Elementary, my dear TV viewers, a new twist on the Sherlock Holmes saga is about to hit your screens. CBS is betting on Dr. John Watson to carry the torch – or perhaps the scalpel – in “WATSON,” a medical drama with a healthy dose of criminal intrigue. Premiering Sunday, January 26, 2025, immediately following the AFC Championship Game, the series finds Watson grappling with the aftermath of Sherlock’s demise, a loss that would leave even the most stoic of sidekicks reeling. The trailer below will give you a flavor of what to expect.
Six months after Sherlock’s fatal encounter with the nefarious Moriarty, Watson, played with a quiet intensity by Morris Chestnut, is running a clinic specializing in those rare medical disorders that inevitably populate primetime procedurals. But Moriarty’s shadow still looms large. Turns out, retiring from the world of enigmatic clues and eccentric geniuses doesn’t quite work when you’ve got a supervillain on your tail. So, while Watson may be diagnosing baffling illnesses by day, he’s forced to confront the ghosts – and very real threats – of his past by night.
This isn’t your grandfather’s Sherlock Holmes, or even your slightly more modern Benedict Cumberbatch version. “WATSON” aims for a blend of medical mystery and ongoing Moriarty conflict, a high-wire act that could either be brilliantly innovative or a spectacular train wreck. Will it succeed in capturing both the devoted Sherlockian fanbase and those who simply crave a weekly dose of hospital drama? The diagnosis, as they say, is still pending.
Joining Chestnut in this potentially perilous endeavor are Eve Harlow, Peter Mark Kendall, Ritchie Coster, Inga Schlingmann, and Rochelle Aytes. Together, they’ll tackle the complicated world of rare diseases and the even more complicated problem of a criminal mastermind who just won’t stay dead. One thing is for certain with a series like this – viewers can probably count on plenty of plot twists and turns.
“WATSON” premieres Sunday, January 26, 2025, after the AFC Championship Game on CBS. It moves to its regular time slot, Sundays at 10:00 PM ET/PT, on February 16. The series will also be available to stream on Paramount+.
