Sherlock is a British mystery crime drama television series based on the Sherlock Holmes detective stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, the film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson. Thirteen episodes have been produced, including four three-part series that aired from 2010 to 2017 and a special episode that aired on January 1, 2016. The series is set in the present day, and the one-off special features a Victorian-era episode. Period fantasy similar to the original Holmes stories. Sherlock is produced by the British channel BBC and Hartswood Films. The series is principally filmed in Cardiff, Wales, with North Gower Street in London being used for exterior shots of Holmes and Watson's residence at 221B Baker Street.

Although later series were criticized, Sherlock was praised for the quality of its writing, acting and direction. It was nominated for numerous awards, including Emmy, BAFTA and Golden Globe, and won many awards in various categories before its final series. The series received three nominations at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for Cumberbatch, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for Freeman, and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special for Moffat. won an award in the category. . Two years later it won Best Television Movie. The series was also awarded a Peabody Award in 2011. The third series became the most watched drama series in the UK since 2001. Sherlock was sold to 180 regions.

The entire series has also been released on DVD and Blu-ray, alongside tie-in editions of selected original Conan Doyle stories, as well as original music composed by David Arnold and Michael Price. In January 2014, the show launched its official mobile app called Sherlock: The Network.

Sherlock was announced as a single 60-minute drama production, with a broadcast date set for mid-to-late 2009. The aim was to produce a six-episode 60-minute series should the pilot attempt. prove that you are successful. The first version of the pilot, reported by The Guardian to have cost £800,000, sparked rumors in the BBC and wider media that Sherlock was a potential disaster. The BBC decided not to air the pilot episode, demanding reshoots and a total of three 90-minute episodes. The original pilot episode was included on the first series DVD. During the audio commentary, the creative team said the BBC was "very pleased" with the pilot but wanted them to change the format. Critic Mark Lawson observes that the on-air pilot was "significantly expanded and rewritten and completely redesigned in appearance, pacing and sound." In July 2009, the BBC drama department announced plans for three 90-minute episodes to be broadcast in 2010. Moffat had previously announced that Gatiss would take over directing duties if a Sherlock series was ordered so that the producer could concentrate on producing Doctor Who.
This role is modeled as a charismatic secondary psychopath, or as Sherlock himself describes it, "High-functioning sociopath", as opposed to Doyle's presentation as the primary psychopath, thus allowing for greater opportunity or ambiguity for traits of empathy.
Four series of three episodes each were produced. The first series was first broadcast on the BBC in July and August 2010, then aired in the United States on the Public Broadcasting Service in October 2010. The second series, consisting of three parts, was first broadcast in the United Kingdom in January 2012. and then in the US in May 2012. The third series was released in the UK on 1 January 2014 and in the US on 19 January 2014. The series was sold to 180 regions. A special episode was broadcast on BBC One and PBS on 1 January 2016, marking the first time the series has been broadcast on the same day in the UK and US. The fourth series began airing on BBC One and PBS on 1 January 2017 and concluded on 15 January 2017.