Dr. House

Normally when I watch a series, I mildly enjoy it and wander through the series mindlessly, particularly with sitcoms. On very rare occasions, a show will pop up that I enjoy the main actor so much I follow him around for a couple years. This happened with House.

Hugh Laurie plays the part so perfectly and does this incredible thing where you absolutely hate him and love him at the same time. You want him to be happy, but you also can't help but feel like he deserves some of the things he goes through.

The thing that impressed me the most about House is the fact that House stays House from the first episode of season one to the last one of season eight. His personality doesn't waiver for one second, and that's a feat in and of itself.

While all of the medical jargon wasn't necessarily accurate and they had a habit of people coughing up blood in almost every episode, I did find it far more fascinating than any of the crime dramas that pop up. That might just be my personal opinion. It did get old the last couple of seasons though. "It's lupus!"

Probably the best part of the whole show was House and Wilson's relationship. All of my favorite moments surround their crazy shenanigans. Like the chickens. Ah, the chickens...

The worst part is when it's over. You are depressed for a few days. You know a show is good when it does that to you. I wholeheartedly recommend you go watch House.

Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) revels in solving the hardest of medical riddles. He chooses his team which changes over the years. Dr. Eric Foreman (Omar Epps), Dr. Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer), and Dr. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) are the three original underlings. Dr. James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) is his only true friend. Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) starts as his boss.

Hugh is a British actor playing an American doctor who has a badly damaged leg. He's a grumpy caustic know-it-all. Too bad for everybody else, he is almost always right. He is inevitably the smartest man in the room. Oh did I mention that he's a drug addict. It's master acting class from Hugh. It's physical. It's accent work. It's character work. It's a great character.

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.

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. . .

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.