Since series four of Sherlock was screened at the start of 2017, there’s been no sign of more episodes being made, with co-creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss both suggesting that the show was going to have a longer break than usual. After all, there’s always generally been at least two years between series of Sherlock.

Steven Moffat, in a new interview with the Radio Times, has confirmed that he does think Sherlock will return at some point. “Nobody has ever closed the door on Sherlock”, he said. “We just say the same thing all the time and its gets quoted different ways”.

He added that “we haven’t got an immediate plan” but that he would be surprised “if we didn’t do it again”.

The immediate priority for he and Gatiss is their planned Dracula series instead. And as for Sherlock’s return? “When, I don’t know. I think maybe the time for a longer gap is upon us, I don’t know. A longer gap? They’re always long gaps!”