"Downton Abbey's" partners in crime are coming back!

Producers of the popular Masterpiece series "Sherlock" announced that the show is returning in the form of a special and three episodes. While the broadcast dates are not set, filming starts January 2015.

Earlier this year "Sherlock" was paired with "Downton Abbey," airing after it and ratings skyrocketed. The audience increased 46 percent from season 2.

Of course, the audience surge can also be attributed to the season two jawdropping cliffhanger that showed "Sherlock" plunging to his death. People were clamoring to see how that would be resolved in season 3.

More importantly who could resist Benedict Cumberbatch’s enigmatic take on the character and his seamless chemistry with Martin Freeman? Not many.

This season Sherlock returned from the dead, met his match in Charles Augustus Magnussen and was the best man at John Watson’s wedding to Mary Morstan. (Sherlock’s at once horrifying, tear inducing and hilarious toast made Entertainment Weekly’s best TV toasts.)

What is in the future for Sherlock? Producers only had this to say:

“Of course, it's far too early to say what's coming, but we're reasonably confident that the very next thing to happen to Sherlock and John, is the very last thing you'd expect ....” said executive producer Steven Moffat.