We’ve already taken a look at some juicy tidbits about Series One and Two and so, in the spirit of completion, this month we’re serving up 10 more fascinating behind-the-scenes facts about Series Three.

1. How to Fake a Death

To make sure that Sherlock’s faked death was as believable as possible, the production team hired an ‘expert’ on the matter to consult them on what was the best way to go about it. Certain things this expert helped them with include the exact size of the mattress Sherlock would need to fall on after his jump off the hospital roof.

2. Martin’s Moustache

Martin Freeman really hated the fake moustache he had to wear in The Empty Hearse. “But I’m a sex symbol,” Mark Gatiss remembers Freeman jokingly lamenting. Hopefully, Martin and the moustache he is wearing in the upcoming Victorian-set special got on better…

3. Mrs Hudson, Private Eye

The original plan was to have Mrs Hudson accompany Sherlock on his cases, as his replacement John, in The Empty Hearse before it was decided that Molly should fill the role instead. If anyone wants to start a petition calling for a Mrs Hudson spin-off, then be our guest. The tagline? “She’s not your housekeeper – she’s a detective.”

4. A Mark of All Trades

Mark Gatiss, as well as being a writer, actor and producer, also added directing to his long list of capabilities in this series, as he filmed some scenes in The Empty Hearse, including the shots of Lord Moran in his hotel room. Mark has also ventured into directing in his 2013 TV ghost story The Tractate Middoth.

5. Sher-long

The running times of the first cuts of these three episodes were wildly different. At first, both The Empty Hearse and The Sign of Three severely under-ran so extra scenes were quickly added in (including John shaving off his moustache in Hearse) while His Last Vow was initially a whopping five and a half hours long! – director Nick Hurran recorded many lengthy dialogue-free scenes.

NEXT PAGE: The original plan for Sherlock and Janine