The actor stars as a version of the Arthur Conan Doyle character in a series set in the present day, following an American geneticist in the wake of Sherlock Holmes’s death.

Like “House,” it sees a genius doctor (in this case Morris Chestnut’s Dr. John Watson) diagnose medical mysteries with help from a team of photogenic sidekicks. And like “House,” it draws inspiration from Sherlock Holmes — this time more directly,

Of all the fictional characters in the public domain, Dr. John Watson never seemed to be crying out for a moment in the spotlight. Watson has mostly been defined by his relationship to Sherlock Holmes,

Dr. John Watson, one-time sidekick to the detective Holmes in old books and movies, is now the central character of "Watson," premiering Sunday night.