Rafe Spall is starring as Sherlock Holmes in the new TV series The Death of Sherlock Holmes, which features a unique take on the legendary detective. The show explores the period when the character was presumed dead, featuring Spall alongside Deleila Piasko as a local woman named Alma who discovers him.
The series, scheduled to premiere in 2027 on Sky in the UK and Ireland, finds its niche in the “Great Hiatus”—the three-year gap between 1891 and 1894 when Sherlock Holmes was presumed dead following his confrontation with Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls. Unlike traditional adaptations that skip this period or treat it as a brief prologue to his return to Baker Street, this series explores Holmes as an amnesiac discovered in the Swiss Alps by a local woman named Alma, played by Deleila Piasko.
Expanding the Great Hiatus
The first season of The Death of Sherlock Holmes is structured as a six-part drama. Spall and co-star Piasko attended a photocall for the series at MIPCOM 2026 in Cannes on October 14, 2026, highlighting the international interest in the project.
By focusing on the internal mystery of Holmes’ lost identity, the show distinguishes itself from the “Sherlock saturation” currently hitting the television landscape. As of late 2026, several high-profile Holmes projects are in various stages of production, including Prime Video’s Young Sherlock, The CW’s Sherlock & Daughter, and CBS’s Watson. Spall’s version is unique for its historical setting and its departure from the standard procedural format, leaning instead into a character-driven survival story.
The production is a collaboration between Sky and European partners including SRF and ARD Degeto. This international backing reflects the series’ focus on the Continental European landscape during the detective’s “missing” years. While the first season establishes Holmes’ life in the Alps, the narrative focuses on his experiences during the time he was missing from London, a period Arthur Conan Doyle later addressed in “The Adventure of the Empty House.”
Spall’s rising profile has added significant visibility to the project. As the series moves toward its 2027 debut, the production marks a strategic expansion for Sky’s scripted slate.
