After several months of high-profile speculation, a premiere date has finally been set in stone for season 3 of the PBS' hit show, Sherlock, as it will grace the U.S. on Jan. 19 at 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

According to Entertainment Weekly on Oct. 23, the TV series will "air back-to-back" with another popular British program, Downton Abbey (Jan. 5 return), which is a first.

The respective announcement follows two years of chatter over when Sherlock would ultimately make its return.

Executive producer Rebecca Eaton boasted about the upcoming season to the entertainment site, giving kudos to principal actors Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Martin Freeman (Watson) in the process.

"They are jaw dropping. They are like small movies. Benedict and Martin are so in their Sherlock-Watson groove. They are so comfortable with that relationship it's like being in the room with them," she said.

Sherlock executive producer Sue Vertue issued a statement on the announcement, dishing on the excitement the creative brass has for putting out the upcoming installment.

"We are hugely excited about this next series of Sherlock, and have worked closely with our partners, Masterpiece and PBS, to bring these episodes to U.S. audiences in January. We promise our fans that Season 3 is worth waiting for."

Interestingly enough, it's also the first time that a U.S. release date has been revealed before the BBC has announced its U.K. launch.

Being that the British network has "first window" rights to the show, fans in the U.K. can rest assured that the program will grace their TV's at some point prior to the U.S' Jan. 19 return.

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Sherlock, BBC, PBS