Synchronous Sherlock excites Chinese fans

The Chinese fans can not conceal their joy at the return of "Sherlock" with Chinese subtitles, broadcast synchronously with the BBC.

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The hit UK television crime drama was shown at 5:00 am Thursday Beijing Time at www.youku.com, a Chinese video hosting service, which meant China showed the episode before any other countries, Britain excepted.

Fans delighted and disappointed alike flooded the Internet with comments and reaction. By Friday afternoon, the episode had been clicked more than 5.37 million times, and the discussion on the series has almost 7 million posts at weibo.com.

"I really get crazy! Sitting at front of the computer, facing the familiar faces, I can not help bursting into tears," wrote "Pilinuodexingqiliu" at weibo.com.

Wang Li, a postgraduate at Remin University of China, said that "I love the bromance in 'Sherlock', but I am a little disappointed with the new episode which is not so appealing as I have waited so long."

Some fans are confused with the far-fetched ways Holmes may have survived from the leap from rooftop in an apparent suicide bid in the last episode of the second series.

Some viewers complained that the storyline, centering on a terrorist plot to blow up the British parliament, was difficult to follow.

British Prime Minister David Cameron set up a page on weibo.com in November before his visit in December last year. Before returning to the UK, he recorded answers to some questions, including, "when is the third series of 'Sherlock' due for release?" saying, "Sadly I can't tell them what to do. It's an independent company. But I will do everything I can to say that people in China want more Sherlock Holmes and more adapted versions."

Somewhat ingenuously, many Chinese netizens linked the broadcast with Cameron's efforts. "Cicadaqin" wrote at weibo.com that "Cameron is a person who do good to people."

Chinese fans usually see foreign TV episodes on video websites later than they are shown in their home countries.

The BBC series, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as a modern version of the 19th century British detective, has been broadcast in more than 200 countries since 2010.