CBS Finally Renewed Watson After Strong Premiere Ratings, And Now I See Why Morris Chestnut Is Grateful To Taylor Swift For ‘Showing Up’

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In early 2025, Watson made its debut on CBS as a medical-mystery drama, but it wasn’t among the nine shows renewed by the network in February. Neither was it cancelled alongside FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International in early March, leaving fans in suspense about whether Morris Chestnut’s new series would continue for another season. Now, that wait is over, with news breaking simultaneously with ratings data from the series premiere that echoed what Chestnut and creator Craig Sweeny had earlier shared with TopMob – namely, that Watson has been given a second season.

Ratings And Renewal

The long-awaited renewal for the second season of the show “Watson” has been officially confirmed, set to air during the 2025-2026 television season. While it’s not yet determined if it will initially air as part of CBS’ autumn schedule or be postponed for a midseason premiere in early next year, fans can rest assured that they’ll get to witness more adventures of John Watson and his companions. There’s also the possibility of seeing more of Randall Park as Moriarty and Whoopie Van Raam’s character Irene Adler, who will make her debut in “Watson” on March 30th.

The unexpected news, given earlier and ongoing ratings, is that the series wasn’t renewed alongside other Sunday night dramas like Tracker. However, the series premiere has been watched by a staggering 18.7 million viewers across all platforms within 35 days of broadcast, making it CBS’ highest-watched scripted episode in the 2024-2025 TV season and the most-streamed original scripted episode among Paramount+ subscribers, with a viewership of approximately 7 million.

Morris Chestnut And Creator Craig Sweeny Weighed In On The Strong Premiere Time Slot

Reflecting on those impressive ratings figures brought back memories of my lucky encounter with actor Morris Chestnut and TVfest attendees Craig Sweeny (creator, showrunner, executive producer) earlier this year. At that point, just the initial episode had been aired on CBS, but they chose a substantial premiere time for it: following the AFC Championship game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.

Due to Fox broadcasting the Super Bowl this year instead of Tracker securing CBS’ post-Super Bowl slot in 2024, the AFC Championship proved to be the most robust NFL night CBS could offer Watson in early 2025. When I interviewed the Watson team on the TVfest red carpet, I couldn’t help but wonder – how did they feel about receiving such a strong debut from the network? Sweeny replied:

As a film enthusiast in sunny Los Angeles, I found myself glued to the screen alongside my dedicated team, witnessing an extraordinary spectacle between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. Kudos to both teams for delivering an incredibly competitive showdown that left us in awe. Truly, we’re thankful for this captivating experience.

Even though I’m not an NFL expert, it was clear to me that the game which would determine if the Chiefs could potentially win their third Super Bowl in three years would garner plenty of viewers. Moreover, this wasn’t the first time the Bills were facing off for a shot at the championship. Whether football enthusiasts were hoping for the Chiefs to create Super Bowl history with a three-peat or rooting for the underdog Bills to emerge victorious, excitement was palpable.

The match was extremely tight, with the Chiefs emerging victorious by a score of 32-29. For those who were eager to catch a glimpse of Taylor Swift, cheering on Travis Kelce, they were indeed fortunate. Prior to the highly competitive game (which went by the name Watson), Morris Chestnut voiced his thoughts, as reported by Sweeny:

Onward, right until the very finish! And many thanks to Taylor, for making an appearance. Everyone eagerly waited to find out what would transpire next.

Craig Sweeny, who brought his expertise in CBS dramas linked to the world of Sherlock Holmes from ‘Elementary’, continued by saying:

Wow, it couldn’t have been more perfect! If we were aiming for the Super Bowl, maybe, but this is simply excessive praise. [laughs] But honestly, it’s the ultimate success one could hope for in a launch.

As a die-hard fan, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect debut for our team and Watson, knowing Fox was broadcasting the 2025 Super Bowl. That post-AFC Championship slot was like striking gold – the best possible launch in tandem with an NFL game! The whopping 18.7 million viewers weren’t just those who happened to tune in on that first date, but it’s clear that without that premiere time slot, the numbers would have been significantly lower. What a fantastic opportunity to reach such a massive audience!

It’s quite possible that airing just after Justin Hartley’s show, “Tracker,” on Sunday evenings isn’t hurting the viewership of “Watson” either. The successor of “This Is Us” featuring the actor has been performing well and was among the shows renewed early. To catch more of “Watson,” tune in to CBS on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET, between “Tracker” and “The Equalizer,” or stream it via Paramount+.

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2025-03-31 00:07