Martin Freeman, the actor who portrays the role of Dr. John Watson in the detective drama series "Sherlock," explains the reason why fans continue to be attached to the show despite the long gap in between seasons. 

According to the actor, the huge time gap between seasons is actually an advantage because it can help make the show's materials fresher while giving ample time for actors to work on other projects. 

"It's so intermittent. That's what for me makes it doable. I don't know about [Benedict Cumberbatch], but certainly for me it would soon lose a lot of its appeal if we were schlepping that around for eight months of the year, every year. A bit of the sheen would have gone off it," Freeman said in an interview with The Independent.

Now on its fourth season, the British crime drama has been proven to be a huge hit internationally, which helps the actors become household names. 

Meanwhile, "Sherlock" lead actor Benedict Cumberbatch shared meaty spoilers about the plot of the upcoming season. According to the critically acclaimed actor, fans will find out more about the back story of his character, as well as his typical life back home. 

"It was a gesture in the first episode, but you see that in practice in the third," Cumberbatch told NPR.  "You see that, as a boy he was deeply insecure — it begins as a taunt from his older brother Mycroft ... and that comes back to haunt him and he feels like a child. He's reduced to feeling like a child." 

Freeman shared what is in store for his character as well. 

"While we play fast and loose with the original stories, we generally follow the trajectory of what Conan Doyle did. So, Watson gets married, and then Mary dies — so at some point presumably she'll die," the actor said. 

Before "Sherlock" season 4 premieres in 2016, a special Christmas episode will be aired sometime before 2015 ends.