Trainspotting icon cast as Sherlock Holmes in upcoming Watson season 2
The character was previously presumed dead in the American show's first season.
CBS's second modern day take on Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, Watson, has just found its Holmes, with the character being cast for season 2.
The show, which is completely separate to CBS's previous Holmes series Elementary, is a medical drama which includes detective elements, and stars Morris Chestnut as Dr John Watson.
The first season was set one year after Holmes's apparent death at the hands of Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls, with Watson resuming his medical practice at the new Holmes Clinic in Pittsburgh.
However, season 2 is set to prove that Holmes is not in fact dead, as he will be played by Trainspotting and Toxic Town star Robert Carlyle. Carlyle will appear in a recurring guest role.
Craig Sweeny, Watson's executive producer and showrunner, said: "We are thrilled to have the mighty Robert Carlyle join the cast of Watson in Season 2. The man has played iconic roles in projects like Trainspotting, The Full Monty and 28 Weeks Later, and now he steps into the shoes of the most iconic detective of all, Sherlock Holmes.
"When Watson’s best friend and former partner makes a shocking reappearance in his life, Watson is forced to confront their shared past — and a secret that may lie buried within Watson’s own body."
Sweeny previously suggested that while Holmes might not be dead in the series, he didn't expect to introduce him, as he didn't want Watson to be "competing" with the iconic character for attention.
He told Deadline earlier this year: "If you have Watson front and centre, to allow that character to shine, you definitely don’t want him competing with the most famous character in all of literature, so a very natural construction for me was to begin with the death of Holmes at Reichenbach Falls. Now, of course, even in Conan Doyle’s stories, Sherlock is not truly dead.
"My belief is that Holmes is gone. I don’t want to be held to that if there’s some great story that presents itself, but I don’t believe that we’re ever going to feature Sherlock as an ongoing character in the show, Watson at this time."
Watson and Holmes aren't the only two Conan Doyle characters to appear in the series, which has not yet aired in the UK.
Others to have appeared include Ritchie Coster as Shinwell Johnson, Rochelle Aytes as Mary Morstan, Randall Park as Moriarty, Whoopie Van Raam as Irene Adler, Vincent Gale as Mycroft Holmes and Rachel Hayward as Detective Lestrade.
Watson airs in the US on CBS.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
