BBC's Sherlock to return for second series

(BBC/HARTSWOOD FILMS)

Two very different detectives are returning to our screens.

Three more episodes of BBC1's hit show Sherlock are going to be made with Benedict Cumberbatch playing an updated version of the fictional sleuth.

Co-creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat said: "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?"

There will also be two two-hour specials of Luther, featuring The Wire star Idris Elba as the title character, and an adaptation of Sebastian Faulks' World War One novel Birdsong.

Other highlights for BBC1 announced are a conspiracy thriller co-created by novelist Ronan Bennett, a panel show fronted by comedian Rhod Gilbert and a documentary on child poverty in Britain.

The channel's controller Jay Hunt said: "These new commissions demonstrate the sheer range and creative ambition on BBC1.

"From adapting a modern classic like Birdsong to developing new talent across comedy and factual, the channel is continuing to deliver bold programming for audiences."