Morris Chestnut’s Bad Luck: Another TV Series Axed Before Natural Conclusion
CBS has canceled Watson after two seasons.
The Sherlock Holmes-inspired medical drama starred Morris Chestnut as Dr. John Watson. It followed Watson as he resumed his medical career following the death of Holmes at the hands of his nemesis, Moriarty. The series finale will now air May 3.
Morris Chestnut reacts to ‘Watson’ cancellation
Chestnut reacted to the disappointing news in a Facebook update.
“As many of you know, Watson will not be returning for a third season,” he wrote. “After two incredible seasons, I’m so grateful for the experience. It wouldn’t have been the same without the amazing cast and crew. Thank you for making it so special. To all the fans who showed love and supported Watson, thank you so much. Also, thank you to CBS for the incredible partnership.”
Watson premiered in January 2025. While it was renewed for a second season in March 2025, it struggled to find an audience and was one of the network’s least-watched scripted shows. A delayed season 2 premiere and a timeslot shift didn’t help. Those factors, alone with the success of new series like Boston Blue, Marshals, CIA, and Sheriff Country – all of which have been renewed – led CBS to scrap the underperforming series.
Watson’s cancellation was unexpected, and season 2 will apparently end on a cliffhanger, according to TribLive.
In addition to cancelling Watson, the network has also confirmed that freshman comedy series DMV, which stars Tim Meadows, will not get a second season.
Morris Chestnut takes ‘Watson’ cancellation in stride
Chestnut is all too familiar with TV show cancellations. Prior to Watson, he starred in the short-lived 2019 NBC series The Enemy Within, the two-season police procedural Rosewood, sci-fi drama V, which lasted two seasons, and the single-season drama Our Kind of People.
In a video shared on Facebook, Chestnut seemed to take the news of Watson’s cancellation in stride.
“That’s the way the showbiz beast is,” he said.
While the TV business is unpredictable, some fans noted that Chestnut seemed to have particularly bad luck with shows.
“Can Morris stay on a show for longer than 2 seasons? I swear every show he’s on gets cancelled,” one person commented on Instagram.
“Morris Chestnut is the king of 2-3 season series,” another wrote. “He probably has another one lined up as we speak.”
Meanwhile, some viewers hoped there was a chance that Watson might be saved.
“Morris, this was one of the most intelligent shows I’ve seen on any network for a long time,” one of his Facebook followers commented. “Is there any chance it can resume on another network? Is there something we as fans can do to help facilitate that?”
Others were just looking forward to Chestnut’s next project.
“So grateful for your work. Disappointed that CBS decided to play games and shift your timeslots,” one fan wrote, “Your gifts will continue to make room for you. Can’t wait to see what’s next!”
New episodes of Watson air Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS through May 3. Episodes also stream on Paramount+.
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