Posted in: CBS, TV | Tagged: watson

Watson: Robert Carlyle Joins Season 2 Cast as Sherlock Holmes

Robert Carlyle will be taking on the recurring role of Sherlock Holmes during the second season of CBS's Morris Chestnut-starring Watson.

Published Wed, 30 Jul 2025 12:37:03 -0500

by Ray Flook

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Article Summary

Robert Carlyle joins Watson Season 2 as Sherlock Holmes, taking over from Matt Berry's voice role.
Showrunner Craig Sweeny teases a dramatic reunion and new secrets between Watson and Holmes.
Morris Chestnut reveals Season 2 will shift focus to more unique and witty medical cases.
Watson star would love for Lucy Liu to appear, tying back to her iconic role on CBS's Elementary.

Though Matt Berry (FX's What We Do in the Shadows) voiced The World's Greatest Detective during the first season of the hit CBS series, Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting, The Full Monty) will be taking on the recurring role of Sherlock Holmes during the second season of the Morris Chestnut-starringWatson. "We are thrilled to have the mighty Robert Carlyle join the cast of 'Watson' in Season 2," shared showrunner Craig Sweeny. "The man has played iconic roles in projects like 'Trainspotting,' 'The Full Monty,' and '28 Weeks Later'… and now he steps into the shoes of the most iconic detective of all, Sherlock Holmes. When Watson's best friend and former partner makes a shocking reappearance in his life, Watson is forced to confront their shared past—and a secret that may lie buried within Watson's own body."

Watson — Image: CBS Entertainment; Netflix

Speaking with Deadline Hollywood at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival in June, Chestnut shared that he would love to have Lucy Liu appear on the show. For those who don't know, Liu played Dr. Joan Watson on CBS's Jonny Lee Miller-starring Elementary, which was executive-produced by Watson creator Craig Sweeney and ran for seven seasons (2012-2019). In addition, Chestnut offered an interesting response when asked if Sherlock Holmes (whether played by Berry or someone else) would appear on the show, and shared what the focus of Season 2 will be:

On Wanting "Elementary" Star Lucy Liu to Appear: "I'm trying to track her down and get her to come on our show because, yes, that would be great if we could get her."

On Sherlock Holmes Making an Appearance: "I will say Holmes, you know, in the mythology, does come back… and we are part of the mythology."

On Season 2 Focusing on "Very Unique Medical Cases": "We're going to focus more on the medical cases. There's going to be more humor and wit. Season 1 was a very challenging season, primarily because it was dealing with the effects of James Moriarty, who was the villain in the show. Watson was on [medication] and [Moriarty] was messing with his prescriptions. Now that's behind him, he's going to have a little bit more fun and be a little bit more loose. But overall… we're going to focus really on the very unique medical cases."

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