‘Watson’ Trailer Reveals What Happens After Shocking Death of Sherlock Holmes

Professor James Moriarty finally got the best of the world’s greatest detective, and, as a result, the upcoming CBS series Watson takes place after the death of Sherlock Holmes. The first trailer (below) reveals Holmes’ venerable sidekick, Dr. Watson (Morris Chestnut), busily recruiting four of the world’s most brilliant physicians to also serve as detectives for their patients. Watson’s synopsis reads as follows via a press release from CBS Entertainment:

“WATSON takes place six months after the death of the titular character’s friend and partner Sherlock Holmes at the hands of Moriarty. The show stars Morris Chestnut as Dr. John Watson, who 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.”

Chestnut is best known for his roles in The Best Man, The Best Man Holiday, and their Peacock spin-off series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters. The Watson actor also made memorable appearances in Boys n the Hood, The Brothers, and The Resident. Craig Sweeny serves as the showrunner and executive producer on the CBS medical mystery and directs the Watson premiere.

Moriarty Will Be the “Nemesis” in ‘Watson’

Dónal Finn was recently cast as James Moriarty in Prime Video’s upcoming show Young Sherlock, and Sherlock Holmes’ deadly nemesis will also be featured in Morris Chestnut’s new Watson series. The actor confirmed Moriarty as the “nemesis” during an interview with Deadline. Chestnut also spoke about the focus on Dr. Watson rather than Sherlock by saying:

“Watson really learned a lot from Holmes and so what he’s going to do is bring in the detective aspect of what he’s learned from working with him. We’re basically medical detectives […] All the movies and TV shows primarily focused on Holmes, and Watson is a very complimentary character. This is Watson front and center, and it’s told from Watson’s perspective and a medical investigation perspective. That’s what makes it different.”

The premiere of Watson airs on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, immediately following the AFC Championship Game on CBS at 10 p.m. EST. Subsequent episodes will then drop during the show’s regular time slot on Sundays beginning February 16 at 10 p.m. Morris, who also serves as an executive producer on the project, said of his EP duties in the same interview:

“It’s already stressful enough to do your job, but it really makes it even more stressful when you’re working around people who make it tougher. It was one of the things that when I met with Craig [Sweeny], when we had our first lunch, we talked about. We were on the same page – we both said we want to create a set and environment to where, first and foremost, we have good people. Yes, we want people who are talented, but we also don’t want a person who’s talented but toxic.”

Eve Harlow, Peter Mark Kendall, Ritchie Coster, Inga Schlingmann, and Rochelle Aytes round out Watson’s cast with the show’s lead, Morris Chestnut. The new series will also be available to stream the following day on Paramount+, but Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers will have access to the CBS live feed when the show airs.