Watson (TV series)
{{Short description|2025 American television series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Watson_CBS_Poster.jpg
| caption = Star Morris Chestnut in a promotional poster for the series
| genre = {{Plainlist|
}}
| creator = Craig Sweeny
| based_on = The works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
| writer =
| director =
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- Morris Chestnut
- Eve Harlow
- Peter Mark Kendall
- Inga Schlingmann
- Ritchie Coster
- Rochelle Aytes
}}
| narrated =
| music = Paul Leonard-Morgan
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 10
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
- Shäron Moalem
- Morris Chestnut
- Brian Morewitz
- Sallie Patrick
- Aaron Kaplan
- Larry Teng
- Craig Sweeny
}}
| producer = {{Plainlist|
- Geoffrey Hemwall
- Scott Graham
}}
| location = Vancouver, Canada
| editor = {{Plainlist|
- Jesse Ellis
- Sondra Watanabe
- Aric Lewis
}}
| cinematography = {{Plainlist|
- Brook Willard
- Shamus Whiting-Hewlett
- James Liston
}}
| runtime =
| company = {{Plainlist|
- Action This Day!
- Kapital Entertainment
- CBS Studios
}}
| budget =
| network = CBS
| first_aired = {{Start date|2025|1|26}}
| last_aired = 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 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.
On March 26, 2025, it was announced that the show was renewed for a second season, following strong ratings.{{Cite web|title=‘Watson’ Renewed For Season 2 At CBS|last=White|first=Peter|url=https://deadline.com/2025/03/watson-renewed-season-2-cbs-1236351509/|date=26 March 2025|access-date=31 March 2025}}
Premise
One year after Sherlock Holmes's apparent death at the hands of his archenemy Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls ("The Final Problem"), 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.{{Cite web|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=April 22, 2024|url=https://deadline.com/2022/10/dr-watson-drama-series-cbs-sherlock-holmes-craig-sweeny-kapital-1235133844/|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|title=Dr. Watson Drama Series In Works At CBS From Craig Sweeny & Kapital Entertainment|date=October 3, 2022|archive-date=January 6, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106223229/https://deadline.com/2022/10/dr-watson-drama-series-cbs-sherlock-holmes-craig-sweeny-kapital-1235133844/|url-status=live}}
Cast
=Main=
- Morris Chestnut as John Watson, a clinical geneticist 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.
- Kevin Vidal plays Watson as a younger nurse in the episode "Take a Family History".
- 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.
- Amanda Arcuri plays a teenage Ingrid in the episode "Take a Family History".
- Peter Mark Kendall as Stephens Croft and Adams 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 Adams, who attended Boston University, talks too much. They have a strained relationship, owing to the fact Adams is dating Stephens' ex-fiancée.
- Inga Schlingmann as Sasha Lubbock, an affable 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 estranged wife who serves as the clinic's medical director. Despite their impending divorce, she maintains a productive working relationship with Watson, acting as his voice of sanity and attempting to rein in his more irregular techniques.
= Recurring =
- Kacey Rohl as a subordinate of Moriarty who forces Shinwell to carry out her employer's bidding{{Cite web|last=Jacobs|first=Meredith|title=‘Watson’: Randall Park Introduces His Moriarty, ‘Master Manipulator’ and Watson’s ‘Ultimate Test’|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1176487/watson-moriarty-randall-park-kacey-rohl-morris-chestnut-preview/|website=TV Insider|date=February 18, 2025}}
= Guest =
- Randall Park as Professor James Moriarty, a criminal mastermind and Sherlock Holmes' archenemy who reemerges from his presumed "death" with a nefarious agenda.
- Nat Faxon as Hobie McSorley, an experimental geneticist and old friend of Watson's with a colorful personality.{{Cite web|last=Behnke|first=Megan|title=‘Watson’: Nat Faxon Guest Stars as Watson Takes a Major Ethical Risk in Episode 5 Exclusive First Look|url=https://popculture.com/tv-shows/news/watson-nat-faxon-guest-stars-as-watson-takes-a-major-ethical-risk-in-episode-5-exclusive-first-look/|website=popculture.com|date=February 24, 2025}}
- Kiera Allen as Gigi Grigoryan, Ingrid's paraplegic sister. Beatrice Schneider plays a teenaged Gigi.
- Matt Berry as the voice of Sherlock Holmes, a brilliant British consulting detective and Watson's best friend who was seemingly killed alongside Moriarty. Berry voices the character as an auditory hallucination.{{Cite web|last=Jacobs|first=Meredith|title='Watson': Morris Chestnut Talks Moriarty, Mary, and Is Sherlock Really Dead? (Exclusive)|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1175372/watson-morris-chestnut-cbs-season-1-interview-exclusive/|website=TV Insider|date=February 10, 2025}}{{Cite web|last=Jacobs|first=Meredith|title=‘Watson’ Casts Matt Berry as Voice of Sherlock Holmes|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1175097/watson-matt-berry-sherlock-holmes-voice-morris-chestnut/|website=TV Insider|date=February 10, 2025}}
- Whoopie Van Raam as Irene Adler, a con artist and the only woman ever to outwit Holmes who turns to Watson in a moment of desperation.{{Cite web|title=WATSON RUNS INTO SHERLOCK HOLMES' OLD FRIEND IRENE ADLER WHEN HER SON IS ADMITTED TO UHOP, ON "WATSON", SUNDAY, MARCH 30 |url=https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/releases/%3Fview%3D111205-watson-runs-into-sherlock-holmes-old-friend-irene-adler-when-her-son-is-admitted-to-uhop-on-watson-sunday-march-30&ved=2ahUKEwj0ruP-1qOMAxXhh1YBHVMFEbsQxfQBKAB6BAgQEAE&usg=AOvVaw2TT7xo94XbB60MNPAL48U_|website=Paramount Plus Express|date=March 25, 2025}}
- Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez as Angus Adler, Irene's young son who might be the offspring of Sherlock Holmes.{{Cite web|last=Jacobs|first=Meredith|title=‘Watson’ Sneak Peek: Did Sherlock Holmes Have a Kid With Irene Adler? (VIDEO)|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1183543/watson-season-1-episode-8-irene-adler-sherlock-holmes-son/|website=TV Insider|date=March 27, 2025}}
- Vincent Gale as Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older brother who previously crossed paths with Watson.{{Cite web|last=Vick|first=Megan|title='Watson' Introduces Irene Adler & Mycroft in a Search for Sherlock DNA|url=https://tellyvisions.org/article/watson-season-1-episode-8-recap-variant-unknown-significance|website=Telly Visions|date=March 30, 2025}}
- Andy Bean as Ivo Derian, Ingrid and Gigi's father.
- Rachel Hayward as Detective Lestrade, a veteran Pittsburgh Police Department investigator who is initially skeptical of Watson's theories.{{Cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|title=Watson Creator On Premiere Twist & Moriarty Casting Reveal, Sherlock Easter Eggs & ‘House’ Comparisons|url=https://deadline.com/2025/01/watson-creator-interview-premiere-moriarty-casting-randall-park-1236260531/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=January 26, 2025}}{{Cite web|last=Jacobs|first=Meredith|title=‘Watson’ Casts Rachel Hayward as Lestrade — Get Scoop on Her Dynamic With John (PHOTOS)|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1184539/watson-lestrade-rachel-hayward-morris-chestnut-photos/|website=TV Insider|date=April 2, 2025}}
== Episodes ==
{{Episode table |background=#9C9C00 |overall= |season= |title= |titleR= |director= |writer= |airdate= |airdateR={{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/watson/listings/|title=Shows A-Z – Watson on CBS|website=The Futon Critic|access-date=April 2, 2025}}{{cbignore}} |viewers= |country=U.S. |episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| EpisodeNumber2 = 1
| Title = Pilot
| DirectedBy = Larry Teng
| WrittenBy = Craig Sweeny
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|1|26}}
| ShortSummary = Dr. John Watson suffers a traumatic brain injury during the final encounter between detective Sherlock Holmes and master criminal James Moriarty ("The Final Problem"). 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 (Anjelica Bette Fellini), is seemingly dying from fatal insomnia, but using his investigative skills, Watson determines not only that she is suffering from a genetic deficiency of biotinidase but that her similarly ill cousin Autumn (Shannon Berry) 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 (Randall Park), who reminds him that he is watching "always and everywhere."
| LineColor = 9C9C00
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| EpisodeNumber2 = 2
| Title = Redcoat
| DirectedBy = Larry Teng
| WrittenBy = Craig Sweeny
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|2|16}}
| ShortSummary = Entrepreneur Andrew Tanner (Damian O'Hare) is left with a bullet lodged in his brain from an attempted murder. His case is further complicated when he claims to be the famous Scottish military officer Patrick Ferguson. Watson gives his team a lesson in the value of applying investigative techniques while deducing the cause of Tanner's condition. Stephens is able to glean from social media that he has symptoms consistent with Huntington's disease. Combined with Sasha's search of the crime scene and information from Watson's "Irregulars," the team realizes that Tanner is faking his insanity; having botched his "murder", the patient plans to commit suicide to preserve his family's life insurance. Watson then notices an additional symptom while foiling Tanner's suicide attempt and determines that he actually has Wilson's disease, which can be treated. To remove the bullet, Ingrid persuades former flame Isaac (Hampton Fluker), who blames her for ruining his career, to operate. Isaac declines a job offer from Mary and warns her not to trust Ingrid. Johnson is approached by Moriarty's agent (Kacey Rohl), who has him switch out Watson's medication with an identical set of pills.
| LineColor = 9C9C00
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| EpisodeNumber2 = 3
| Title = Wait for the Punchline
| DirectedBy = Christine Moore
| WrittenBy = Sallie Patrick
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|2|23}}
| ShortSummary = Molly Jones (Djouliet Amara), an aspiring comedian, collapses while performing and comes to the Holmes Clinic; John is intrigued when she explains how previous doctors had diagnosed her with epilepsy, but then collapses himself. He sustains a second traumatic brain injury and begins hallucinating visions of Sherlock and of Moriarty's fused fingers. Despite the team's concerns, Watson accepts Molly as a patient and has Stephens look into her family history. He learns that "Molly" is actually Linda Mancini, daughter of convicted murderer Felicia Mancini (Lisa Arrindell). A visit to Felicia gives Watson vital clues, and he identifies Molly's condition as that of long QT syndrome, which can cause sudden death. This insight also convinces him that Felicia was wrongfully convicted of drowning Molly's siblings. His own condition soon worsens, however, and the team forces him to return home. A guilt-ridden Shinwell is told he can switch Watson's pills back, curing him of the hallucinations. Molly undergoes surgery to fix her heart, and evidence supplied by Watson enables the DA to initiate proceedings for releasing Felicia from prison. Mary visits Watson and warns him that she can no longer hide his condition from the hospital board. Meanwhile, Ingrid tries to get her spinal research project off the ground, and Adams tries to reconnect with Stephens.
| LineColor = 9C9C00
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| EpisodeNumber2 = 4
| Title = Patient Question Mark
| DirectedBy = Ron Underwood
| WrittenBy = Teresa Tuan
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|3|2}}
| ShortSummary = During a team exercise to identify the clinic's next patient, Sasha diagnoses a rich lawyer (Michael Kostroff) with Cowden syndrome; while in surgery, the man dies on the table. Noticing Sasha's emotional distress, Watson learns that while attending medical school, Sasha worked on a cadaver that also had Cowden syndrome. As Cowden's is both hereditary and difficult to detect, Watson realizes that others may be at risk. He, Ingrid, and Sasha trace the cadaver to an Amish community in Lancaster, where the residents remember Watson from years earlier when he studied among them. The team is informed that the deceased had a sister, Rachel Smith (Sprague Grayden), who was banished from the community and now lives with her young son, Amos (Cruze McKinnon). When Amos starts having trouble breathing, Watson takes him in for treatment but ultimately cedes his role to Ingrid after recognizing that he cannot be trusted with patients in light of his condition. Sasha's efforts to have the Amish residents tested uncovers more than a dozen cases of Cowden, and Watson commends her. Shinwell purchases a tracking device and plants it on the car of Moriarty's agent. He later retrieves it after seeing her with a young, sick girl. Watson visits Mary at home and says that he will not contest their divorce, urging Mary to live her life even if he isn't a part of it.
| LineColor = 9C9C00
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| EpisodeNumber2 = 5
| Title = The Man with the Glowing Chest
| DirectedBy = Tara Nicole Weyr
| WrittenBy = Shardé Miller
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|3|9}}
| ShortSummary = Watson faces a serious dilemma while treating Taryn Quintyne (Brittany Adebumola), who suffers from a rare form of sickle cell anemia; Taryn can be cured, but the existing cure is prohibitively expensive and would render her infertile. With Shinwell's help, he recruits unscrupulous genetics researcher Hobie McSorley (Nat Faxon) to devise a non-FDA-approved treatment using her bone marrow to replace the diseased cells and administer it to Taryn in secret. Despite efforts to keep the rest of the team in the dark, Stephens alerts them after recognizing Hobie's distinct birthmark. After reflecting on Watson's intentions, they collectively agree not to report him. Taryn suffers from complications just as Mary obtains proof of Watson's ethical violations. When she confronts him, Watson defends his decision and reveals that Taryn has become pregnant due to an unexpected failure of her IUD. Mary discharges her from the hospital and destroys the evidence. Ingrid turns to Sasha for help getting her sister Gigi (Kiera Allen) into the spinal project after running up against a hostile administrator. Stephens learns that Adams, who is in recovery for drug addiction, relapsed without his knowledge several years prior.
| LineColor = 9C9C00
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 6
| EpisodeNumber2 = 6
| Title = The Camgirl Inquiry
| DirectedBy = Bille Woodruff
| WrittenBy = Neal Dusedau
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|3|16}}
| ShortSummary = Stephens has a secret relationship with a camgirl named "Porsche" (Sofie Kane); when she collapses on a live feed, he asks the team for help. Watson guides the team as they use various clues in Porsche's apartment to find her address. This includes Adams reaching out to his lawyer girlfriend Lauren (Amanda Crew), who also happens to be Stephens' ex. Noticing that Stephens is in emotional distress, Watson comforts him by noting that since high intelligence can make it hard to form lasting bonds, he should never feel alone in his pain. Porsche is ultimately found and brought to the hospital, but her health is rapidly deteriorating from septic shock. Stephens recalls how Porsche once told him that she grew up on a rabbit farm in New Mexico; this reveals that her condition is in fact an undiagnosed case of bubonic plague from being bitten by an infected animal. As she recovers from the infection, Porsche tells Stephens she wants to go out with him, but he decides that their relationship is just not what he needs anymore. Sasha buys a cake for Ingrid, who hates celebrating her birthday. Annoyed, Ingrid tells her off and questions why she should want to force happiness on others when she can't find it in her own life. That night, Sasha breaks up with her boyfriend upon realizing that he doesn't want to marry her.
| LineColor = 9C9C00
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 7
| EpisodeNumber2 = 7
| Title = Teeth Marks
| DirectedBy = Jennifer Lynch
| WrittenBy = Charly Evon Simpson
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|3|23}}
| ShortSummary = Librarian Ginny Roberts (Caitlin Stasey) stumbles into the Holmes Clinic with a condition that causes her memory to "reset" every three minutes. Watson finds himself at a loss to figure out Ginny's issue, particularly her insistence that something is "eating" her from the inside. Shinwell receives new orders to once again switch out Watson's pills; this causes Watson to hear the voice of Sherlock Holmes (Matt Berry) inside his head. Accepting that someone is tampering with his medication, Watson has Stephens analyze the pills and confides in him his belief that Shinwell is responsible. Ginny becomes increasingly unstable as the team fails to cure her, eventually storming out of the hospital in anger. Watson convinces her to undergo screening, revealing a teratoma in her ovaries. During surgery to remove it, Watson speaks with Mary after noticing that she had visited Ginny several times during her stay. Mary reveals that she was pregnant when her ex-husband left to help Sherlock on his final case; the baby was miscarried and she chose not to tell him after he came home injured. Informed by Shinwell of Watson's suspicions, Moriarty arranges a suicide to cast blame for the pills on a different suspect. He also visits Ingrid in secret and gives her human bones, saying that soon, they will find out "who she really is".
| LineColor = 9C9C00
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 8
| EpisodeNumber2 = 8
| Title = A Variant of Unknown Significance
| DirectedBy = Larry Teng
| WrittenBy = Anna Mackey
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|3|30}}
| ShortSummary = Irene Adler (Whoopie Van Raam) seeks out the Holmes Clinic to treat her son Angus (Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez), claiming that he is Sherlock's biological child. Watson divides the team into two groups: Sasha and Adam are tasked with diagnosing Angus while Stephens and Ingrid must determine whether Irene is trying to deceive them. Despite being warned by a mistrustful Shinwell, Watson finds himself growing close to Angus after noticing how the boy's wit and insights match those of Sherlock. He suspects that Angus may be suffering from a genetic flaw that is hereditary to male members of the Holmes family. To prove this, he has Shinwell meet with Holmes' brother Mycroft (Vincent Gale) at the Diogenes Club to obtain the only known sample of Sherlock's DNA. The team learns that Irene has previously dabbled in charity fraud and realize that Angus is deliberately faking his condition. Irene steals the DNA sample and attempts to fly to Austria, but Watson and Shinwell intercept her. Watson explains how he knows Irene, suffering from multiple myeloma, only wanted to sell the sample and provide for her son. Irene then asks him to assume guardianship of Angus in the event of her death. To her surprise, however, Watson offers her the chance to participate in the clinical trial of a treatment that could save her life.
| LineColor = 9C9C00
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 9
| EpisodeNumber2 = 9
| Title = Take a Family History
| DirectedBy = Mario Van Peebles
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|order=t|s=Shäron Moalem & Craig Sweeny|t=Teresa Tuan & Craig Sweeny}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|4|13}}
| ShortSummary = In 2010, a teenage Ingrid (Amanda Arcuri) accompanies her father Ivo (Andy Bean) after Gigi (Beatrice Schneider) is brought in with a spinal injury from a fall. A high-risk surgery is needed to prevent her losing the use of her legs, but the surgeon, fearing a malpractice suit, refuses to authorize the procedure. A nurse (Kevin Vidal) puts Ingrid in touch with Mary, then a junior attending, and when Ingrid explains that Gigi's injury was caused by the alcoholic Ivo's abuse, Mary arranges the surgery without permission. Upon being confronted by her boss (Martin Cummins), however, she reluctantly cancels the procedure, and Gigi is left permanently disabled. In 2025, Ingrid is forced to have Gigi admitted to UHOP when she suffers complications from her spinal treatment. She attempts to solicit Watson and the team's help while keeping her sister's true identity a secret to avoid losing her job for violating the project's ethical guidelines. Watson deduces on his own that Gigi has a form of hypothermia, the result of a genetic mutation unknown to Ingrid that reacted with Gigi's treatment. For endangering a patient, Mary tells Ingrid that she will be fired, and Watson makes it clear he will not oppose her decision. A flashback shows that after promising to care for Gigi, Ingrid murdered her father with an overdose of fentanyl and buried the body.
| LineColor = 9C9C00
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 10
| EpisodeNumber2 = 10
| Title = The Man with the Alien Hand
| DirectedBy = Clara Aranovich
| WrittenBy = Theo Travers
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|4|20}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 9C9C00
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 11
| EpisodeNumber2 = 11
| Title = The Dark Day Deduction
| RTitle = {{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20250403cbs01/|title=(#WAT111) "The Dark Day Deduction"|website=The Futon Critic|access-date=April 3, 2025}}
| DirectedBy = Clara Aranovich
| WrittenBy = Jason Inman
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|4|27}}
| Viewers =
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| LineColor = 9C9C00
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 12
| EpisodeNumber2 = 12
| Title = My Life's Work Part 1
| RTitle = {{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20250320cbs20/|title= (#WAT112) "My Life's Work Part 1"|website=The Futon Critic|access-date=March 20, 2025}}
| DirectedBy = Jeffrey W. Byrd
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|order=t|s=Shäron Moalem & Adam Samuel Goldman & Heather Ross|t=Adam Samuel Goldman & Heather Ross}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|5|4}}
| Viewers =
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{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 13
| EpisodeNumber2 = 13
| Title = My Life's Work Part 2
| RTitle = {{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20250320cbs10/|title= (#WAT113) "My Life's Work Part 2"|website=The Futon Critic|access-date=March 20, 2025}}
| DirectedBy = Kristin Lehman
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|order=t|s=Shäron Moalem & Sallie Patrick|t=Craig Sweeny & Teresa Tuan}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|5|11}}
| Viewers =
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| LineColor = 9C9C00
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}}
{{^|Episode table |background=# |overall= |season= |title= |titleR= |director= |writer= |airdate= |airdateR={{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/watson/listings/|title=Shows A-Z – Watson on CBS|website=The Futon Critic|access-date=April 2, 2025}}{{cbignore}} |viewers= |country=U.S. |episodes=
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Production
Watson was announced in October 2022, to be created, written and produced by Craig Sweeny who had previously worked on Elementary. The show was given a straight to series order, bypassing the pilot stage.{{Cite web|website=Variety|access-date=April 22, 2024|url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/cbs-watson-morris-chestnut-sherlock-holmes-1235860626/|first=Joe|last=Otterson|title=CBS Orders Medical Drama Starring Morris Chestnut as Sherlock Holmes Character Dr. John Watson|date=January 3, 2024 |archive-date=April 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419225322/https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/cbs-watson-morris-chestnut-sherlock-holmes-1235860626/|url-status=live}}
By January 2024, Morris Chestnut was attached to executive produce and star as the title character.{{Cite web|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=April 22, 2024|url=https://deadline.com/2024/01/watson-morris-chestnut-star-shellock-holmes-cbs-series-1235694168/|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|title=Morris Chestnut To Star In Watson As Arthur Conan Doyle-Inspired Drama Gets CBS Series Order|date=January 3, 2024 |archive-date=January 3, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103205500/https://deadline.com/2024/01/watson-morris-chestnut-star-shellock-holmes-cbs-series-1235694168/|url-status=live}} Executive producer Larry Teng will direct the first two episodes.{{Cite web|website=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=April 22, 2024|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/watson-morris-chestnut-show-coming-to-cbs-1235778390/|first=Lesley|last=Goldberg|title=Morris Chestnut To Star In Watson As Arthur Conan Doyle-Inspired Drama Gets CBS Series Order|date=January 3, 2024|archive-date=April 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419230755/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/watson-morris-chestnut-show-coming-to-cbs-1235778390/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Owen|first=Rob|title=TV Talk: Watson filming locally, The Deliverance dated|url=https://triblive.com/aande/movies-tv/tv-talk-netflix-finally-set-release-dates-for-the-deliverance/|website=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review|date=June 12, 2024|access-date=June 14, 2024}} In May, Peter Mark Kendall and Ritchie Coster were announced as the first core cast additions.{{Cite web|website=Variety|access-date=May 15, 2024|url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/morris-chestnut-series-watson-cbs-cast-peter-mark-kendall-ritchie-coster-1236001678/|first=Joe|last=Otterson|title=Morris Chestnut Series Watson at CBS Casts Peter Mark Kendall, Ritchie Coster (EXCLUSIVE)|date=May 14, 2024|archive-date=May 14, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514223840/https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/morris-chestnut-series-watson-cbs-cast-peter-mark-kendall-ritchie-coster-1236001678/|url-status=live}} In June, Rochelle Aytes was cast as Mary Morstan,{{Cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|title=Rochelle Aytes Joins CBS' Watson, Departing S.W.A.T. As Series Regular|url=https://deadline.com/2024/06/rochelle-aytes-cast-watson-exit-swat-1235958116/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=June 4, 2024|access-date=June 5, 2024}} followed by Eve Harlow and Inga Schlingmann.{{Cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|title=Watson: Eve Harlow & So Help Me Todd{{'s}} Inga Schlingmann Join CBS Drama Series|url=https://deadline.com/2024/06/eve-harlow-inga-schlingmann-watson-so-help-me-todd-1235960800/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=June 6, 2024|access-date=June 7, 2024}}
Watson began shooting in Vancouver in June 2024,https://hollywoodnorthbuzz.com/2024/10/bc-filmed-medical-mystery-watson-with-morris-chestnut-premieres-this-january.html with filming locations including The Bridge Studios and the University of British Columbia campus.{{cite web|url=https://thedirect.com/article/watson-where-filmed-tv-show-locations|title=Where Is Watson TV Show Filmed? Real-Life Locations Revealed|author=Felt, Kevin|date=January 29, 2025|access-date=January 29, 2025|work=The Direct}} The shoot concluded on November 22, 2024.{{cite web|last=Gittins|first=Susan|title=CBS Medical Sleuthing Series WATSON With Morris Chestnut in Production in Vancouver|url=http://hollywoodnorthbuzz.com/2024/06/new-cbs-medical-series-watson-with-morris-chestnut-in-production-in-vancouver.html|website=Hollywood North Buzz|date=June 17, 2024|access-date=June 18, 2024|archive-date=June 18, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240618070630/http://hollywoodnorthbuzz.com/2024/06/new-cbs-medical-series-watson-with-morris-chestnut-in-production-in-vancouver.html|url-status=live}} The show is set in Pittsburgh, where some exterior scenes were shot.{{Cite web|website=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review|access-date=April 22, 2024|url=https://triblive.com/aande/movies-tv/tv-talk-at-tca-cbss-watson-will-be-set-in-pittsburgh-apple-tv-explores-new-look-of-post-wwii-paris/|first=Rob|last=Owen|title=TV Talk at TCA: CBS's Watson will be set in Pittsburgh; Apple TV+ explores 'New Look' of post-WWII Paris|date=February 6, 2024|archive-date=April 23, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423043319/https://triblive.com/aande/movies-tv/tv-talk-at-tca-cbss-watson-will-be-set-in-pittsburgh-apple-tv-explores-new-look-of-post-wwii-paris/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|website=The Cinemaholic|access-date=April 22, 2024|url=https://thecinemaholic.com/cbs-watson-filming/|first=Harsh|last=Vardhan|title=Morris Chestnut's CBS Series Watson Starts Filming in Vancouver in June|date=March 30, 2024|archive-date=April 23, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423043323/https://thecinemaholic.com/cbs-watson-filming/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Jacobs|first=Haley|title=Roberto Clemente Bridge closed for film shoot on Wednesday|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pittsburgh-roberto-clemente-bridge-closed/|website=CBS News|date=June 11, 2024|access-date=June 15, 2024|archive-date=June 14, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614233521/https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pittsburgh-roberto-clemente-bridge-closed/|url-status=live}}
The series is scored by Paul Leonard-Morgan.{{cite web|title=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.|url=https://www.instagram.com/paulleonardmorgan/p/C9Pz22AprKd/?img_index=3|access-date=January 18, 2025|website=Instagram}}
Release
The first episode had its worldwide premiere at MIPCOM Cannes on October 20, 2024.{{cite web|title=WATSON WORLD PREMIERE TO OPEN MIPCOM CANNES 2024|url=https://www.formatbiz.it/dettNews.aspx?id=11745|website=FormatBiz|date=July 24, 2024|access-date=July 26, 2024|archive-date=July 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240726141911/https://www.formatbiz.it/dettNews.aspx?id=11745|url-status=live}} The series premiered on January 26, 2025, on CBS, after the AFC Championship football game,{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/10/cbs-series-watson-premiere-date-1236117546/|title=Morris Chestnut-Led CBS Series Watson Sets Premiere Date|work=Deadline Hollywood|first=Rosy|last=Cordero|date=October 16, 2024|access-date=October 16, 2024}} and will stream on Paramount+.{{cite web|title=The holidays can be stressful—unwind with the soothing voice of Morris Chestnut.|url=https://www.instagram.com/watsoncbs/reel/DD5vOqeSsq0/|access-date=December 23, 2024|work=Instagram}} In Canada, the series airs on Global and will stream on StackTV.[https://assets.corusent.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Global-Upfront-2024-New-and-Returning-Series-Release_FINAL.pdf GLOBAL ANNOUNCES 2024/25 BROADCAST SEASON LINEUP OVERFLOWING WITH THE MOSTBUZZ WORTHY ACQUISITIONS AND TV’s #1 RETURNING HIT SHOWS - Corus Entertainment]
Reception
=Critical response=
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's conceit proves an awkward fit but gets a boost from the ever-watchable Morris Chestnut."{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes|id=watson|title=Watson|type=tv|season=1|access-date=January 30, 2025|publisher_hide=y}}{{cbignore}} Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 55 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.{{Cite Metacritic|id=watson|title=Watson|type=tv|season=1|access-date=January 30, 2025|publisher_hide=y}}{{cbignore}}
=Ratings=
{{Television episode ratings
| refs_col = y
| title1 = Pilot
| date1 = January 26, 2025
| rs1 = 1.6/21
| viewers1 = 9.58
| dvr1 = 0.1
| dvrv1 = 1.30
| total1 = 1.7
| totalv1 = 10.88
| title2 = Red Coat
| date2 = February 16, 2025
| rs2 = 0.3/3
| viewers2 = 4.32
| dvr2 = 0.1
| dvrv2 = 1.97
| total2 = 0.4
| totalv2 = 6.28
| title3 = Wait for the Punchline
| date3 = February 23, 2025
| rs3 = 0.3/4
| viewers3 = 4.69
| dvr3 = 0.1
| dvrv3 = 1.69
| total3 = 0.4
| totalv3 = 6.38
| title4 = Patient Question Mark
| date4 = March 2, 2025
| rs4 = 0.2/2
| viewers4 = 4.04
| dvr4 = 0.1
| dvrv4 = 1.69
| total4 = 0.3
| totalv4 = 5.74
| title5 = The Man With The Glowing Chest
| date5 = March 9, 2025
| rs5 = 0.3/4
| viewers5 = 4.84
| dvr5 = 0.1
| dvrv5 = 1.47
| total5 = 0.4
| totalv5 = 6.32
| title6 = The Camgirl Inquiry
| date6 = March 16, 2025
| rs6 = 0.3/4
| viewers6 = 5.15
| dvr6 = 0.1
| dvrv6 = 1.63
| total6 = 0.4
| totalv6 = 6.77
| title7 = Teeth Marks
| date7 = March 23, 2025
| rs7 = 0.3/4
| viewers7 = 5.12
| dvr7 = 0.1
| dvrv7 = 1.50
| total7 = 0.4
| totalv7 = 6.61
| title8 = A Variant of Unknown Significance
| date8 = March 30, 2025
| rs8 = 0.3/5
| viewers8 = 5.28
| dvr8 = n/a
| dvrv8 = n/a
| total8 = n/a
| totalv8 = n/a
| title9 = Take a Family History
| date9 = April 13, 2025
| rs9 = 0.3/5
| viewers9 = 4.97
| dvr9 = n/a
| dvrv9 = n/a
| total9 = n/a
| totalv9 = n/a
| title10 = The Man with the Alien Hand
| date10 = April 20, 2025
| rs10 = 0.2/3
| viewers10 = 4.47
| dvr10 = n/a
| dvrv10 = n/a
| total10 = n/a
| totalv10 = n/a
}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website}}
- {{IMDb title}}
{{HolmesFilms}}
{{CBSNetwork Shows (current and upcoming)}}
Category:2025 American television series debuts
Category:2020s American crime drama television series
Category:2020s American medical drama television series
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:American mystery television series
Category:Sherlock Holmes television series
Category:Television series by CBS Studios
Category:Television series by Kapital Entertainment
Category:Television series set in hospitals
Category:Television shows based on British novels