It’s probably not hard to guess what inspired the title character in CBS’s latest primetime drama, Watson. But between the showrunners and Morris Chestnut’s brilliant adaptation of the iconic Sherlock Holmes character, the show is unlike any other adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 19th Century classic.

The new series debuted on CBS on January 26 and instantly plunged viewers into a world of mystery (literally and figuratively). Our main character falls over a waterfall in an accident which leaves him with a traumatic head injury and memory loss. Adding to the mystery in those first few moments, is that viewers are still unsure of when, or even where, this version of Dr. John Watson exists.

When we rejoin Watson six months after that fateful event, we follow him into a life filled with even more twists and turns than what may have led him into the water to begin with. The show picks up in modern-day Pittsburgh, where Watson runs an investigative medical lab, originally opened by Holmes, which works with a local hospital to solve their most complicated cases.

Along with the mysteries Watson tries to unravel with his brilliant team at the Holmes Clinic, the show also slowly brings the audience to a better understanding of its lead character. Yet, Chestnut’s portrayal of this unorthodox doctor as a brilliant, nuanced man serves to almost guarantee that viewers will continue to ride for Watson no matter what we find out about him along the way.

Take the tension between him and his estranged wife Mary Morstan, played by the equally gorgeous Rochelle Aytes: in episode one, both characters tiptoe around what exactly led to their breakup. By the pilot’s end, we’re given enough information to realize that it was probably mostly John’s fault.

But when that information is delivered by Morris Chestnut, in the tone one would use to read a gentle bedtime story, how are we supposed to not still be on his side? Surely Mary could have given him another shot when he popped back up in the States with many stories to tell about his adventures with his bff Sherlock. Besides, she couldn’t be that upset at him, if she agreed to serve as the Holmes Clinic’s medical director.

Each interaction between Watson and the show’s recurring cast of characters peels back a layer of this clearly very complex man. And we get the impression that he’s surrounded himself with equally complex people, both at work and in his personal life. As episode one plays through, the viewer gets a clear sense that this team has just as much to uncover about each other than they do about the medical cases they are uniquely qualified to resolve.

As the cleverly executed debut episode closes, we also realize that Dr. John Watson’s intriguing past life alongside Sherlock Holmes may not be as far in the past as he thinks.

Watson’s plot is such a creative take on both the detective procedural and the medical drama categories. If we continue to see the same rich character development teased in episode 1, this show is well on its way to becoming a fan favorite in 2025. 

In other words: add this show to the ever growing list of reasons why they could never make us hate Morris Chestnut.
Tune in to Watson, Sundays at 9 p.m. E| 8 p.m. C on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.