In general, TV shows that are turned into movies never come close to emulating the same kind of success or that same edge that made the orignal creation such a joy to behold in the first place. When Sherlock, the BBC's hit modern update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective series, is concerned however, a movie version of the feature-length programme seems to make a lot of sense.

Sherlock
Stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have made a name for themselves in Hollywood since Sherlock's debut

With the show's stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman currently mentioned among the highest echelons of Hollywood actors, it seems less and less likely that a Sherlock film will ever come to fruition, however during a recent chat with Entertainment Weekly, series writer and creator Steven Moffat revealed that a Sherlock movie might not be completely out of the question yet. With a fourth and potentially a fifth season already under construction, Moffat and the rest of the Sherlock team still have plenty of ideas to work with, ideas that may make their way on to the big screen.

"There’s something quite special about the fact that it’s on television, starring those two," Moffat said in his interview. "That wasn’t the case in the beginning. Mark (Gatiss, Sherlock co-creator) and I sometimes imagine what would happen if we had written it now and were saying, ‘We’d like Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman for the parts!’"

Cumberbatch almost turned down his role in Sherlock

When pressed about the movie, Moffat replied, “we don’t rule anything out," however Moffat's exuberance might be best served on ice until future seasons are completed. For a start, the show makes perfect sense on TV and would be unlikely to gain anything when the censors are lifted for the big screen. What's more, the serialised format the show follows means that fans are treated to three feature-length adventures a year, whereas a film would probably limit the output to one every year or so.

A Sherlock movie is likely to be a success if it is released, but in the end it might end up being more of a disappointment than something that fanboys will appreciate more than the series. We'll update you if anything does develop, but don't hold your breath.

Sherlock Cast
Sherlock will be back for further seasons