Have you been watching Watson on CBS?
Source: Courtesy / CBS
Morris Chestnut is stepping into a brand-new role that’s set to shake up the procedural drama genre. In CBS’s Watson, Chestnut plays Dr. John Watson in a fresh take on the Sherlock Holmes tales. The show flips the script, telling the story from Watson’s perspective after the death of Sherlock Holmes, and brings a compelling mix of medical mysteries, detective work, and intense character drama to primetime TV.
BOSSIP Senior Content Director Janeé Bolden caught up with the talented actor to talk about the new role and the show’s fresh take on a classic story.
Chestnut explained how Watson takes the legendary Sherlock Holmes story into uncharted territory by shifting the spotlight onto Dr. Watson.
“It’s a modern-day take on the Sherlock Holmes mythology told from the perspective of Watson, which has never been done before,” Chestnut shared. “The story opens with the death of Sherlock Holmes, and he’s gifted Watson a clinic to solve medical mysteries. However, Sherlock Holmes has been a huge influence on Watson’s life, so Watson and his team of doctors don’t just solve medical mysteries in the hospital. We also go out into the field, gathering information and solving cases as detectives. We’re doctors in the hospital, detectives in the field.”
Chestnut revealed that the series blends traditional procedural elements with a serialized arc, ramping up the intensity with every episode. “Each week, the intensity is ratcheted up step by step, leading to a huge crescendo at the end,” he added.
For a character as iconic as Watson, preparation was key, and Chestnut dove deep into the role.
“I read a lot of the short stories from the Arthur Conan Doyle books and watched different iterations of Sherlock Holmes,” Chestnut said. “Although Sherlock isn’t alive on our show, his influence is very much there. I worked on that backstory to get a strong idea of what their dynamic would have been. Then, as an actor, I did substitutions and personal work to make Watson feel real to me.”
Source: Sergei Bachlakov / CBS
Chestnut gave insight into one of the most important relationships in the series: the one between Watson and his estranged wife Mary, played by Rochelle Aytes.
“She’s a hard medical director at the hospital, but we also have moments where we deal with the depth of the loss of our relationship,” Chestnut explained. “The nuance she brings to the character is incredible. She’s the one who grounds Watson—bringing him back to earth when he’s imposing his intellect on fellow doctors. She’s not letting him get a pass.”
Chestnut couldn’t praise his co-star enough: “She’s so strong and commanding in her role, and she does a great job. She’s always on point and ready for the challenge.”
Speaking of his co-stars, Chestnut had nothing but love for the cast of Watson.
Source: Colin Bentley / CBS
“This group of actors is incredible. We couldn’t be blessed with a more talented group of people,” he said. “From Richie Coster to Eve Harlow, Inga Schlingmann, Mark Peter Kendall, and Rochelle Aytes—everyone is just great to be around. We’re like family, treating everyone with respect, whether it’s guest stars or visitors on set. The camaraderie makes coming to work such a joy.”
Chestnut is especially excited for audiences to experience the show’s unique blend of medical realism and gripping drama.
“One of the things I love about the show is that the medicine is all vetted by real doctors,” he said. “We present medical conditions that people might think are embellished for TV, but they’re real. For example, I learned that someone can have a nipple on the bottom of their foot—and it has sensation! It’s fascinating, and I think viewers are going to love those little details.”
With so many twists and cliffhangers, Chestnut warns viewers to stay focused: “This is a tough show to multitask on because you’re going to miss a lot. Each episode is packed with surprises and dynamics you won’t see coming.”
Catch Watson on CBS to see the twists, turns, and mysteries unfold—you won’t want to miss a second.
Watson will move to its regular time period (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) with a brand new episode on Sunday, Feb. 16, on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs).
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