Dr. House

Let me put it simply. I am a physician, and as an inviolable rule, I HATE medical shows. Granted, TV series tend to be one dimensional, due to inherent difficulties in the genre, but "doctor shows" are something I avoid like the proverbial plague.

And then one evening I caught "House, MD" and was completely drawn into the show. In House I find the anti-hero that I've been waiting for in a medical show. The guy who knows everything, but is wrong often enough to keep us all guessing. I enjoy the contrast of House and his cadre of young fresh faced colleagues, complete with starched white lab coats, who struggle as much with their professionally imposed constraints, and sense of decorum, as they do with his personality. And, wonder of wonders, the use of ironic and tragic comedy is without peer in what I've seen in the TV world in recent memory. In a nutshell, I really never know what any given character will say or do and it's that freshness that will keep me coming back for more. Somewhere there is a team of writers who actually know their craft, and an acting ensemble that knows how to pull it off. Now I can watch my TV one hour a week........

I love this show. Fell in love with the pilot, which I got on DVD. I tried watching NBC's Medical Investigation, but it just felt and looked too corny. House is a definite improvement of Medical Investigation. It's smart and daring. I love the sarcasm and snide comments coming from Dr. House. Supporting actors are great. It's CSI-ish but quirky like Arrested Development. I hope it stays on the air. Cancel Medical Investigation but keep House. It's a good sign that FOX is pushing plenty of promos for the show, such as free DVD previews of the pilot. I look forward to watching the show every week. I'd like to see the show develop more of the characters and why Dr. House limps.

So I like medicine and mysteries and watched CSI the first couple of times but got bored quickly with the repetitive format and self-important characters. Nowadays there's usually not that much in the way of mystery shows on (US) TV anymore--cop shows, sure, but mysteries? And while ER is certainly a quality show, I never really cared that much for it either--too much like a daytime soap but with blood. "House," however, seems a nice combo of medicine, mystery, and character. Hugh Laurie's Dr. House is someone you feel guilty loving because he's so arrogant and callous, but he keeps you entertained because you can't wait to hear what he'll say next. House loves to tell the truth as he sees it, cutting through the nice happy lies that your average urban US adult tells and believes, never mind the hurt feelings he might leave lying bleeding by the roadside. But of course, his character *may* hide a heart of gold, so in the end he's trying to do the right thing. Sure, it's a formula, and House is even a stock character maybe, but it works.

If the creators/writers are smart, they'll allow a little character development, especially amongst the excellent supporting cast, but not ruin it by changing House or allowing him a romance with either of his female costars. Keep that sexual tension going!

For fun, catch Hugh Laurie--who is British by the way--sometime on one of the seasons of Black Adder (usually rebroadcast on PBS, but also available at better video rental shops). He plays a complete idiot and is as convincing in that role as he is as the brilliant and misanthropic Dr. House. . .

Hugh Laurie as Dr. House is my new hero. This is a terrific show with some absolutely great writing. A little over the layman's head as far as medical jargon, but the characters, plot and script more than make up for any questions about a diagnosis. The show is really carried by House, but the team of doctors who work with him add dimension and depth to his character.

Any negative comments I've read about the show dealt with complaints about how the television doctors don't diagnose the way the viewing medical professionals do. May I point out to these people, this is a television show. Please get a grip on reality and watch it for it's pure entertainment value.

I hope this show has a good following and I'm already hoping for, and looking forward to, more seasons.

This show is just a perfect riot, even though it is a drama. It is tightly-written, and there are at least as many layers to the characters as there are to the medical mysteries. The worst part about the show is having to wait a whole week for the next episode to air.

The bickering and bantering among the doctors involved add an appreciable depth of humour and humanity as they work together to solve each case. The process they go through with each case shows the human fallibility of doctors as well as the fear and frustration of those waiting for the doctors to save their loved ones, and the show pokes fun at, justifies, argues against, dismisses and ultimately humanizes the arrogance for which doctors are infamous.

The cast is absolutely fantastic - I just love how these people work together. They are absolutely real and human as their characters alternately combat and cooperate with each other. They are the reason the plots hang so well together. And Laurie is just supreme. The sarcasm, the barbs, the snide remarks, and even the insults are so ridiculously honest one has to laugh.

Kudos to the casting people and the writers as well as the creator - this is one of the best shows ever. I hope it lives for many many seasons, and I can hardly wait to see where it leads!