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Those behind the BBC TV show 鈥淪herlock鈥� have announced an air date for an upcoming special for British and American viewers as well as movie theater plans.

An upcoming episode of 鈥淪herlock,鈥� which is based on the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle but takes place in modern times, will bring Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Watson (Martin Freeman) back to Victorian times.

In addition, American fans will no longer have to wait to see the episode until after their British counterparts. While the newest season of the show, its third, premiered in Britain a few weeks before it aired in America, the upcoming special episode of 鈥淪herlock鈥� will air in the US and in Britain on Jan. 1.聽

In addition, fans can head to their local multiplex to see Sherlock and Watson on the big screen. Following the special鈥檚 TV air date, the Victorian special, which is titled 鈥淪herlock: The Abominable Bride,鈥� will be screening in movie theaters on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6.聽

鈥淏ride鈥� screening in movie theaters follows the success HBO and the BBC have had with screening episodes of 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥� and 鈥淒octor Who,鈥� respectively, in movie theaters. In 2013, when the BBC brought a special fiftieth-anniversary episode of 鈥淒octor Who鈥� to movie theaters, the episode did extremely well at the box office. Those behind 鈥淒octor Who鈥� have continued to bring episodes of the show to movie theaters since, with the most recent screening in movie theaters this past September.聽

Meanwhile, two episodes of the popular fantasy series 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥� were screened in movie theaters this past February and those did well financially also. With both 鈥淭hrones鈥� and 鈥淲ho,鈥� the TV episodes had already aired, yet fans still came out to see the episodes in theaters. Clearly this is a lucrative enterprise if the TV show has a strong fan base.聽

Meanwhile, 鈥淪herlock鈥� fans are no doubt happy to hear that the upcoming TV special will air in the US and in Britain on the same day. Many TV fans have complained when British shows aired in the US after they did in Britain. One show that has particularly attracted ire for doing so is the British program 鈥淒ownton Abbey鈥� 鈥� multiple months can elapse between British and American season premieres, as with the show鈥檚 current season, which premiered in Britain in September but won鈥檛 air in the US until January.聽

While the lag between British and American premiere dates for the previous 鈥淪herlock鈥� season was much less than that, 鈥淪herlock鈥� fans will no doubt be happy to not have to worry about shielding themselves from spoilers online for weeks in between.聽