'Sherlock' Shocks Emmys with Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman Wins

PBS' "Sherlock" pulled off a string of surprise wins at the 2014 Emmy Awards, including lead and supporting actor trophies for stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, who faced stiff competition in the crowded miniseries/movie category.

In the lead actor category, Cumberbatch -- who was absent from the ceremony -- faced off against Freeman (also nominated for his role on "Fargo") along with Billy Bob Thornton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Idris Elba and Mark Ruffalo. Among pundits, consensus seemed split between Thornton and Ruffalo for the victory, but Academy voters seemed high on the cerebral British drama.

In the supporting actor race, Freeman was up against "Fargo" costar Colin Hanks, as well as "Normal Heart" stars Jim Parsons, Joe Mantello, Alfred Molina and Matt Bomer.

Series creator Steven Moffat's work on "Sherlock: His Last Vow" also won Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special, although the show missed out on scoring the Outstanding Miniseries award which went to Freeman's "Fargo," while "Normal Heart" scored best movie.

Backstage, Moffat told reporters, "I didn't think we'd win anything, genuinely... very shocked and surprised." While he pointed out that the show has won plenty of awards outside America, they had almost written off any chance of an Emmy given that the show is aging. "We're delighted that we've made it here and hopefully that it will get more people watching."

As for how they plan to top last year's highly rated season, Moffat declared, "We have a plan to top it, and I do think our plan is devastating. We practically reduced our cast to tears by revealing the plan." He said he and co-creator Mark Gatiss are probably "more excited than we've ever been" about where the show is heading.

Moffat joked that Cumberbatch is now "too big to come to the Emmys," but admitted that wrangling the busy stars has always been a challenge, given that they have no ongoing deals with the cast and are required to pitch them every year. "We all know what's happening with 'Sherlock' is unusual, we know this won't happen again in our lives... we're keen to keep making 'Sherlock' as long as it's a good show," he promised.