Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss has confirmed that a fourth series is still “the plan”, rather than the rumoured one-off special.

Last month Sherlock star Martin Freeman hinted that the show’s next instalment could be a one-off episode: “Mark Gatiss may beat me up, but there is an idea for this one-off special that’s such a good idea, and as I was listening to it I thought ‘we’ve just got to do this’.”

Speaking at last weekend’s BAFTA Television Awards 2014 in London, Gatiss revealed: “There was talk [of a single film, but] amongst people who have nothing to do with Sherlock, I’m afraid.”

The writer added: “Benedict [Cumberbatch] and Martin’s schedules, Steven [Moffat]’s schedule, my schedule, everybody’s schedule – it’s like a jigsaw puzzle. But both [Martin and Benedict] are really very keen to carry on and as I say, we have made progress.”

Gatiss also told Radio Times that he and Steven Moffat had “moved significantly closer to getting a date in the diary for Series 4.”

> Here’s everything we know about Series 4 so far.

Series 3 concluded on BBC One in January.

What are your hopes for Series 4? Let us know below…