 "Sherlock Season 4 finale leaked online; BBC suspects role of Russian broadcaster")
Paul McGuigan’s British detective series Sherlock had not been getting the best of reviews for its fourth season that premiered on 1 January, 2017. Now, in order to make matters worse, the final episode of the fourth season has been leaked online. [caption id=“attachment_1349535” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch in a still from Sherlock. Facebook[/caption] The Guardian reports that the third episode of Sherlock Season 4, titled The Final Problem, was leaked on the internet 24 hours before it was scheduled to air on BBC1 on the night of 15 January. The makers also acknowledged the leak on Twitter and requested the fans not to watch or share the leaked version. The Independent reported that a special screening was held for journalists and critics on 12 January but the final four minutes of the episode were omitted in order to keep the suspense intact. They were also requested not to share spoilers with the fans who have been eagerly awaiting the season finale of the suspense thriller television series.
Before the leak could put a question mark on the integrity of the journalists and critics in attendance, the producer Sue Vertue acknowledged, through a tweet, that the leaked version is that from Russia. The Telegraph reports that the leaked version of the 90-minute episode featured a three-second continuity announcement identifying it as having originated from Channel One, which owns the rights to telecast Sherlock in Russia. The same report suggests that BBC Worldwide, which sells the BBC’s content overseas, claimed it has initiated a full investigation into the leak.
Russian version of #Sherlock TFP has been illegally uploaded.Please don't share it. You've done so well keeping it spoiler free.Nearly there
— sue vertue (@suevertue) January 14, 2017
It is suspected that the leak could have been an orchestrated move to harm the British broadcaster’s profits. While the spoilers left many fans despondent, some of the loyalists honoured the makers’ requests and refrained from sharing or watching the leaked version. Sherlock is a modern day revival of the popular figure of detective Sherlock Holmes. It stars Bennedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in the lead roles. The report by The Guardian states that over 11 million people watched the season premiere on New Year’s Day and a similar figure was expected for the season finale on 15 January before the untoward incident took place.
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