As promised, The BBC revealed details of Sherlock’s upcoming adventures at 2:21pm today (July 2). The Tweets hint at “the most shocking and surprising” series yet, much to the delight of the show’s dedicated fan base.

Benedict CumberbatchBenedict Cumberbatch is coming back for more Sherlock

The announcement kicked off with: "Miss me?" #Sherlock, the hit @BBCOne drama, will return for a Special, followed by a series of three new episodes. #221back,” which was followed up with: “After the briefest of exiles, #Sherlock will return to face one of his biggest mysteries yet... #221back”

Then came: “Shooting on the #Sherlock special will begin in January 2015, with the series shooting later next year. #221back” and, “We're ready to unleash the most shocking and surprising series of #Sherlock yet. The only thing is to expect is the unexpected... #221back”

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And finally, The BBC’s deluge of Sherlock Tweets ended with: “The Game is on - again! #Sherlock #221back”. This has been a major source of delight for the franchise’s many fans, especially considering Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman’s newfound Hollywood fame in the wake of their performances as Sherlock and Watson respectively. You can see all the Tweets here. 

Although Freeman did drop a hint a while ago that a Christmas special was on the cards. “I think that might be for next Christmas. A Christmas special. That's what I understand," he told The Telegraph. "I'm speaking off-message here; if this was New Labour I'd get fired."

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And if the latest teaser picture is anything to go by, Moriarty - played by Andrew Scott – is also primed for a comeback. He made an appearance in the third episode of series three despite being seen shooting himself in the second series finale. But as we’ve come to expect with Sherlock, death isn’t always what it looks like.