Watson - General Discussion

[CM-BlueButterfly]

CBS

Mid-season; February 2025?

Premieres Sunday Mid-Season, 10:00-11:00 PM

Quote

 

WATSON takes place seven months after the death of the titular character's friend and partner Sherlock Holmes at the hands of Moriarty. Dr. John Watson (Morris Chestnut) resumes his medical career as the head of a clinic dedicated to treating rare disorders. Watson's old life isn't done with him, though - Moriarty and Watson are set to write their own chapter of a story that has fascinated audiences for more than a century. Watson is a medical show with a strong investigative spine, featuring a modern version of one of history's greatest detectives as he turns his attention from solving crimes to solving medical mysteries.

WATSON stars Morris Chestnut as Dr. John Watson. Craig Sweeny wrote the pilot and will showrun and executive produce. Additional executive producers include Chestnut, Aaron Kaplan and Brian Morewitz for Kapital Entertainment, Sallie Patrick and Shäron Moalem MD, PhD. Larry Teng will executive produce and direct the first episode. The series is produced by CBS Studios.

 

 

[Trini]

I'm getting a bored by the CBS procedural formula, but I'm willing to give this a chance.

Worth pointing out that the showrunner, Craig Sweeny, previously was a producer/writer for Elementary.

Sherlock Holmes has famously come back from the dead; so I just wonder how soon will they bring him in? Because even though this is supposed to focus on Dr. Watson, I feel the temptation will be too great to just ignore his more famous partner.

I assume there will be flashbacks at some point, in any case; but then Sherlock might come back for real for an episode or two, as a ratings ploy.

[Cress]

I don't know if it's just going to be a medical procedural with Holmes allusions like House, but they mention Moriarty in description. I hope it doesn't turn into a conspiracy-driven show, all about Moriarty plotting against Watson for some inexplicable crime... That's what turned me off shows like Castle. And I hope they don't do anything with Irene Adler either, cause I eventually quit Elementary over that. I'm trying to keep an open mind and let this be its own show.

[Trini]

Casting news:

https://deadline.com/2024/06/rochelle-aytes-cast-watson-exit-swat-1235958116/

Quote

Aytes will play Dr. Mary Morstan, one of the best surgeons on the East Coast, and the Medical Director of the hospital. She is equally adept at being a voice of reason for and serving reality checks to her ex-husband, Dr. Watson (Chestnut). She has great respect for Watson and, while she appreciates his sleuthing when it comes to medical mysteries, she can also become irritated by his unorthodox approach to the business of medicine.

Quote

Production on Watson, which is slated for a midseason launch on Sundays, is slated to begin next week in Canada.

 

'Protagonist has to work with their ex-'; ugh-- this trope is so TIRED, and I've already seen it too many times this past TV season.

[Trini]

Two more doctors cast:

https://deadline.com/2024/06/eve-harlow-inga-schlingmann-watson-so-help-me-todd-1235960800/

Quote

Harlow will play Ingrid Derian, an accomplished neurologist whom Dr. Watson (Chestnut) recruits to work at his clinic not only because he recognizes her indisputable skill, but because she herself is a mystery Watson looks forward to solving. Ingrid reminds him of his late friend, Sherlock Holmes, and values her ruthless and sometimes questionable practices… but the rest of her teammates will wonder — and worry — who is the real Ingrid Derian, and what is she hiding?

Quote

Schlingmann will portray the unflappable Dr. Sasha Lubbock. While most people question how she had the time and energy to double-board in both rheumatology and immunology, Watson (Chestnut) knows it’s because Sasha thrives in bifurcated conditions. Having grown up torn between two families — her birth parents in central China, and her adoptive, religious family in Dallas, Texas — Sasha’s southern charm is parallel only to the ambition that landed her in one of the world’s most prestigious genetics clinics.

 

[Trini]

I never really watched House, but I can already see the comparisons coming.

[Featherhat]

On 5/8/2024 at 6:20 PM, Trini said:

I'm getting a bored by the CBS procedural formula, but I'm willing to give this a chance.

Worth pointing out that the showrunner, Craig Sweeny, previously was a producer/writer for Elementary.

Sherlock Holmes has famously come back from the dead; so I just wonder how soon will they bring him in? Because even though this is supposed to focus on Dr. Watson, I feel the temptation will be too great to just ignore his more famous partner.

I assume there will be flashbacks at some point, in any case; but then Sherlock might come back for real for an episode or two, as a ratings ploy.

I also suspect that the temptation to have Sherlock come back "for real" will eventually be too much, especially if they get a well known/charismatic actor who is interested in more than flashbacks. Supergirl and Batwoman both started off saying "no Superman/Batman ever" but that didn't last long. It so often happens on this type of "supporting character becomes the main character" type of shows. 

As for Mary, well meh "working with your ex" is way over exposed as a trope right now. 

Added to that: 

On 5/13/2024 at 4:59 AM, Cress said:

I don't know if it's just going to be a medical procedural with Holmes allusions like House, but they mention Moriarty in description. I hope it doesn't turn into a conspiracy-driven show, all about Moriarty plotting against Watson for some inexplicable crime... That's what turned me off shows like Castle. And I hope they don't do anything with Irene Adler either, cause I eventually quit Elementary over that. I'm trying to keep an open mind and let this be its own show.

All of the most recent adaptations of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock, Guy Ritchie, Elementary) have used her and it's not hard to see why because she's one of the only women in the stories. HOWEVER all of them have done her dirty in different ways. In the original story, not only did she *beat* Holmes fair and square but she was morally correct as well. Holmes was working for someone who wanted to use his power to pressure a woman into giving back those pictures that had been willingly given to her. Holmes says this. In modern adaptations they can't resist the temptation for Sherlock to not only win against her one way or another but morally wrong as well. 

The trailer does seem very House to me, complete with the gaggle of young "best of the best" doctors following him around. If I didn't know the creator had been on Elementary I would have assumed they'd pitched it as the next House and CBS said "but what if it really was Sherlock Holmes in a medical setting?" 

I generally like Morris Cheshunt but I haven't seen him in much since I tried "Rosewood" which in itself was an attempt to create a successor to Bones for FOX. 

I guess I'm curious about how they'll involve Moriarty in a medical setting but at this point he's so over blown as a character. 

 

[Cress]

On 12/28/2024 at 1:15 PM, Featherhat said:

All of the most recent adaptations of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock, Guy Ritchie, Elementary) have used her and it's not hard to see why because she's one of the only women in the stories. HOWEVER all of them have done her dirty in different ways. In the original story, not only did she *beat* Holmes fair and square but she was morally correct as well. Holmes was working for someone who wanted to use his power to pressure a woman into giving back those pictures that had been willingly given to her. Holmes says this. In modern adaptations they can't resist the temptation for Sherlock to not only win against her one way or another but morally wrong as well.

Yes Irene Adler was in the right, and Sherlock realizes that King was the bad guy. Sherlock refuses to shake his hand in the end and treats him with disdain, because he finally learned his lesson. Why can't recent shows acknowledge that Sherlock was in the wrong? Instead they want to make Adler a villain and make her the same as Moriarty. It's bad enough that they make her a love interest instead of a mere foil, but to make her an evil mastermind is so wrong. If they want an evil woman, the stories have Isadora Klein for instance or the nameless "most winning woman" who poisoned kids for the insurance money.

At least Elementary featured Kitty Winter in a morally gray role; a wronged woman getting revenge against the villain who deserved it. If only writers would portray Irene the same way. I'm hoping that Craig Sweeny will lean more toward Kitty Winter type women and not do the Irene Adler tropes this time.

On 12/28/2024 at 1:15 PM, Featherhat said:

Supergirl and Batwoman both started off saying "no Superman/Batman ever" but that didn't last long.

I don't think Batwoman ever had Batman himself on. He remained missing from Gotham as far as I remember. But it was always a two-hander show with Batwoman and Alice, even when they changed Batwoman.

[Trini]

3 hours ago, Cress said:

On 12/28/2024 at 2:15 PM, Featherhat said:

Supergirl and Batwoman both started off saying "no Superman/Batman ever" but that didn't last long.

I don't think Batwoman ever had Batman himself on. He remained missing from Gotham as far as I remember. But it was always a two-hander show with Batwoman and Alice, even when they changed Batwoman.

Yes, technically they didn't have Batman; but they did have Bruce Wayne show up in a dream sequence, and then a Bruce Wayne imposter as well. (... Then there was the alternate universe version of Bruce in a crossover event...)

Bringing it this back to this show: I'm just going to assume Sherlock will show up in some form at some point. It'll be a short first season with the show premiering at midseason, so it's possible they hold off until season 2 (if its renewed).

[Featherhat]

On 1/1/2025 at 6:47 PM, Trini said:

Yes, technically they didn't have Batman; but they did have Bruce Wayne show up in a dream sequence, and then a Bruce Wayne imposter as well. (... Then there was the alternate universe version of Bruce in a crossover event...)

Bringing it this back to this show: I'm just going to assume Sherlock will show up in some form at some point. It'll be a short first season with the show premiering at midseason, so it's possible they hold off until season 2 (if its renewed).

Yeah I guess the Batwoman one isn't a true show up and more along the lines of how this show might do a flashback or whatever at first. 

I also think they'll hold off until S2 (assuming renewal) a nice hook once/if people accept the initial premise of "Watson begins a new life after Holmes's death". 

[Trini]

8 hours ago, Featherhat said:

Yeah I guess the Batwoman one isn't a true show up and more along the lines of how this show might do a flashback or whatever at first. 

Well, luckily, this isn't a comic book or sci-fi show, so their options for bringing in Sherlock are a bit more limited!

[AnimeMania]

[AnimeMania]

[OLynn33]

On 11/27/2024 at 10:36 AM, Trini said:

I never really watched House, but I can already see the comparisons coming.

I hope not because House was an asshole.