‘I like making people tea’

British star Martin Freeman’s back in a Sherlock special — but not in the usual way we’ve grown to know and love him

He’s back — and on TV, in his much-loved avatar of Dr. John Watson, no less! While he is famed for his role in the Hobbit movies as well as the delightful Fargo mini-series, Martin Freeman is best known for his antics in Sherlock; his subtle charm serving as the able foil to Benedict Cumberbatch’s haughty magnificence.

While fans will have to wait much longer to catch season four of the smash-hit series, there is a surprise — a Sherlock special titled The Abominable Bride will see Cumberbatch and Freeman reprise their roles as Holmes and Watson in a one-off episode set in Victorian London in 1895 — to be aired in the New Year!

Considering it’s in a radically new setting — different from the usual present-day version of the show — how did the dynamics change

“Everything does take longer — it takes longer to get dressed, you’re longer in make-up, you’re longer in wardrobe and camera resets take longer, just because there’s more stuff about. The clothes that we’re wearing and the stuff we are dealing with as far as make-up and hair is concerned, are not everyday things that people have to deal with. But you don’t want to completely change those characters that people have come to know and love. I’m still recognisably John and Ben’s still recognisably Sherlock,” Martin grins.

“I have no idea how fans will react to it, I hope they like it. That’s all I think about everything I’ve ever done,” he adds.

Martin goes on about how British drama resonates with audiences all over the world –— “Britain as a country has always been quite good at this stuff, you know, from Shakespeare onwards; we’ve been quite good at drama and quite good at comedy. For a little country, we’ve always done that well. I don’t really know why America finds us so interesting at the moment, because I think we’ve always done good telly.”

Lastly, which Sherlock character is he like IRL “I don’t know that I’m like many of the Sherlock characters in real life because I wouldn’t really want to do the two things that John Watson does for a living, which is doctoring and soldiering. I’m very interested in both of those, but I’d rather not be sewing people up on a battlefield, hence becoming an actor. I’m not as clever as Sherlock. I might be Lestrade, or Mrs. Hudson, because I like making people tea. I’m quite caring, I like looking after people,” Martin chuckles, and signs off.

(The Abominable Bride will air on AXN, at 9pm, Jan 9th)