Here’s the record of the Tarleton murders, and the case of Vamberry, the wine merchant, and the adventure of the old Russian woman, and the singular affair of the aluminium crutch, as well as a full account of Ricoletti of the club foot and his abominable wife.

For a seasonal special this year, Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat have written Sherlock back into the fin de siècle to take on a vengeful ghost and reveal a story hinted at by Holmes in ‘The Musgrave Ritual’. After months of being tantalised with clips and trailers that promise an exciting adventure with the trademark intertextual playfulness of the Sherlock team, we will soon discover what makes Ricoletti’s wife abominable, and what Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock and Martin Freeman’s John plan to do about it. 

The special will no doubt be a significant talking point at our next event: we are looking forward to welcoming Sue and Beryl Vertue, executive producers of Sherlock, at our annual dinner on 9th January. The Sherlock Holmes Society of London have been proud of our long-term association with the Sherlock team, ever since Mark Gatiss spoke at our annual dinner in 2006. Back then, he told us about an interesting conversation he’d had with his dinner guest, Steven Moffat, on a train to Cardiff (on Doctor Who business), when they discussed their mutual love of Sherlock Holmes, and the idea of bringing the Canon into the 21st century began to germinate. Ten years later, they are returning Holmes and Watson to their Victorian roots.

‘The Abominable Bride’ will air on BBC One at 9pm on New Year’s Day, and will also be shown at a selection of UK cinemas at the same time. The special will also have a same day premiere on PBS in the States (9pm ET).

For photos from our annual dinners (Mark Gatiss was our Speaker in 2006, Steven Moffat was our speaker in 2012), view our Gallery.