Morris Chestnut's new CBS Studios series Watson, a fast-paced medical drama inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's adapted stories of detective Sherlock Holmes, premiered Sunday at the Marché International des Programs de Communication (MIPCOM) in Cannes, France.
“One of the things that excited me most about the show is that it's a new take on the mythology,” Chestnut said of his new series.
The new drama kicked off the MIPCOM international television market with a world premiere of the story told from the perspective of Dr. John Watson and “through a medical rather than criminal lens,” Chestnut noted. “But he still has great respect for the Sherlock Holmes stories.”
Chestnut plays Watson, Holmes' iconic sidekick, who, in the new show's telling, resumes his medical career as head of a clinic that treats rare ailments after the death of his friend and partner. But he soon discovers that his old life isn't quite over with him yet.
In a twist on other Sherlock adaptations, Watson focuses on medical mysteries instead of detective stories. As a doctor protests in the pilot: “We are doctors. Not detectives.”
In the pilot episode, directed by Larry Teng, Watson is confronted with a case of fatal familial insomnia combined with the challenge of trying to help a pregnant woman with neurodegenerative prion disease live long enough to give birth.
Chestnut said the show, at its essence, is a procedural that features a central case in each episode as the characters evolve and develop over the course of the series.
Watson showrunner Craig Sweeny (Elementary, Star Trek: Section 31) wrote the pilot episode and is executive producing alongside Chestnut, Sallie Patrick, Teng, Shäron Moalem, Brian Morewitz and Aaron Kaplan for Kapital Entertainment.
The series produced by CBS Studios will debut on January 26 on CBS.
CBS Studios used the MIPCOM premiere to kick things off WatsonThe international launch of and the network's parent company, Paramount Global, are counting on market demand for high-end procedures that can be performed on both traditional broadcasters and streaming platforms.
MIPCOM, the world's leading international television market, will take place from October 21st to 24th.