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Once Upon A Time's Robert Carlyle is our new Sherlock Holmes as star joins CBS' Watson opposite Morris Chestnut

Get ready to love and hate Sherlock Holmes all at the same time as Robert Carlyle steps up to play the detective in CBS's Watson.

Once Upon A Time's Robert Carlyle has been cast as the esteemed detective Sherlock Holmes for the upcoming second season of CBS's hit series Waltson. As first reported by Variety's Joe Otterson, Carlyle will be joining the series - and not just as a one-off, but with a recurring guest star role opposite the titular star of the show, Morris Chestnut, as Mr. John Watson.

This casting completes the core trinity of Arthur Conan Doyle lore, following the debut of Randall Park as Holmes and Watson's arch-nemesis, Professor James Moriarty, in the first season.

Related: Here's every Sherlock Holmes story that's been used in CBS's Watson (so far)

“We are thrilled to have the mighty Robert Carlyle join the cast of Watson’ in Season 2," Watson showrunner Craig Sweeny says with the news now public. "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."

This is the second in a string of good news for Watson, as earlier this year it was moved up from being a mid-season series in CBS's 2025 - 2026 season to being one of its big returning shows.

Watson season 2 begins October 13 on CBS, with new episodes being added the day after on Paramount+.


Chris Arrant

Chris Arrant: Chris Arrant is the Popverse's Editor-in-Chief. He has written about pop culture for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel, Newsarama, CBR, and more. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. (He/him)

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