Martin Freeman Says 'Sherlock' Isn't Fun To Make Anymore Because Of Fan Expectations
Martin Freeman, who stars in the BBC series Sherlock, says the show is not that fun to do anymore due to fan perception.
In an interview, the John Watson actor revealed that the show's immense success has taken a toll on how succeeding episodes were done. The demand for Sherlock is high and fans are waiting for the producers to announce the possibility of a fifth season. However, it appears that scheduling is not the only hindrance.
"I think after series four [it] felt like a pause. I think we felt we'd done it for a bit now. And part of it, speaking for myself is [due to] the reception of it," Freeman said.
He explained that the fact that Sherlock started at a high rating right off the bat, it was difficult to maintain that. The British actor is referencing the most recent episodes that aired in January 2017.
Freeman compared Sherlock with The Office, in which he also starred as Tim Canterbury, with the latter having a "slow burn." The 46-year-old actor said that the fans' expectations have transformed the show into "a mini-Beatles thing" that it's not fun to work anymore.
Freeman said that fans' high expectations are just impossible to meet every time.
The Point Of No Return
Scheduling has always been a problem in shooting Sherlock especially Baker Street, the main setting, is shared by other production teams. In an interview at UKTV podcast, Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss teased that the show may not be returning for another season.
"It's not lack of will - it's a nightmare to schedule. It was very, very hard to schedule the last series, because of Martin and Benedict's availability. And Steve [Moffat, co-creator]'s and mine," Gatiss said.
BBC has not yet commented whether Sherlock will return for another set of episodes.
Taking A Break
Sherlock's looming long break might be advantageous to actors like Freeman, who is pressured into meeting the fans' high expectations. Speaking for himself, the actor said that pleasing fans is a tricky thing to do because if they get surprised too often, they will then hate the show for it.
Currently, Freeman can be seen in Marvel's Black Panther and his partner, Benedict Cumberbatch, is working on a role in Doctor Strange.
Freeman's TV reprises also include commercials this time as a brand ambassador for Vodafone. The telecom's new advertisement features the actor in a Gravity-style story, in which the actor plays a NASA operative helping an astronaut in what appears to be an interactive space game.
