By Lacy Baugher for Drama on November 29th, 2013

The BBC Announces ‘Sherlock’ Series 3 UK Premiere Dates in Grand Fashion

The "Sherlock Lives" promotional efforts are awesome this year. (Photo: BBC)
The "Sherlock Lives" promotional efforts are awesome this year. (Photo: BBC)
Talk about coming back in style.

In a move packed with so much dramatic flourish that we can only assume the consulting detective himself would approve, the BBC announced that the highly anticipated third series of Sherlock would begin on January 1, 2014 in the UK. And they did so by having an actual hearse drive around London’s several notable Sherlock-related landmarks with the premiere date emblazoned in tribute wreaths.

Yes, really.

It’s pretty fitting, actually, given that Series 2 finale The Reichenbach Fall ended with Sherlock Holmes presumed dead (though it seems like everyone but poor John Watson knows that’s not exactly true) and that Series 3 will begin with an episode entitled The Empty Hearse. Whether this particular promotional hearse is the same as the one we all presume will show up in that episode at some point, is anyone’s guess.

The premiere date hearse, sporting a hashtag in the window that read #SherlockLives, made the circuit of important Sherlock filming locations in London, including St. Bart’s hospital and the North Gower Street address that houses both the actual Speedy’s Café and the building that stands in for the exterior of Sherlock and John’s Baker Street flat.

Get a look for yourselves below.

Sherlock Holmes - in *living* memory, #TheEmptyHearse premieres Jan 1st 2014 on @BBCOne. #SherlockLives pic.twitter.com/PnrWPTGnMp

— #SherlockLives (@BBCOne) November 29, 2013

Speedy’s Café had some photos to share:

Picture via @SpeedysCafe owner Chris pic.twitter.com/8F9BJsHgZt

— Speedy's Cafe (@speedyscafe) November 29, 2013

#SherlockLives via @Marley_89 pic.twitter.com/tsS8sppUJn

— Speedy's Cafe (@speedyscafe) November 29, 2013

This is pretty awesome, right?

Co-creator Mark Gatiss also had this to add:

Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective. Much missed by friends & family. In *living* memory. Jan 1st 2014! #SherlockLives

— Mark Gatiss (@Markgatiss) November 29, 2013

Excitingly enough, Americans won’t have to wait very long to see The Empty Hearse for ourselves. Series 3 of Sherlock premieres January 19, 2014 on Masterpiece Mystery.

Are you excited for more Sherlock yet?

By Lacy Baugher for Drama on November 29th, 2013
Lacy Baugher

Lacy's love of British TV is embarrassingly extensive, but primarily centers around evangelizing all things Doctor Who, and watching as many period dramas as possible.

Digital media type by day, she also has a fairly useless degree in British medieval literature, and dearly loves to talk about dream poetry, liminality, and the medieval religious vision. (Sadly, that opportunity presents itself very infrequently.) York apologist, Ninth Doctor enthusiast, and unabashed Ravenclaw. Say hi on Threads or Blue Sky at @LacyMB. 

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