Benedict Cumberbatch, portrayer of Sherlock Holmes in the hit BBC series "Sherlock," will be featured in seven or eight films before fans will see him portray the world's one and only consulting detective in the Season 4 premiere; his rigorous acting schedule is partly to blame for delays in filing and the eventual air date.

"The Imitation Game," "Penguins of Madagascar," "The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies," "Black Mass," "Magik," "The Yellow Birds," "Jungle Book: Origins" and "Flying Horse" are in various stages of production and will likely hit the big screen before the fourth season of the series will appear on the small screen.

Season 3 of Sherlock premiered on Jan. 1 of this year, and the finale aired just 12 days later, ending with a stark cliffhanger as Sherlock battled it out with the villainous Charles Augustus Magnussen.

Martin Freeman, who plays the trusty Dr. John Watson, also has a busy acting schedule. Freeman plays the role of Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies," and he's filming the FX series, "Fargo," where he portrays insurance salesman Lester Nygaard.

BBC has stated that a full-length special episode will begin filming in January 2015 and will air during the Christmas season. But the fourth season of the Emmy-award winning series won't begin filming until later in the year and won't likely appear on the screen until early 2016, to the dismay of "Sherlock" fans everywhere.

Nonetheless, Season 4 promises to be just as addictive and interesting and will knock viewers off of their feet. Show creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat have teased and hinted at changes in the upcoming season, alluding to devastation, chaos, love affairs, the return of villains and tragedy. But the two show runners, unfortunately, won't spill the beans.

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