The brilliant contemporary Sherlock returns to US airwaves tonight. The Brits were privy to the three episodes that make up series two of the Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss intellectual dramedy earlier this year in January, and now with springtime in America it’s our turn to revisit the wildly entertaining adventures of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman’s Dr. John Watson.

Tonight’s series 2 premiere is entitled “A Scandal in Belgravia” and the log line goes like this: Picking up from season 1′s gripping cliff-hanger, the whip-smart dominatrix Irene Adler (Lara Pulver, True Blood) takes on Sherlock in a game he is ill-prepared to fight…love.

The three episodes will run consecutively over the course of three weeks (May 6, 13, and 20) on PBS at 9PM as part of the Public Broadcasting Service’s Masterpiece Mystery hour. Click here to view a schedule highlighting what’s in store this season for Sherlock. Don’t fret; Sherlock’s arch-nemesis Moriarty still looms as a major threat.

There’s still four months before the second series of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ adaptation of Sherlock Holmes airs in the US, but the co-creators of the critically acclaimed show just couldn’t keep their traps shut. “Yes of course there’s going to be a third series — it was commissioned at the same time as the second. Gotcha!” tweeted Moffat. This news became widespread shortly after the second series finished airing its three-episode arc in the UK on BBC. The one question that now remains, of course, is if Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch (Holmes) and Martin Freeman (Watson) will return to reprise their roles. Both are blowing up in the biz. Cumberbatch recently starred in War Horse and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and soon he’ll be in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit (alongside Freeman) and J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek sequel. But don’t be alarmed. A UK rep told Deadline and reassures fans, “I’m sure he [Cumberbatch] would love to do a third series. It’s very unlikely they would have Sherlock without Sherlock.”

Sherlock fans, rejoice! Series 2 premieres in the US on PBS on May 6.

[Via Deadline]

The BBC comedy series Spout brings us a shocking look into the severe medical condition known as iPaditis. I recently visited the doctor and was diagnosed with a mild case of it; if you own a touch-based iDevice I suggest you do the same.

[Via Gizmodo]

After examining our world’s oceans in The Blue Planet (2001) and the intricacies of nature in Planet Earth (2006), BBC is preparing to unveil its next big documentary that “marvels at mankind’s incredible relationship with nature in the world today.”  It’s called Human Planet.

Uniquely in the animal kingdom, humans have managed to adapt and thrive in every environment on Earth. Each episode takes you to the extremes of our planet: the arctic, mountains, oceans, jungles, grasslands, deserts, rivers and even the urban jungle. Here you will meet people who survive by building complex, exciting and often mutually beneficial relationships with their animal neighbours and the hostile elements of the natural world.

The production crew behind the upcoming doc filmed in around 80 locations using state-of-the-art HD cameras.  So you can expect the visuals to be stunningly beautiful, but isn’t that the norm for BBC/Discovery documentary series?

Human Planet will air in eight parts.  It began broadcasing January 13 on BBC One in the UK and an international release will follow shortly after the series ends there.  Watch the trailer for it above, and look after the break for two more sneak peeks.

[Via Gizmodo] (Click here for more…)

British comedians Ronnie Corbett and Harry Enfield exchange punny quips about Apples, BlackBerries, and more!

[Via Engadget]

Using highly effective visuals in augmented reality animation, BBC’s Hans Rosling tells the story of the world in 200 countries over 200 years using 120,000 numbers, in just four minutes.  More specifically, he plots life expectancy against income for every country since 1810, and the visually splendid data reveals interesting rises and drops in correspondence to major historical events such as world wars.  Go on mash play and educate yourself.

[Via Gawker]

Can’t get enough of BBC’s Bang Goes the Theory series.  This time host Jem Stansfield travels to the Solar Furnace Research Facility in Southern France to witness the incredible power generated by highly concentrated sunlight.  At the core of the “sunshine” temperature can rise to 6,300 degrees Fahrenheit and is powerful enough to almost instantly burn through wood and even melt a rock!  Watch a dangerously cool demonstration above.

[Via Gizmodo]

Simple yet effective.  One of those videos that gets funnier with repeat viewings.

[Via @kpereira]

London-based comedy sketch group Idiots of Ants is here to show us just how realistic the controls are for Medieval Swordfighter 3 using a modern Wii-mote + nunchuck setup.  It’s not too long before the game starts bleeding into the real world.  …They’re British and funny so watch it!

[Via Gizmodo]

Using camera techniques like time lapse and shooting at 2000 FPS, a documentary film crew captured all kinds of animals and plants in ways you’ve likely never seen before.  In fact, they managed to shoot the growth of plants and actions of animals for the very first time on camera.  Embedded above is a two minute preview.  Life is an 11-part series that premiere on Discovery March 21 at 8PM.

[Via Gizmodo]

This is a teaser clip from the upcoming BBC documentary titled “The Virtual Revolution.”  It’s a four part series about how the Internet is changing the world.  This teaser has got me looking forward to the series not only due to its tech-related content but also because of its impressive lineup of interviews.  Tim Berners-Lee (the inventor of the World Wide Web), Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Al Gore, Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, and Stephen Fry share their thoughts about how the web has altered (and continues to change) the world around us.

What’s also neat is that the creators and producers of the series left it up to us to decide the name (and some of the content) of the series.  Tentitively titled “Digital Revolution” the series will officially be named “The Virtual Revolution.”  The producers continue to hear opinions, thoughts, and experiences from around the web so that they can make the most relevant documentary possible.  “The Virtual Revolution” airs next week on BBC2.  If you do not receive this channel, I will update this page in the coming days with other outlets to watch if you’re interested.

[Via Gizmodo; The Virtual Revolution]

Check out this clip from BBC’s “Bang Goes the Theory.”  Host Jem Stansfield plays with a vortex cannon, and extremely powerful canon that is loaded with “one of the most dangerous gas mixes in the world.”  In the video he aims to knock down three types of huts made of straw, sticks, and eventually bricks.  Catch the ‘Three Little Pigs’ reference here anyone?  The action is filmed at 1300 frames per second; that is VERY slow.  You can actually see the ring of energy the vortex cannon emits when activated.  Stansfield’s infectious British accent and over-the-top reactions make it all the more enjoyable to watch.

[Via Gizmodo]