Morris Chestnut to Star as ‘Watson’ in New CBS Medical Drama

CBS‘ lineup for the 2024-2025 season is shaping up already.

The network has announced that it has given a straight-to-series order for the medical drama Watson, starring Morris Chestnut in this modern version as the titular doctor who worked alongside Sherlock Holmes. He will also serve as an executive producer. The new series takes place a year after the death of the detective.

“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,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, in a statement. “Craig Sweeny’s bold new vision for the complex Dr. Watson deftly interweaves rich character storytelling with edge-of-your-seat medical mysteries.”

Watson takes place 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, but his old life isn’t done with him — Moriarty and Watson are set to write their own chapter of a story that has fascinated audiences for more than a century. The series is described as “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.”

Watson is the latest take on a series following Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters; others include Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman and Elementary with Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu. Elementary‘s Craig Sweeny wrote the pilot and will showrun and executive produce Watson. Joining Sweeny and Chestnut as executive producers are Shäron Moalem MD, PhD, and Aaron Kaplan and Brian Morewitz for Kapital Entertainment. Larry Teng will executive produce and direct the first episode. The series is produced by CBS Studios.

Watson is the third show slated to air on CBS in the 2024-2025 season. Matlock, starring Kathy Bates as the titular character in the updated version of the 1986 classic series, and Poppa’s House, with Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr., were moved to next year when CBS announced its winter 2024 premiere dates.