By now we're somewhat used to the painfully distended wait between 'Sherlock' seasons (currently scheduled for a fourth series sometime before the sun explodes into pandas), but there's a spot of good news yet. According to ever-in-demand series star Martin Freeman, we may yet see the dashing detective return for a 'Sherlock' Christmas special by 2015.

Keep this one with a few grains of salt for the moment, considering we've heard similar rumblings in the past, but Freeman recently alluded to the UK Telegraph that schedules might align for a bit of filming in early 2015, which would then end up as a Christmas special for the year rather than a full series.

[Early 2015 filming] looks pretty likely. If that’s going to be a special - I’m speaking off-message here; if this was New Labour I’d get fired - I think that might be for next Christmas. A Christmas special. That’s what I understand.

Martin also dropped a spoilery bit about his real-life partner Amanda Abbington's return to the role of Mary Morstan Watson, though it remains to be seen when such a turn might take place, given 'Sherlock''s oft-cited potential to run for multiple years down the line. When last we heard, showrunner Steven Moffat had plotted through a potential fifth season of the series, while the fourth was projected to air sometime in 2016.

Along with the surprise resurrection of season 3 finale "His Last Vow," Moffat also specified that ‘Sherlock’ season 4 would likely see increased roles for the women of the series, particularly Molly Hooper (Louise Brealey) and Mrs. Hudson (Una Stubbs), potentially adding new female characters into the mix as well, as part of “Sherlock’s gradual humanization.”

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman will only get busier as time goes on, while Moffat himself readies the new season of 'Doctor Who' for August 2014, but what do you think? Would a 'Sherlock' Christmas special in 2015 make up for the criminally long wait in between episodes?

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