Sherlock star Martin Freeman has bad news for fans of the popular BBC drama: season 4 won't see the light of day for a long time.

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Freeman, who plays the affable John Watson on Sherlock, told Digital Spy this week that the initial schedule for filming new episodes of the series have been cancelled. Freeman is set to play Richard III in London's West End in late 2014 and the plan was to film season 4 of Sherlock after his run. However, these plans have been scrapped.

"It's very hard to get together," he explained to Digital Spy. "But it's one of those things where you have to at some point just go, 'We're going to do it now' - otherwise we could be having this conversation in three years."

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He also noted: "There comes a point where you've got to piss or get off the pot."

Freeman is relatively selective with roles, particularly with television. He told the website that he doesn't like the idea of being in a role for several months, but three months a year every few years, like Sherlock, is more manageable.

"I wouldn't and couldn't put an end point on it - I'm just more open to it," he said.

Freeman's co-star Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the titular Sherlock on the series, recently said he had no idea if they were going to return to film the series. The actor told Australian magazine The Advertiser that he didn't even know if there was going to be any more seasons.

However, Sherlock co-creator Steven Moffat has essentially confirmed that a fourth season is in the works, and it will likely air in 2016.

Tags: Sherlock television PBS