When CBS announced its premiere dates for the fall 2025 schedule, it was no surprise thatCIAwas missing from the list. What was a pleasant surprise was thatWatsonseason 2 was moving forward in the schedule, switching from a midseason start to a fall start.
The Morris Chestnut drama will also move nights from itsWatsonseason 1’s timeslot,now airing on Mondays straight after new episodes ofFBIseason 8. While this initially seems like great news forWatsonseason 2, there is a disadvantage that nobody is talking about.
Sure, there are mentions of how the ratings are going to be more important for a fall series, but what about the competition it has? This change will now mean that the CBS medical drama has competition with another medical series, andthis could cause problems forWatsonseason 3 potentially happening.
Watson Season 2 Is Premiering Early After CBS' Unexpected Schedule Change
CIA Wasn’t Ready For A Fall 2025 Start
Originally,CIAwas going to take the last timeslot on Monday nights, which made sense considering it is set in the same universe asFBI. However, it was clear there were problems, as by July 2025 there had been no casting updates except that Tom Ellis would star in the series. In fact,we had a disappointing update that the scripts were being polished.
As filming needs to start in July for a fall start, it wasn’t too surprising to hear thatCIAwas being moved to the midseason. This meant that CBS had to find another show to air in the fall, andWatsonended up getting that honor.Watsonseason 2 will move nights and time, taking the 10/9c timeslot on Mondays, and this is great for the series as a whole.
It shows that CBS has support for the medical drama, and the timeslot could work out as a strong one withFBIairing first. There will be alittle more pressure onWatsonto perform well in the linear ratings, though, compared to a Sunday midseason timeslot.
Watson Season 2’s New Schedule Pits It Against NBC’s Brilliant Minds
Watson And Brilliant Minds Are Both Medical Dramas
Something that nobody is talking about is the competition thatWatsonseason 2 will have. It willair up against NBC’s medical dramaBrilliant Minds, which also returns for season 2. It’s not unusual for networks to put similar shows on at the same time for competition, but this can work out negatively for CBS.
When Watson originally had the Sunday night timeslot, it wasn’t going to be up against too much. Granted, NBC hasn’t announced its midseason plans in full, butthere is unlikely to be a medical drama airing on Sunday nights.
Brilliant Mindswasn’t the strongest show for NBC during its freshman year, so CBS may believe that the Sherlock Holmes-inspired series can hold steady up against it, and the two shows are substantially different in terms of storytelling.
CBS knew thatBrilliant Mindsseason 2would air on Mondays at the end of the night,giving the Morris Chestnut series more competition.Brilliant Mindswasn’t the strongest show for NBC during its freshman year, so CBS may believe that the Sherlock Holmes-inspired series can hold steady up against it, and the two shows are substantially different in terms of storytelling.
While it is a risk forWatson, it could also work out in its favor. There will already be FBI fans tuning in, and they may be more likely to stick around for the next show, especially if they still believe thatCIAwill air next.
Watson
Cast
Watson follows Dr. John Watson a year after Sherlock Holmes' demise as he leads a clinic for rare disorders. Despite his return to medical practice, Watson is drawn back into the mysteries and challenges of his past, suggesting that his association with Holmes is far from over.
Brilliant Minds
Brilliant Minds is a 2024 series about an eccentric neurologist with face blindness, offering a unique perspective on patient care. The story follows him and his team of young interns as they tackle complex psychological cases, all while managing intricate personal and professional relationships.
