Benedict Cumberbatch at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. (Photo credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision, File)

The Associated Press

LONDON — There will be more mysteries to solve for the sleuth of Baker Street.

The BBC confirmed Saturday that filming on a fourth series of the hit detective drama “Sherlock” will start in next spring. The modern-day update of Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic detective stories stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as his stalwart companion, Dr. Watson.

Since “Sherlock” first aired in 2010, Cumberbatch has become a global star, Academy Award-nominated for “The Imitation Game.” Freeman has starred in “The Hobbit” movie saga and in TV’s “Fargo.”

The BBC in Britain and PBS’ “Masterpiece” in the United States also have announced they will broadcast a 90-minute “Sherlock” special episode on Jan. 1. Titled “The Abominable Bride,” it sends the characters back to the stories’ original late 19th-century setting.