Watch the 'Sherlock' season 3 prequel episode right here before its 2014 return to BBC! [VIDEO]

The BBC's hit detective series Sherlock, based on the Arthur Conan Doyle stories with a modern twist, returns for its third season on January 17, 2014. To help get fans ready for the triumphant and miraculous return of Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes (SPOILERS TO FOLLOW), the network has released a seven-minute long prequel episode that will lead directly into the first new episode of season three. In it, we see Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves) investigating rumored sightings of the thought-to-be deceased private detective Sherlock Holmes. We also see John Watson (Martin Freeman) dealing with the loss of his friend.

Check out this new prequel episode of Sherlock right here and let us know what you think of it in the comments section below:

Earlier this year, fans were waiting quite some time to hear when the new season would air, but we were put at ease back in October. According to PBS Masterpiece producer Rebecca Eaton, the show was definitely held up by the conflicting schedules, but will be ready to go come January.

"The first holdup was the boys, of course, and getting all of them together - not just Benedict and Martin but also [creators] Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss," she explained. "They had to break up the production to accommodate all the movies they wanted to make."

"This is about as quickly as we could have possibly got them on the air once they were made," Eaton said

Here are the titled for the upcoming third season:

"The Empty House"

"The Sign of Three"

"The Last Vow"