Dr. Watson will soon be a sidekick no more!
The character is stepping out of Sherlock Holmes' shadow for Watson, a new TV series from CBS Studios and Kaplan Entertainment. Described by Deadline (via ActioNewz.com) as a medical drama with detective elements, Craig Sweeny is writing the show and serving as executive producer.
He previously spent five years working on CBS' Elementary, though this show isn't related to that one and will be a new take on the Arthur Conan Doyle creation.
In Watson, a year after the death of his friend and partner Sherlock Holmes at the hands of Moriarty, Dr. John Watson 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 addressing the greatest mystery of all: illness, and the ways it disrupts our lives.
Sherlock Holmes was indeed killed during a battle with Moriarty in 1893 short story The Final Problem, but was quickly brought back to life after a huge outcry from readers at the time. All these characters are part of the public domain, so this is just the latest in a long line of adaptations (Warner Bros. is also developing Sherlock Holmes 3 along with a slew of HBO Max spinoffs).
At this point, there's currently no word on casting or whether this Dr. Watson will be a male or female, though it's worth noting the character is referred to as a "he" in the description above. We're assuming it will also feature a present-day setting, likely taking place in America rather than England based on past experience.
Regardless, this sounds like House mixed with Elementary, and we're definitely intrigued. Hopefully, the project will start to take shape over the coming months, and we'll have more to share with you about Watson on ActioNewz.com soon.