CBS’ New Medical Drama Dethrones ‘Tracker’ for Most Viewers

Tracker has been leading for the past two years with every new ratings list of top broadcast programs. The Justin Hartley-led series hit the ground running when it premiered in 2023 and continued to grow between episodes and seasons. That is no longer the case with the latest CBS ratings revealing that Watson has amassed more viewers in 35 days than Tracker. 18.7 million viewers watched the Watson series premiere episode after the AFC Championship game on Sunday, January 26. Meanwhile, Tracker‘s best episode peaked at 18 million viewers. While there is a significant gap between the shows, it remains to be seen whether Watson will keep up or improve on the numbers and emerge as television’s top series in the 2024-2025 season.

Starring Morris Chestnut as Dr. John Watson, the show “takes place six months after the death of the titular character’s friend and partner Sherlock Holmes at the hands of Moriarty.” Watson “resumes his medical career as the head of a clinic dedicated to treating rare disorders. Watson’s old life isn’t done with him, though – Moriarty and Watson are set to write their own chapter of a story that has fascinated audiences for more than a century. Watson is a medical show with a strong investigative spine, featuring a modern version of one of history’s greatest detectives as he turns his attention from solving crimes to solving medical mysteries,” reads the show’s official description.

‘Watson’ Will Be Back for Season 2

CBS has renewed Watson for Season 2, which is expected to premiere in the 2025-2026 TV season. The show has been doing well, with each episode averaging 6.79 million weekly viewers. It also seems to be performing well on streaming, which accounts for close to half of the viewers of the pilot episode. Other cast members include Eve Harlow (Ingrid Derian), Peter Mark Kendall (Stephens Croft, Adam Croft), Inga Schlingmann (Sasha Lubbock), Ritchie Coster (Shinwell Johnson), and Rochelle Aytes (Mary Morstan). The show is executive produced by Chestnut, Craig Sweeny, Sallie Patrick, Larry Teng, Shäron Moalem MD, PhD, Aaron Kaplan, and Brian Morewitz.

New episodes return on Sunday, April 13. “Ingrid’s lies come back to haunt her when her sister Gigi needs to be treated by the team after she develops side effects to the secret treatments Ingrid put her through. Also, Watson and Mary bond over a tragedy,” reads the logline for Watson Season 1, Episode 9, “Take a Family History.”