Sherlock season 4: What time and when does the BBC show start? How to watch Benedict Cumberbatch's series

Episode one is titled ‘The Six Thatchers’

Finally, after almost three years of waiting (not including The Abominable Bride), Sherlock is returning to our TV screens for season four.

Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Mark Gatiss, Una Stubbs and Amanda Abbington are back as Sherlock, Watson, Mycroft, Mrs Hudson, and Mary, while newcomer Toby Jones will play the mysterious villain Culverton Smith.

So, what time does season four start? Where to watch? And what’s the first episode going to be about? Look no further, as we answer all the key questions below.

What time and where can I watch it?

The first episode of Sherlock season four, titled ‘The Six Thatchers’, will air New Year’s Day at 8.30pm on BBC One.

What is the episode about?

The episode is loosely based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle book The Adventure of the Six Napoleons.

The official synopses reads

Sherlock waits to see where Moriarty will make his posthumous move. One mysterious case in particular baffles Scotland Yard - but Sherlock is more interested in a seemingly-trivial detail. Why is someone destroying images of the late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher? Is there a madman on the loose? Or is there a much darker purpose at work? Something with its roots deep in Mary Watson's past.

Will it be darker than normal?

According to Martin Freeman, the series will be darker than normal, saying: “There have always been grisly deaths and emotional turmoil in Sherlock. But pound for pound, yes, there’s a little bit more dark grey, if not black.” Read the interview here.