Here’s the interview.
Warning: contains spoilers for Sherlock series 2.
Theyd gone by the time I got here.
I ducked it a little bit and ran in.
I was cutting it a bit fine this morning.
Youve had to get used to that wherever you go now, presumably?
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Yeah, its something you have to get used to.
Its one of those things thats, whats the word… its an adjustment.
It is an adjustment.
Is it ever difficult for you?
Abnormal or strange, yeah.
Not yet, no.
Is there a sense that Sherlocks fandom might love the show a bit too much?
Like, theyre Lennie squeezing that puppy in Of Mice And Men?
What a great analogy.
I never would have thought about it as something as dramatic as that.
How easy was it to get back into character for series three?
It feels comfortable, and I mean that in the best sense.
There is, and its nice to be able to play that.
Do we see what Sherlocks been up to on his own?
There are going to be a lot of answers like that!
Did you know what happened at the end of the last series?
I was as curious as the nation was to figure it out.
Do you now fully understand how Sherlock survived the fall?
Yeah, thats what I was saying.
I wanted to understand that.
Because the last time we spoke to Martin he said he still didnt understand fully.
Oh yeah, its complicated I guess.
Did you know the solution when you got the episode script for The Reichenbach Fall?
I knew roughly at the time that we were doing it.
Is there anything you think your incarnation of Sherlock definitely wouldnt do?
What is he not good at, your Sherlock?
I mean, he has a token, hes kept something of hers.
So that two years wasnt spent in a wild fling…
I dont think we were off having a holiday, no.
Why do you think the show has struck such a chord with people?
As I said in the first series, I think its because it really pays homage to the original.
I hadnt seen that, My God and so on.
Our Watson graduates, he gets smarter with his friend.
But that relationships absolutely key.
You know, there are three episodes, so we can pack quite a punch.
With The Hounds of Baskerville episode you got out of the capital…
Yeah, that was fun.
I mean, logistically its a nightmare.
Its great, its great.
But theres no reason you cant get on a plane and travel as far as Im concerned.
Is there anywhere particular youd like to see Sherlock and Watson elsewhere in the world?
Lots of places, yeah.
There are a lot of destinations.
I dont think were limited by that.
Nowheres ruled out really, theres no reason it couldnt travel.
Have you taken any interest in Elementary?
Very much, well as far as Ive been around to watch it and record it.
Are we going to get any more glimpses of that?
Well, not in the way that theyre interested in John and Sherlock… Not in that way!
Incestuous brothers…
Not in the underpants way…
The underpants way, I love it!
Oh thats great, like censoring a classroom of twelve year olds!
The Holmes brothers childhood must be fascinating though.
Yeah it is, it is, its really fascinating.
Do you know how they grew up?
and he went You dont want back story.
Youll find out more about their relationship definitely, as brothers.
How does the relationship between John and Sherlock develop over this series?
Are there great progressions in it?
Its not like the stories where Watson kind of goes Oh good!
Whats the next case?
[on Holmes return] its a little bit more questioning.
Youll see, youll see.
Thats been great fun to explore.
Does Sherlock allow himself to express any regrets when he finally comes face to face with John again?
Oh, youll have to wait and see.
Youll have to wait and see.
Its a beautiful dynamic, its good fun.
Theres no Moriarty presumably?
How do you top the super villain?
I mean, Andrews performance was just extraordinary.
Because I knew hed just run with it, he was amazing.
Whos the most intense character to play?
Sherlock or Star Trek Into Darkness John Harrison?
Or indeed, Julian Assange?
Its a really hard question.
It was a huge film as opposed to a prestige project thats based on political reality.
That was fun, that was a lot of fun.
Id never done it before.
Three utterly different projects.
I was a bit worried about the length of that one, but [costume designer] Michael Kaplan…
I love that man.
I made my first boo-boo on set in Star Trek.
So we talked about that and I said, So before that, had you done any sci-fi before?
and he went [still in the calm, relaxed Kaplan voice] Umm, yeah.
So I said, Really, what had you done before that?
[Pause] Blade Runner.
[Shaking his head] I was spoilt, I was spoilt.
Benedict Cumberbatch, thank you very much!
Come back next week for Sherlock series three interviews with Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss and Martin Freeman.
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