Watson

CBS's "Watson" feels like it was created by an algorithm that watched "House, M. D." and "Rosewood" but failed to understand what made those shows compelling. Following Dr. John Watson (Morris Chestnut) after his partnership with Sherlock Holmes, the series attempts to blend medical mysteries with detective work, but the result is a tepid, by-the-numbers procedural that lacks both shows' distinctive charms.

Where "House" thrived on Hugh Laurie's caustic wit and brilliant characterization, and "Rosewood" succeeded through Morris Chestnut's charismatic portrayal of an optimistic pathologist, "Watson" provides neither. Despite Chestnut's proven talent, his Watson feels constrained by flat writing and predictable storylines. The show seems afraid to let him be either abrasive like House or charming like Rosewood, leaving the character in a bland middle ground.

The medical mysteries themselves lack the intellectual complexity that made "House" engaging or the local flavor that gave "Rosewood" its Miami pulse. Each case follows such a formulaic pattern that you can practically set your watch by when the first wrong diagnosis will occur or when the obligatory personal connection to the patient will be revealed.

While Morris Chestnut remains as charismatic as ever, both his Watson and the supporting cast just aren't clicking. The ensemble lacks the spark that made shows like "Rosewood" so engaging, and it's particularly frustrating knowing that the entire "Rosewood" cast is currently available - making one wish CBS had opted to revive that superior show instead. The show tries to create tension through Watson's past connection to Holmes, but these references feel more like name-dropping than substantial plot elements. The chemistry between characters is virtually non-existent, making their interactions feel forced and professional to a fault.

Production values are adequate but uninspired. The hospital setting looks like every other medical show's set, and the visual style lacks distinction. Even the music seems pulled from a stock "tense medical moment" library.

The biggest disappointment is how "Watson" wastes its unique premise. The idea of exploring Holmes's former partner as a medical professional could have been fascinating, but instead of diving deep into Watson's psychology or how his time with Holmes shaped his medical approach, we get surface-level procedural fare.

In trying to appeal to fans of both "House" and "Rosewood," "Watson" ends up satisfying neither. It's not unwatchable, but in today's crowded TV landscape, being merely adequate isn't enough. This is especially frustrating given Morris Chestnut's proven ability to carry a medical show, as demonstrated in "Rosewood."

If you're craving medical mysteries, you're better off rewatching "House." If you want Morris Chestnut solving cases with style, return to "Rosewood." "Watson" proves that sometimes, the best elements of two successful shows don't add up to a compelling new one.

**"Watson" is a show that seems to have a bit of an identity crisis**. It doesn't seem to know if it wants to be a "House" clone, a Sherlock Holmes reimagining, or its own thing. If you are a fan of medical procedural dramas you may want to check this show out, but if you're looking for something with more of a Sherlock Holmes theme, you might want to wait and see if it finds its footing.

Watched first ep with a lot of curiosity, especially with the Sherlock Holmes connection, and while it wasn't exactly what I expected, there were some things to appreciate.

First off, if you're tuning in expecting a classic Holmesian mystery, you might be surprised. It definitely takes a turn towards a medical procedural, with more than a few echoes of "House M. D." - the show is trying to be "House" with a bit of a Sherlock Holmes theme thrown in.

The pilot episode was a bit of a mixed bag, I have to say. **Some of the dialogue felt a little clunky and unnatural, like something out of a soap opera parody**.

The acting was okay. Morris Chestnut's delivery-his voice is low, and he speaks fast, making some of his lines a little hard to understand. The cast overall had a unique set of backgrounds, which was a nice touch. The cinematography was also nicely done, which helped with the overall viewing experience.

For a show that's got Sherlock Holmes in its DNA, it felt a little bit formulaic at times, almost like it was checking boxes rather than trying to deliver something unique. One of the more interesting bits was the character of Moriarty.

**The cases themselves were engaging enough, and I thought that the medical issues were actually quite interesting.**

Show was a bit flat, and maybe didn't really pull me in initially as much as it should have. Some parts, felt dull.

The attempts at a deep, dark mythology felt a bit convoluted and didn't quite land. The show is quite heavy and brooding, which might be off-putting if you're looking for something light-hearted or fun.

It seems like they were trying to go for a dark, gritty vibe, but without the humour of "House," it didn't quite resonate as it could have.

Some of the premise was promising. It's possible that as a procedural, this show might work. Or not!

. . . . . . . . . .

It was called Rosewood. Minus the beauty woman detective and the badass classic car. Only other difference is he's working with live people instead of working with the dead. Both shows he goes against what everyone else thinks. He physically and mentally has issues that he doesn't want others to know about. And he's surrounded by young people whom he sees potentially in but wants them to dig deeper. As far as the Sherlock Holmes theme goes we will have to see how that unfolds. If it wasn't for the ending of the first episode I probably wouldn't continue watching but it has me a little bit curious.

Many have mentioned that this is a clone of House M. D. But but it's not. House was a d!ck... Watson is more of a caring and less blunt type person.

But yes, this is very formulaic and how they proceed to diagnose and investigate does give you House vides, along with another half dozen doctor shows over the years, including Trapper John, MD, Dr. Kildaire, Diagnosis Murder, and of course the king of this genre, Quincy MD.

The supporting casts are ok characters, but again, formulaic. Nothing stands out, nothing original.

It's an ok show, I'm a fan of Chestnut, but this show is just not doing anything different. Maybe that in of itself something many may like.... familiarity.

On one hand, this isn't bad. But, on the other hand, I'm not necessarily impressed. I only gave it four stars because although it is a good show, it is only average, hence five stars. Since it isn't really breaking new ground, it loses a star, down to four. So much of this show was ripped straight from House that if I didn't know any better, I'd think I was watching an actual reboot or a some sort of sequel to House. The only thing this show has to do with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, wait, I mean Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are the names of the main character and his best friend. They could've just as well have called this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and named the characters as such without it changing much the plot or the storyline. There is one of two reasons why they title the show and the characters as they did. One, this is from the same producers as House and they didn't want to have an actual reboot. Don't want to risk following House with a mediocre reboot. Or, two, they couldn't get the green light for a House reboot so they simply changed the name of the show and the main character and hope that no one will notice.