Robert Carlyle cast as Sherlock Holmes in Watson season two

Robert Carlyle (Once Upon a Time) stars as Sherlock Holmes in the second season of the CBS series Watson, a modern medical drama series with a detective twist.Robert Carlyle, known for the ABC fairy tale series "Once Upon a Time" and recently starring in the Netflix limited series "Toxic Town," will play the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes in a recurring guest role. He will star opposite lead actor Morris Chestnut, who reprises his role as Dr. John Watson.


Robert Carlyle

Watson reimagines Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous stories as a medical investigative drama. Instead of solving crimes, Watson and his team of "doc-detectives" focus on the research and treatment of rare diseases.

In the first season, they defeated arch-enemy Moriarty (played by Randall Park), but in season two, the search for medical solutions continues unabated. However, Watson is thrown off course when Sherlock Holmes—long presumed dead—surprises to reappear. His return forces Watson to confront the past, face a shared secret, and unravel a potential mystery hidden within his own body.

Sherlock's arrival comes as a surprise, especially since showrunner Craig Sweeny previously stated he had no plans to bring Holmes to life in the series. In January, he said, "If you put Watson at the center, you don't want him to compete with the most famous character in literature."

That's why he began the series with Holmes's death at Reichenbach Falls—just like in Conan Doyle's original stories. However, he admitted, "If a great story comes along, I won't rule anything out."

That "great" storyline now seems to have been found, with Carlyle's version of Holmes serving as the catalyst for new revelations in Watson's life.

The second season of Watson premieres Monday, October 13, at 10:00 PM on CBS and will be available to stream on Paramount+.