CW Readies the Arrival of 'Sherlock & Daughter'

When Arthur Conan Doyle dreamed up the cocaine-and-heroin-addicted, (and, in modern terms, probably-ace-and-autistic) Sherlock Holmes in the mid-1880s, he had no idea he was launching a detective trope that would dominate the industry. Nor did he ever anticipate how many ways his characters would be spun in the century after his passing in 1930. From Jeremy Brett and Benedict Cumberbatch's iconic takes to U.S. TV series like Elementary and Watson to fanfiction-style variations like Enola Holmes and Young Sherlock, Holmes has turned out to be pretty elastic. The newest entry encompasses American sensibilities and fanfiction, Sherlock & Daughter, set to arrive on CW in the spring of 2025.

The recent spate of new Sherlock series was spurred on by the rest of the Holmes canon recently coming out from under copyright in the early 2020s, finally putting to bed the Doyle family's endless attempts at litigation. (Like the man himself, the Doyle family has no imagination or sense of humor about the famous detective.) However, the latest is a serious stretch that attempts to combine the PBS-style period mystery series with the girl-boss type programming CW used to be known for until it canceled almost all its shows in 2023. 

David Thewlis, who most Americans know best as Professor Lupin from the Harry Potter film series, plays the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, and his version lives and works in London's Baker Street in the late 1800s. However, his "daughter" of the title is a spunky American teenager who comes to find him after her mother's untimely death. Moreover, she's sporting the last name of Rojas, suggesting that her mother's family is, if not indigenous Americans, at least dates back a few centuries as citizens of this continent.

Here's the series' synopsis:

The mystery thriller series Sherlock & Daughter puts Sherlock Holmes out of his comfort zone, mysteriously unable to investigate a sinister case without risking the lives of his closest friends. Enter: young American Amelia. After her mother’s mysterious murder, she learns that her missing father may be the legendary detective. Despite wildly different backgrounds and attitudes, the pair must work together to solve a global conspiracy, crack her mother’s murder, and find out for sure if she really is Sherlock’s daughter.  

Thewlis costars with Blu Hunt (The New Mutants) as the titular Sherlock and Daughter alongside Dougray Scott (Irvine Welsh's Crime) as Professor Moriarty, Paul Reid (Derry Girls) as Inspector Bullivant, Seán Duggan (Miss Scarlet) as Dr. Watson, and Antonio Aakeel (Slow Horses) as Swann. The rest of the main cast includes Orén Kinlan (Flora & Son), Gia Hunter (Here We Go), and Ivana Milicevic (The 100). Supporting cast includes Shashi Rami (The Gone), Kojo Kamara (The Outlaws), Fiona Glascott (Julia), and Allan Keating (Obituary).

Brendan Foley is the series creator of Sherlock & Daughter and penned all episodes with Micah War Dog Wright and Shelly Goldstein. James Duff is the series showrunner with Bryn Higgins and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers directing. Foley and Duff also serve as executive producers with Karine Martin, Chris Philip, Peter Gerwe, Dominic Barlow, and Ivan Dunleavy.

Sherlock & Daughter will debut on CW and the CW app on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 9 p.m. ET.