Why was Watson canceled? CBS reveals what really went wrong behind the scenes
Season 2 of 'Watson' aired its season finale on May 3. It now serves as the final installment after CBS announced its cancellation in late March, as per The Hollywood Reporter. The Craig Sweeny medical drama centered around the popular character of John Watson from Sherlock Holmes' novels, penned by Arthur Conan Doyle. The show was a modern take, which followed him as the head of a medical facility dealing with rare disorders. Morris Chestnut played the titular role, who is seen solving medical mysteries while mourning the death of his friend, Sherlock Holmes, in mysterious circumstances. The show's premise quickly gathered a loyal following, but sadly, it was not enough.
The first season finished with 13 episodes, while the sophomore season ran for 20 episodes. Despite lasting for 33 episodes, the ratings were not enough to keep it on air, according to Amy Reisenbach, the President of CBS Entertainment. “In terms of DMV (the other cancelled show) and Watson, we love both those shows. They were a joy to work on," Reisenbach said at the time, according to Deadline. "Morris Chestnut is maybe one of the greatest No. 1's I've ever dealt with. But, you know, it's a high bar on CBS. We aggregate all the numbers, and we have to make those tough decisions in order to make room for new shows."
Season 2 premiere titled 'A Son in the Oven' was reportedly watched by 2.5 million total viewers, according to Programming Insider. During its first season, the show averaged 5.16 million viewers. As per TV Series Finale, the show was shifted to Monday for its sophomore run, where its viewership faltered significantly, which led to its cancellation. Sweeny was disappointed with the cancellation but grateful for the time he got with the show. "We had a lot more to say with the show, so of course it's sad we won't be making any more," he said to Deadline. "But I'm grateful that we got to write and produce 33 episodes. I love to write procedurals with cases that are set at the edge of what humans know, and Watson gave me and our team the chance to do that every week."
Like Reisenbach, Sweeny also had nothing but praise for Chestnut. The showrunner not only appreciated him for what he brought to the role but also the environment he created off-screen. "I'm especially grateful to Morris Chestnut for his role in making that happen. When Morris was considering the role, we met for coffee and talked about the environment we both hoped to foster. His tireless leadership and example helped make the Watson set a happy experience for everyone who worked there," Sweeny explained. The series finale, titled 'The Cobalt Fissure,' kept Watson's fate open-ended. The aide is seen going into the surgery for his debilitating tumor, but its outcome remains up in the air. The show also starred Eve Harlow, Peter Mark Kendall, Ritchie Coster, Inga Schlingmann and Rochelle Aytes.
