Review Roundup: Here’s What Everyone Is Saying About Morris Chestnut’s ‘Watson’

On Sunday, January 26, 2025, Watson, starring Morris Chestnut, debuted on CBS after the 2025 AFC Championship Game. (CBS)

The Essentials


Where To Watch: CBS, Paramount+ ($7.99 per month)

Starring: Morris Chestnut, Eve Harlow, Peter Mark Kendall

Synopsis: “WATSON takes place six months after Sherlock Holmes’ death at the hands of Moriarty. Morris Chestnut stars as Dr. John Watson, who’s back to practicing medicine and running a clinic for rare disorders. But Watson’s past isn’t done with him yet—he and Moriarty are about to dive into the next chapter of the story that’s fascinated fans for over a century.”

Critics’ Chatter

“The new series, starring perennial network hunk Morris Chestnut, is utterly nonsensical and ridiculous, and also familiar enough to be derivative. It’s one part House: A medical mystery in which where Chestnut’s Watson and a team of attractive young doctors diagnose perplexing illnesses in a Pittsburgh clinic due to their collective eccentric genius. And then you remember that Chestnut is playing Dr. John Watson, Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick, and your brain explodes a little bit.”

–Kelly Lawler, USA Today | Read The Full Review Here

“Watson does not appear to know from moment to moment whether it wants to be a propulsive thriller or a heartwarming doctor drama, a quirky mystery or a commentary on the broken medical system — much less how to combine all those disparate goals into a single coherent whole. The one thing it is certain of is that it means to be a show you turn to because it’s satisfying to watch a smart, noble man solve puzzles and save the day, not because you’re expecting any gritty resemblance to the real world. Such escapism can have its pleasures. But it usually works better when the world we’re escaping to feels more consistently interesting than the one we’re leaving.”

–Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter | Read The Full Review Here

“A baffling beginning and the unnecessary Sherlock Holmes influences make for a shaky start, especially in the first few episodes. However, with an endlessly charismatic Chestnut leading the charge, the addition of some much-needed backstories and a focus on medical mysteries and the people enduring them, Watson eventually finds more solid ground. However, amid countless other procedurals, audiences might jump ship well before it steadies itself.”

–Aramide Tinubu, Variety | Read The Full Review Here

Timeline Talk

Related Topics

You May Also Like