Sherlock icon Martin Freeman responds to question on whether fans can expect more

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Ever since Sherlock ended in 2017, fans have been hoping Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman will return as the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend, Doctor John Watson.

The show’s creators have expressed interest in continuing the story with another season or film, but Mark Gatiss mentioned last year that plans were stalled because Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman weren’t interested in returning.

And sadly, that stance doesn’t appear to have changed.

He really enjoys shows or movies that genuinely surprise you – where a character’s actions are unexpected and you think, ‘Wow, that was a twist!’ He said the ending of Seven Dials was like that, keeping him guessing until the very last moment.

It’s interesting how audiences work. We often seek comfort in familiar stories like those by Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes – we want certain expectations met. But at the same time, we really appreciate being surprised and discovering something even better than we anticipated.

I hope this resonates with viewers the way it did with me. Having watched all three episodes, I found it quite surprising.

So, someone in the room brought up Sherlock Holmes, and I had to ask Morgan Freeman if there were any developments on that project. He let out a chuckle and jokingly lamented why he even agrees to these interviews! Ultimately, he confirmed, with a bit of apology, that a Sherlock Holmes project isn’t happening at the moment. It seems we’ll have to wait a while longer for that one.

But you will be able to watch Freeman in Seven Dials from 15th January.

He stars as Superintendent Battle, working with Mia McKenna-Bruce (known for ‘How to Have Sex’) who plays Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent. She’s a curious amateur detective looking into the death of a young man. It seems a prank at her rural estate took a terrible turn.

This new mystery is his biggest project since his acclaimed role in the second season of the BBC crime series, The Responder, which was set in Liverpool.

I created some new work in 2024 that was generally more upbeat than ‘The Responder,'” he explained. “‘The Responder’ isn’t exactly cheerful, though it does have moments of humor, so this new stuff felt a little less dark overall.

However, the stories do involve genuine violence, including murders, which is unsettling. But it’s presented in a way that fits with the classic Agatha Christie style – a blend of 1920s settings, beautiful country estates, elegant fashion, and clever dialogue.

You know, watching it again, I realized how surprisingly bleak the story actually is. I totally missed that on my first viewing! But overall, yeah, I really appreciated the shift in tone. I’m always up for something different, and this definitely delivered that. I just like seeing filmmakers try new things, you know?

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Authors

Abby RobinsonDrama Editor

Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor at TopMob, where she writes about TV dramas and comedies. Before that, she was a TV writer for Digital Spy and a content writer for Mumsnet. She has a degree and a postgraduate diploma in English Studies.

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2026-01-14 19:07