Sherlock Holmes-inspired TV series cancelled as finale date officially confirmed
The case is closed for TV's latest Holmes and Watson.
Sherlock Holmes-inspired drama Watson has been cancelled after two seasons, bringing an abrupt end to the series starring Morris Chestnut and Robert Carlyle as an updated version of the literary duo.
The series allowed the legendary detective's loyal friend and colleague Dr John Watson (Chestnut) take centre stage for once, seeing him restart his medical practice after Holmes' apparent death by Moriarty's hand.
The result was a solid, if not sensational, series that blended elements of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's mysteries with tropes of medical and crime drama, to concoct a rather unusual-tasting cocktail.
Although it had its fans, the mixture didn't excite everyone's tastebuds, and original broadcaster CBS has now pulled the plug amid declining viewership in the United States. The series finale will debut stateside on Sunday 3rd May 2026.
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Those watching from this side of the pond will have longer to wait, as season 2 kicked off on Sky Witness and NOW months after its CBS premiere, meaning we're several weeks behind at the time of writing.
Over the weekend, Watson season 2 episode 7 had its UK premiere, but American audiences are already up to episode 15. The season will be comprised of 20 episodes in total, so at least there's still plenty to look forward to before it bows out.
Watson star Chestnut, who is known for The Best Man films, medical comedy Nurse Jackie and police drama Rosewood, was joined by a number of other notable names across the show's two seasons.
That includes WandaVision and The Residence star Randall Park as the villainous Moriarty, plus The Full Monty and The Hack alum Robert Carlyle as Sherlock Holmes, who joined from season 2.
Speaking to the Television Academy last month, Chestnut outlined what differentiates Watson from other Holmes-inspired TV dramas, including CBS's own Elementary and BBC One's Sherlock.
"Not only are we dealing with the element of [the Holmes] mythology, but we're also dealing with these unique medical cases," he explained. "So, we're right up there with all the other shows."
Watson is available on Sky Witness and NOW.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
