"When you bring a title back, you run the risk of being accused of being bereft of ideas. This embodies the development process at its very best -- we piloted it, saw it, thought it wasn't quite right -- the storytelling's not right, the duration's not right and we need to look at the casting -- so we changed it. It's bold, ambitious and strikes a fundamentally different note on Sunday night. Steven wanted to write them as 90 minute episodes, but that's the same next year. It's coming back as three 90-minute episodes."This despite widespread feeling that shorter episodes and a longer run would be more appealing to viewers. From Hunt's quote, I assume the original unaired pilot was a more traditional hour but didn't work. If so, that's fine. I just hope the scripts don't feel as saggy in the middle next time. But it's a pity there won't be more than three episodes. I guess audiences will have to adjusting their expectations, and start treating Sherlock like ITV's occasional Poirot adventures.
Creators Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss:
"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?"
