Sherlock is exclusively a book series.
Benedict Cumberbatch . He has starred as Sherlock Holmes in the series Sherlock since 2010 . Sherlock is a crime drama television series based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 's Sherlock Holmes detective stories . Thirteen episodes have been produced , with three-part series airing from 2010 -- 2017 , and a special episode airing on 1 January 2016 . The show won in three categories at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries , Movie or a Dramatic Special for Moffat , Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Cumberbatch , and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Freeman .