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FIRST LOOK: Watson steps into the spotlight in new CBS medical drama

Writer's picture: T Rick JonesT Rick Jones

There has been a proliferation of American television shows putting a spin on the practice of medicine over the years, from General Hospital (1963-present) to Scrubs (2001-2010). That goes for shows inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories (originally published from 1887-1927), and in recent years there has been a resurgence of Holmesian media, with many of those shows exploring the Great Detective’s lore in a modern setting.

 


Morris Chestnut as Watson. Pic: Colin Bentley/CBS
Morris Chestnut as Watson. Pic: Colin Bentley/CBS

Now Craig Sweeny, who was an executive producer on Elementary (2012-2019), has created a TV show combining the key elements of a medical drama and the Sherlock Holmes mythos, set in 2024 at a fictional hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States.

 

Watson opens at the Reichenbach Falls, an infamous location for Sherlockians, who know it as the final resting place (?) of their favourite detective. Dr John Watson leaps into the watery abyss in attempt to rescue his friend, only to conk his head on a rock and lose consciousness.

 

With Holmes deceased, Watson returns to the US and opens the “Holmes Clinic”, where he, with his team of genius doctors, will solve a variety of medical mysteries using a combination of his knowledge as a doctor and the deductive reasoning that he learned from Holmes. As a set-up for a television series, it’s intriguing. But is it appointment television, and if so, for whom?

 

At first blush, Watson might remind one of House (2004-2012), starring Hugh Laurie, another Holmes-inspired series, in which diagnostician Dr Gregory House and his team tackled bizarre medical conditions every week. Upon closer inspection, however, the resemblance between the two series is one of kinship, not imitation. Sweeny himself acknowledges that Watson is a descendant of House, rather than a copy, and I agree with his assessment. After all, one probably wouldn’t watch Blue Bloods (2010-2024) and proclaim it an imitation of Hill Street Blues (1981-1987) just because both are American cop shows, even though the former certainly owes a debt to the seminality of the latter.

 

But how does Watson hold up on its own? In the first several episodes, Watson’s team faces a variety of rare diseases, each one leading to an unexpected twist. The medical mysteries are engaging enough and the science behind them is completely accurate, I’m told, although I haven’t yet achieved that medical degree which is on my bucket list, so I can neither confirm nor deny that assertion.

 

However, Watson’s strength lies in its characters. The show may take its title from its “lead” character, but at its heart it’s an ensemble show. The actors are charismatic and the characters each have rich back stories.

 

Many actors have played John Watson onscreen throughout the years, some good, some not so good and some utterly forgettable, and I would say Morris Chestnut (Boyz in the Hood) falls into the first category. This isn’t Conan Doyle’s Watson, but with the gravitas and affability Chestnut brings to the role, it doesn’t matter.

 

Eve Harlow (Star Trek: Discovery) plays neurologist Ingrid Derian. Derian has enigmatic motives of her own which viewers can expect to see teased out during the first season and Harlow, no stranger to roles with mysterious pasts, is at once likable and inexplicable here.

 

Peter Mark Kendall (Top Gun: Maverick) plays identical twin brothers Stephens and Adam Croft. There have been television shows starring twins played by the same person since The Patty Duke Show (1963-1966) first aired, with varying degrees of success. While the Crofts’ costumes help viewers identify the different brothers at a glance, Kendall effortlessly imbues each with such different attributes that even if they were dressed exactly alike one would be able to tell them apart.

 

Immunology specialist Sasha Lubbock is played by Inga Schlingmann (So Help Me Todd), the only cast member with an actual medical background. The character might be the most relatable to an audience and Schlingmann’s portrayal is engaging, to say the least. In an early episode, when Watson teaches Lubbock how to use deductive reasoning and she becomes hooked, one can’t help but feel the rush with her.

 

Ritchie Coster (Tulsa King) plays Shinwell Johnson, the third canonical character appropriated for the series (along with John Watson and Mary Morstan.) Johnson appears in a single Sherlock Holmes story and has been portrayed by only a handful of actors through the years. I’ve seen every extant version of the character, and for my money, Coster’s interpretation is the best. In this series, Johnson may be closest to his canonical counterpart, and Coster fills the part perfectly, clearly relishing the chance to play a “good guy” instead of the villains he’s used to embodying.

 

Rochelle Aytes (S.W.A.T.), as Mary Morstan, rounds out the regular cast. Aytes is credible as her character navigates between divorcing Watson, running a hospital and keeping Watson’s team under control. Aytes’ Morstan is a strong leader with a softer side, not an easy combo to portray. One can see why she’s divorcing Watson while at the same time wanting them to reconcile. (I predict a faction of “shippers” who root for the “Mortson” spark to rekindle.)

 

Between the show’s writing and acting and its connections to Sherlock Holmes canon, it’s got a lot going for it, and I think there’s something for everyone. Holmes aficionados will find the canonical references and inspirations fun to spot; medical drama addicts will enjoy the show from that viewpoint; and mystery fans will find it intriguing.

 

The main draw for me each week will be the characters and the actors who embody them, who I found to be charismatic and fun to watch. The Sherlockian influence didn’t hurt, either, and for that dwindling group of people who are unfamiliar with the show’s source material, it may spark an interest in learning more!

 

Watson premieres on CBS in the US on Sunday, 26 January at 10pm EST and will be streamable on Paramount+ the next day. Regular episodes will begin to run Sunday, 16 February. It will also be viewable on Global Canada.

 

For an in-depth look at Watson, including interviews with the cast and creator, pick up Sherlock Holmes Magazine issue #20, due out in March.

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