| Watson | |
|---|---|
 Star Morris Chestnut in a promotional poster for the series | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Craig Sweeny |
| Based on | The works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Paul Leonard-Morgan |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 1 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Production location | Vancouver, Canada |
| Cinematography | Brook Willard |
| Editor | Jesse Ellis |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | January 26, 2025 – present |
Watson is an American television series created by Craig Sweeny which premiered on CBS on January 26, 2025. The series, described as a "medical drama with detective elements", is centered around the character of Dr. John Watson from Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, with actor Morris Chestnut portraying the character. It is the second CBS series to adapt the Holmes stories, after Elementary. While the two programs are otherwise unrelated, their creative teams overlap.
Premise
[edit]One year after Sherlock Holmes's apparent death at the hands of his archenemy Moriarty in Reichenbach Falls, Dr. John Watson resumes his medical practice by opening the "Holmes Clinic" in Pittsburgh to treat patients with strange and unidentifiable issues. Soon however, Watson must face his past when evidence surfaces indicating that Moriarty is still alive.[1]
Cast
[edit]
Main
[edit]- Morris Chestnut as John Watson, a physician and former London-based consulting detective who heads the Holmes Clinic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. To aid his patients' cases, he applies a specific and incisive type of deductive reasoning that he learned from his years working with Sherlock Holmes.
- Eve Harlow as Ingrid Derian, an aloof but highly skilled neurologist with an enigmatic past. She has a shaky relationship with her colleagues owing to her stony manner and questionable methods.
- Peter Mark Kendall as Stephens Croft and Adam Croft, identical twin brothers, acting as infectious disease and functional medicine specialists at the clinic. Stephens, a Johns Hopkins graduate, is an emotionally withdrawn workaholic, while Adam, who attended Boston University, talks too much.
- Inga Schlingmann as Sasha Lubbock, a specialist in rheumatology and immunology. She is torn between her birth parents from China and her adoptive family from Dallas.
- Ritchie Coster as Shinwell Johnson, a former criminal from London and an acquaintance of Holmes and Watson who works as the clinic's administrative aide, his connections often proving very useful to the team.
- Rochelle Aytes as Mary Morstan, a noted East Coast surgeon and Watson's ex-wife who serves as the clinic's medical director. Despite their divorce, she maintains a productive working relationship with Watson, acting as his voice of sanity and attempting to rein in his more irregular techniques.
Guest
[edit]- Randall Park as Moriarty, a criminal mastermind and Sherlock Holmes' archenemy who reemerges from his presumed "death" with a nefarious agenda.[2]
The characters Inspector Lestrade and Irene Adler will also appear.[2]
Episodes
[edit]| No. | Title [3] | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [3] | U.S. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Larry Teng | Craig Sweeny | January 26, 2025 | 9.58[4] | |
|
Dr. John Watson suffers a traumatic brain injury during the final encounter between detective Sherlock Holmes and master criminal James Moriarty. Waking up in a Swiss hospital, Watson learns from Shinwell Johnson that Holmes secretly funded a private clinic in his will so Watson could find a new purpose in the event of his death. Several months later, Watson and his handpicked team take on a new patient at the request of his ex-wife, hospital administrator Mary Morstan. The patient, Erika Filipello, is seemingly dying from fatal insomnia, but using his investigative skills, Watson not only determines that she is suffering from a genetic deficiency of biotinidase but that her similarly ill cousin Autumn is actually the girl's half-sister. However, Autumn goes into septic shock, and Watson is unable to call in his usual surgeon due to adverse weather. Mary, a former surgeon, agrees to operate, saving Autumn's life. Watson later retrieves his old case files at Mary's encouragement. Shinwell delivers a case of genetic samples to a still-alive Moriarty, who reminds him that he is watching "always and everywhere." | ||||||
| 2 | "Redcoat"[5] | Larry Teng | Craig Sweeny | February 16, 2025 | TBD | |
| 3 | "Wait for the Punchline" | TBA | TBA | February 23, 2025 | TBD | |
Production
[edit]Watson was announced in October 2022, to be created, written and produced by Craig Sweeny who had previously worked on Elementary.[6] The show was given a straight to series order, bypassing the pilot stage.[7]
By January 2024, Morris Chestnut was attached to executive produce and star as the title character.[8] Executive producer Larry Teng will direct the first two episodes.[9][10] In May, Peter Mark Kendall and Ritchie Coster were announced as the first core cast additions.[11] In June, Rochelle Aytes was cast as Mary Morstan,[12] followed by Eve Harlow and Inga Schlingmann.[13]
Watson began shooting in Vancouver in June 2024,[14] with filming locations including The Bridge Studios and the University of British Columbia campus.[15] The shoot concluded on November 22, 2024.[16] The show is set in Pittsburgh, where some exterior scenes were shot.[17][18][10][19]
The series is scored by Paul Leonard-Morgan.[20]
Release
[edit]The first episode had its worldwide premiere at MIPCOM Cannes on October 20, 2024.[21] The series premiered on January 26, 2025, on CBS, after the AFC Championship football game,[22] and will stream on Paramount+.[23] In Canada, the series will air on Global and will stream on StackTV.[24]
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 56% approval rating with an average rating of 5.9/10, based on 16 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Transplanting Sherlock Holmes lore into a medical procedural, Watson conceit proves an awkward fit but gets a boost from the ever-watchable Morris Chestnut."[25] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 55 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[26]
Ratings
[edit]| No. | Title | Air date | Rating/share (18–49) |
Viewers (millions) |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | January 26, 2025 | 1.60/21 | 9.58 | [4] |
References
[edit]- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 3, 2022). "Dr. Watson Drama Series In Works At CBS From Craig Sweeny & Kapital Entertainment". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (January 26, 2025). "Watson Creator On Premiere Twist & Moriarty Casting Reveal, Sherlock Easter Eggs & 'House' Comparisons". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ a b "Shows A-Z – Watson on CBS". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (January 29, 2025). "Sunday Ratings: Bills-Chiefs on CBS Sets New AFC Championship Game Viewer Record". Programming Insider. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
- ^ "(#WAT102) "Redcoat"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 3, 2022). "Dr. Watson Drama Series In Works At CBS From Craig Sweeny & Kapital Entertainment". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (January 3, 2024). "CBS Orders Medical Drama Starring Morris Chestnut as Sherlock Holmes Character Dr. John Watson". Variety. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 3, 2024). "Morris Chestnut To Star In Watson As Arthur Conan Doyle-Inspired Drama Gets CBS Series Order". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (January 3, 2024). "Morris Chestnut To Star In Watson As Arthur Conan Doyle-Inspired Drama Gets CBS Series Order". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ a b Owen, Rob (June 12, 2024). "TV Talk: Watson filming locally, The Deliverance dated". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (May 14, 2024). "Morris Chestnut Series Watson at CBS Casts Peter Mark Kendall, Ritchie Coster (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 4, 2024). "Rochelle Aytes Joins CBS' Watson, Departing S.W.A.T. As Series Regular". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 6, 2024). "Watson: Eve Harlow & So Help Me Todd's Inga Schlingmann Join CBS Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
- ^ https://hollywoodnorthbuzz.com/2024/10/bc-filmed-medical-mystery-watson-with-morris-chestnut-premieres-this-january.html
- ^ Felt, Kevin (January 29, 2025). "Where Is Watson TV Show Filmed? Real-Life Locations Revealed". The Direct. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
- ^ Gittins, Susan (June 17, 2024). "CBS Medical Sleuthing Series WATSON With Morris Chestnut in Production in Vancouver". Hollywood North Buzz. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ Owen, Rob (February 6, 2024). "TV Talk at TCA: CBS's Watson will be set in Pittsburgh; Apple TV+ explores 'New Look' of post-WWII Paris". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ Vardhan, Harsh (March 30, 2024). "Morris Chestnut's CBS Series Watson Starts Filming in Vancouver in June". The Cinemaholic. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ Jacobs, Haley (June 11, 2024). "Roberto Clemente Bridge closed for film shoot on Wednesday". CBS News. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "New series. Watson 🎬🎶 Created and show-run by Craig Sweeny, who I collaborated with on my first US television soundtrack years ago, Limitless. Psyched to be teaming up with him again. Inspired by the characters from Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mysteries". Instagram. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
- ^ "WATSON WORLD PREMIERE TO OPEN MIPCOM CANNES 2024". FormatBiz. July 24, 2024. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (October 16, 2024). "Morris Chestnut-Led CBS Series Watson Sets Premiere Date". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
- ^ "The holidays can be stressful—unwind with the soothing voice of Morris Chestnut". Instagram. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
- ^ GLOBAL ANNOUNCES 2024/25 BROADCAST SEASON LINEUP OVERFLOWING WITH THE MOSTBUZZ WORTHY ACQUISITIONS AND TV’s #1 RETURNING HIT SHOWS - Corus Entertainment
- ^ "Watson: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
- ^ "Watson: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
