Could the Musketeers be the BBC's next Sherlock?

This Sunday, 19 January, the first episode of ten-part BBC drama The Musketeers airs for the first time.

With huge production values and a total ten hours of programming, the BBC clearly has big hopes for their latest adventure series, but could it be a Sherlock-sized success?

In recent years the popularity of both Doctor Who and Sherlock has sky-rocketed in the States – with series 3 of Benedict Cumberbatch's sleuthing exploits kicking off across the pond this weekend.

In the pursuit of a similar success the BBC has given their contemporary adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' classic story an international feel - from its cast, to its budget, to its blockbuster air.

Tom Burke, Howard Charles, Luke Pasqualino and Santiago Cabrera star as the swashbuckling quartet, with new Doctor Who leading man Peter Capaldi as the villain of the piece – Cardinal Richelieu.

It could be a reasonable success for the Beeb, like Merlin or Atlantis, but its Sunday night slot indicates a confidence and swagger from the corporation not unlike the Musketeers themselves.

The four stars certainly seem up for the opportunity, particularly when it comes to filming stunts for the series. Speaking to the Radio Times, the quartet said they did all their own stuntwork. "The biggest challenge for me?" said Cabrera. "You learn very quickly to wear the right underwear when you're horse riding."

Speaking to Digital Spy the show's female lead Tamla Kari, who plays Constance Bonacieux, said the show "doesn't follow the typical Musketeers story that everybody knows".

Cabrera added: "The spirit of the book has been captured... but it's got a very modern pace to it."

The proof will be in the pudding of course, so we'll just have to see how things pan out when the show's first episode airs Sunday (19 January) at 9pm.