TV Talk: What’s next on ‘Watson;’ Pittsburgher back on ‘Jeopardy! Masters;’ ‘Kingstown’ back this fall

Note: Spoilers for the May 11 season finale of “Watson” follow.

In Sunday’s season finale of CBS’s Pittsburgh-set medical mystery drama “Watson,” Dr. John Watson (Morris Chestnut) killed his rival, Moriarty (Randall Park), who spent the show’s first season blackmailing Watson’s staff into harming Watson and their colleagues. Watson’s ex-wife, Mary (Rochelle Aytes), covered up for Watson.

“The repercussions of that act, both in terms of who knows about it, who doesn’t, and how do the people who were in on it feel about it, will continue on into season two without the new season being all about just looking back on the past,” said “Watson” creator Craig Sweeny, a Pittsburgh native. “It definitely matters on an ongoing basis to the characters.”

Dr. Stephens Croft (Peter Mark Kendall) and twin brother Adam (also Kendall) recovered from their Moriarty-caused illness, but Stephens told Ingrid (Eve Harlow), who was blackmailed into doing Moriarty’s bidding and poisoning the Crofts, he didn’t want to work with her anymore.

“We’ve done her origins, right?” Sweeny said. “By my lights, she remains, in spite of that, somewhat mysterious, because she’s not in touch with her true intentions. That said, our approach to writing the character in season two is, can Ingrid change now that we know who she is? Can she stop acting in ways that blow up her life every so often, and can somebody with her diagnosis [of antisocial personality disorder] become a different person or change themselves meaningfully? … The character is going to be in therapy in season two and digging into the idea of trying to really change who she is at her core.”

CBS’s “Watson” was a Top 20 series on all platforms (originating on streaming and broadcast) in Nielsen’s multiplatform ratings, tied at No. 18 for the 2024-25 TV season, largely boosted by huge ratings for its January premiere that aired after an NFL playoff game. Among only network series, “Watson” tied for seventh place with CBS’s “Elsbeth” in multiplatform ratings.

CBS says “Watson” is the third-most watched new drama of the 2024-25 TV season (behind CBS’s “Matlock” and ABC’s “High Potential”), the No. 4 new scripted series (behind “Matlock,” CBS’s “Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage” and “High Potential”) and the No. 1 scripted network series among Black viewers for the 2024-25 TV season.

“Watson” will not return with new episodes in the fall. Rather, its second season will premiere in early 2026, airing at 10 p.m. Sundays after CBS’s new “Yellowstone” spinoff, “Y: Marshalls,” which stars Luke Grimes, reprising his role as Kayce Dutton from “Yellowstone.”

“Watson” star Morris Chestnut is currently filming his recurring role in the third season of Hulu/Onyx legal drama “Reasonable Doubt.”

Pittsburgher back on ‘Jeopardy!’

Pittsburgher Victoria Groce, who won ABC’s “Jeopardy! Masters” a year ago and competed in the first episode this season in late April, returns to the show Wednesday at 9 p.m. on WTAE, facing off against Matt Amodio and Adriana Harmeyer.

‘Kingstown’ debuts in fall

Given the similar production schedule to last year, I expected filmed-in-Pittsburgh “Mayor of Kingstown” would air its fourth season on Paramount+ this summer shortly after wrapping filming early next month.

But reporting from a recent Paramount Global earnings call details how Paramount executives said “Mayor of Kingstown” will debut its fourth season in October 2025.

CBS, Fox fall

CBS announced its fall schedule last week with “The Neighborhood” and new comedy “DMV” (set in a department of motor vehicles office) leading off its Monday night schedule, followed by “FBI” and new drama “CIA” (a CIA case officer gets paired with an FBI agent). “NCIS,” “NCIS: Origins” and “NCIS: Sydney” make up the Tuesday schedule. “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race” return with 90-minute episodes on Wednesday. “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” “Ghosts,” “Matlock” and “Elsbeth” are back on Thursday. Spin-off “Sheriff Country” precedes “Fire Country” on Friday, followed by “Blue Bloods” spinoff “Boston Blue” (Donnie Wahlberg reprises his role as Danny Reagan, who takes a job with Boston PD). Reruns and “48 Hours” air Saturday and CBS got wise and finally put reruns at 10 p.m. Sunday due to NFL overruns, preceded by “60 Minutes,” “Tracker” and new country singing competition “The Road.”

Fox revealed its fall schedule to the press Sunday, pairing “Name That Tune” with “Celebrity Weakest Link” (Jane Lynch returns as host) on Monday this fall. “Murder in a Small Town” and “Doc” air on Tuesday. “The Floor” and new game show “99 to Beat” (100 contestants compete head-to-head) take over Wednesday. “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Special Forces: The World’s Toughest Test” air Thursday, with college football on Friday, sports on Saturday and animated shows “The Simpsons,” “Universal Basic Guys,” “Krapopolis” and “Bob’s Burgers” on Sunday.

Fox ordered one-hour comedy “Best Medicine,” based on the British import “Doc Martin,” seen on American public television stations including WQED in Pittsburgh. In the American show, airing at midseason, Josh Charles (“The Good Wife”) stars as blunt Dr. Martin Best, a Boston surgeon who moves to an East Coast fishing village. Fox also renewed “Animal Control,” “Going Dutch,” “Grimsburg,” “Beat Shazam,” “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!,” “Extracted.” “Kitchen Nightmares,” “Lego Masters,” “The Masked Singer” (returning at midseason) and “Next Level Chef” (and ordered spinoff “Next Level Baker”).

Fox also ordered a reinvented “Fear Factor” where contestants live in the same house.

Fox has made no decision on renewing “The Cleaning Lady,” “The Accused” and “Alert,” but it seems like the odds of these shows returning are slim.

Kept/canceled/ordered

NBC renewed “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: SVU” for the 2025-26 TV season. But with NBC expected to devote at least one night of prime time to NBA games in the upcoming 2025-26 TV season, the network canceled more series than in the recent past, axing “The Irrational,” “Found,” “Lopez vs. Lopez,” “Night Court” and “Suits LA.”

Amazon’s Prime Video canceled “On Call” after a single season.

Peacock ordered “Ted: The Animated Series,” set after the “Ted” films. This is in addition to the second season of Peacock’s live action “Ted” series.