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“They’re on to bigger and better things but, Martin and Benedict, ‘please come back?’ he added.

The series is based on the stories written by Victorian-era author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. While Doyle based the characters and stories in the 1890s and 1910s, the show brings it into the 21st century. The classical detective has modern technology at his disposal.

The series has received highly positive reviews, and has a sizable fan base. That explains the clamour to bring it back.

Meanwhile, recently it was revealed that Cumberbatch has more to deal with than just upcoming Hollywood projects. He may have to pay for reparations for slavery practiced by his family in the past. Apparently, the Cumberbatch family, specifically the actor's ancestor Abraham Cumberbatch, was one of the white plantation owners who were reportedly involved in the slave trade.

As per reports, there were 250 slaves on the plantation until it was abolished. The British government paid the family £6,000, which is equivalent to $1 million in today's money. Thus, the reparations.

Cumberbatch told The Telegraph in 2018, "We have our past, you don't have to look far to see the slave-owning past. We were part of the whole sugar industry, which is a shocker."