Sherlock fans are eagerly awaiting the series 3 air date, and today actor Martin Freeman shed a little light on a timeframe.

Speaking on the BAFTA red carpet today, the actor that plays Watson on the BBC hit drama says to expect Sherlock series 3 to premiere in December or January of this year. In his next breath he said it’ll be at the end of this year or early next. You can watch Freeman’s video interview below where he touches briefly on the show:

Sherlock series 1 premiered in July 2010 and series 2 bowed in January 2012, so it’s been hard to look at the history of the show to determine a premiere date. Rumors have persisted for some time that Sherlock series 3 would premiere by the end of this year, and Freeman’s comments today definitely support that rumor.

Sherlock season 3 has a 3-episode order like the first two runs. We’ve shared numerous set photos with you over the past couple months, including shots of what we expect are the opening scenes of the series 3 premiere episode.

Benedict Cumberbatch (or “Ben” as Freeman refers to him as) stars as Sherlock. The duo have already signed on for Sherlock series 4. Roughly two episodes of Sherlock series 3 have already been shot. Cumberbatch and Freeman will return later this year to film the third and final episode of the season.

Episode 1 and 2’s titles are “The Empty Hearse” and “The Sign of Three.” Episode 3’s title may not be revealed until filming begins.

We’ll continue to keep our ear pressed to the ground until the exact Sherlock series 3 air date is unveiled!