Even though CBS canceled a chunk of shows this year, there are still prime titles to look forward to for the 2025-26 season. That includes plenty of returning shows. Watson, the Morris Chestnut-led medical drama is among the series that managed to avoid the axe this spring amid the 2025 TV schedule and, as a fan, I'm very happy about that. However, what I'm not so pleased about is an update regarding when new episodes of the show will debut.
CBS’ schedule for next season reveals that Watson will not be back this fall and will instead be held for midseason in 2026. The show will still air on Sundays, but it will take over The Equalizer’s slot at 10 p.m. ET, along with new Yellowstone spinoff Y: Marshals following Tracker. The wait is going to be excruciating for me, especially since the mystery series' first season ended with a major twist that saw the titular doctor murder enemy and Sherlock Holmes’ killer James Moriarty.
While speaking with Deadline, CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach said she was still fairly confident the show will do well in its new timeslot, considering what it’s being paired with:
I’m fairly confident in Tracker and Y: Marshals being very, very big lead-ins for Watson. Watson does really, really well for us on streaming as well. So we expect that viewers who might not catch it at 10 o’clock will catch on streaming because it’s had such a loyal fan base over on Paramount+. We think it’s the best of both worlds.
Despite the exec's confidence, I'm still not all that enthused about having to wait so long for new episodes. Sure, I understand the logic of holding the show as, during a given TV season, there are instances in which a show must be held for scheduling reasons. But having to wait until 2026 to see more of John Watson's story is just frustrating for me as a viewer. From a business standpoint, though, Reisenbach and co. are looking to ensure that interest in the show remains, and that method involves Paramount+ subscription holders:
We’ll definitely be pushing viewers to binge it on Paramount+ in the meantime. But there truly was a lack of room on the schedule. You look at that schedule, there’s no other real logical place for it.
Season 1 contains 13 episodes, and an official count has yet to be revealed for the second season. Based on past instances of midseason placings, I think it’s possible that Watson could receive 18 episodes for Season 2, depending on when it’s scheduled to premiere and how many breaks it has. For example, The Rookie and Will Trent on ABC will once again be airing midseason, and both shows and both put out 18 installments this year. Of course, this is a different network we're dealing with for Morris Chestnut's show.
It was quite gutsy for the Craig Sweeny-created show to go out with that killer finale. On top of the big Moriarty twist, twins Adam and Stephens Croft were on the brink of death due to a targeted virus but, as per usual, the team -- although down two people -- was able to save them both. Season 2 will more than likely follow up on the traumatic experience that the Crofts went through and the aftermath of Moriarty’s death. As some who's really into Watson, I'm hoping the wait for new episodes will be worth it.
At the very least, though, I suppose that I should just be grateful that Watson is returning at all, given the others shows that met their demises this spring. This time of year can be brutal for avid TV fans, and I'm glad one of my favorite shows is still on the docket.
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