Summary

Sherlock Holmes’ death sets the stage for a new medical drama on CBS titled Watson. Morris Chestnut will star as Dr. Watson, bringing a fresh take to the beloved character in the modern-day reimagining. Watson will join the 2024-2025 TV lineup.

Sherlock Holmes dies? It’s a bold and intriguing move by CBS to say the least, but that is the jumping-off point for the new series which has been ordered by the broadcast network. Apparently, Sherlock’s lifelong nemesis, Professor Moriatry, finally got the best of the famed detective. And Morris Chestnut will star as Sherlock’s friend and confidant, the venerable Dr. Watson. The actor will also serve as one of the show’s executive producers. Check out the logline and synopsis for CBS’ Watson, courtesy of a press release below:

Logline:

The New Medical Drama Follows a Modern Version of One of History’s Greatest Detectives as He Resumes His Career Solving Medical Mysteries

Synopsis:

“In WATSON, a year after the death of his friend and partner Sherlock Holmes at the hands of Moriarty, Dr. John Watson (Chestnut) resumes his medical career as the head of a clinic dedicated to treating rare disorders. Watson’s old life isn’t done with him, though – Moriarty and Watson are set to write their own chapter of a story that has fascinated audiences for more than a century. WATSON is a medical show with a strong investigative spine, featuring a modern version of one of history’s greatest detectives as he turns his attention from solving crimes to solving medical mysteries.”

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Morris Chestnut, ‘The Best Man’ for Watson
Screen Gems

Morris Chestnut is arguably most well-known for the role of teenage Ricky Baker from Boyz in the Hood, but the actor has made a career out of playing the God-fearing football player Lance Sullivan first in The Best Man (1999) and then its sequels, The Best Man Holiday (2013) and Peacock’s The Best Man: The Final Chapters (2022). And CBS is thrilled to have Chestnut bringing a fresh take to the Sherlock Holmes mythology in the upcoming series, Watson. The President of CBS Entertainment, Amy Reisenbach, said in the same press release:

“We are thrilled to feature such a beloved character from the world of Sherlock Holmes at the center of this series and have it brought to life by Morris Chestnut in a fresh and unexpected take on the immortal doctor. Craig Sweeny’s bold new vision for the complex Dr. Watson deftly interweaves rich character storytelling with edge-of-your-seat medical mysteries.”

The CBS “straight-to-series drama,” Watson, is touted as a medical drama that will join the 2024-2025 television line-up. Larry Teng was hired to direct the show’s first episode and serve as one of its executive producers alongside Chestnut, Craig Sweeny, Aaron Kaplan, Brian Morewitz and Dr. Shäron Moalem. The character of Sherlock Holmes was created by author Arthur Conan Doyle, and the famous detective and Dr. Watson first appeared in the pages of the novel, A Study in Scarlet, back in 1887.