TV Show of the Week 17: House

Mr E

That horrible horrible ad on radio for TV3's Season 1 airing is so bad, it might actually put people off watching the show. Shame, because for a show thats in its 5th year, it remains one of the sharpest, well written shows on TV.

Hugh Laurie plays Greg House, head of a Diagnostic team in a Teaching hospital. If anyone is admitted with a strange life-threatening illness, House and his team are on the case. House himself is a sarcastic bastard with very sharp mind, and his often seemingly reckless trial and error diagnostic technique can rub people up the wrong way. That makes him great fun to watch.

Part of its ongoing appeal is the chemistry between the characters. The 6 core characters (House, Cuddy, Foreman, Cameron, Chase, Wilson) just play off each other so well that its a joy to watch. Since Season 4, they decided to freshen things up (after a prolonged and entertaining candidate screening) with some new characters - 'Thirteen', Taub and Kutner. These characters have fit in very well, and are now part of the show. Will they ever get added to the opening credits? Maybe in Season 6 (I know some long time House fans are hopeful that the diagnosis team return to the original 4, but I can't really see that happening now).

Where House falls down slightly (and its more due to the hourly length than the writing) is each case is usually wrapped up with a nice little bow by the end of each episode. And since the show is only an hour long, we don't form any emotional attachment with the patient, because they are admitted, cured and released in the space of an hour. There were a handful of exceptions (I remember one episode in season 2 with a young girl who had cancer, and the excellent season 4 season finale), but these are few and far between.

With Episode 100 on next week, this show ain't slowing down.

Despite the horrible ad, its worth watching this on TV3 if you haven't seen it before.

Must see TV.

Necronomicon

House is probably my favourite currently running show. It is just consistently excellent.

The weekly cases sometimes feel formulaic after five seasons; a few misdiagnoses before they believe it is finally cracked, which turns out not to be the case, only for something serendipitous to give House the answer to really solve it. Still, the show is so character-driven that the cases take a back seat to what is happening to the main characters, to the extent that at times the hospital setting is incidental (I think this was particularly true in the middle of Season 3, during the height of the Tritter conflict).

I think they're still trying to strike a balance between the screen time of the old and new diagnostic teams. Foreman has obviously been written into a more prominent role (although he's still pretty boring) but Chase and Cameron have felt like furniture at times. That's why I was particularly disappointed with the most recent episode -

having Cameron take Cuddy's role could've been stretched into a longer arc. What now, does she go back to the ER?

Still, the season so far has been very good IMO and if it manages to top last season's finale, it'll be spectacular.

Basq

Ah yes.. 'House' - one of the most consistently brillant shows on network television.

It does have it weak moments and as Dave has mentioned, it has a tendency of wrapping up storylines sometimes too neatly. And probably doesn't have enough

deaths of patients in House's care

to add to the realism as he seems practically infallible. One of my friends who's seen a fair few episodes of the show remarked to me that

he's never seen an episode where one of his patients dies

.

To be honest, we can talk about the strong dynamic and relationships of the main characters.. but I'll get to the point - they're largely good (especially Robert Sean Leonard) but Gregory House is THE show. Hugh Laurie's performance has never been poor in almost 100 episodes, he delivers dialogue so well - whether it's comical, sardonic or (rarely) heartfelt. Hugh Laurie deserves every single bit of acclaim he recieves for the role.

The most recent season has been lacking in something.. but House has went through slight dips in quality but it still remains watchable. Once again, mostly due to Hugh Laurie's performance.

Another thing that's worth mentioning is the music in House is magnificent.. it's introduced me to a lot of great artists previously unknown to me - such as Iron & Wine, Brett Dennen and Zero 7.

Anyways, it is a truly excellent show. I own all 4 seasons on DVD and could probably watch them again and again.

User45701

One of the best shows on TV, i regret wathcing it tbh, its the type of show that i would love to just watch straight though for the first time, ever season.

But then again allot of the episodes can be very standaloney with only minor overall story devolopers but then again some episodes are major story arc (not enough of them this season (besides the start))

humanji

I have to admit that I'm hating the show so far. A friend of mine is a big fan and kept telling me to watch it, but I only got a chance to see it when it came on TV3. I just don't see the attraction. House is the standard crotchity character with a heart of gold you see in so many tv shows that I found myself not caring what happened. He's like an even less likable version of Dr Cox from Scrubs.

I promised myself I'd stick with it as I really want to like it it, but am just finding it a chore to get through. I can only assume (and hope) that it gets better in later series?

Posy

humanji wrote: »

with a heart of gold

God, no. :eek:

nevey

humanji wrote: »

I have to admit that I'm hating the show so far.

+1

I was even going to start a thread saying what a disappointment it was (never saw it on channel 6, just watched one on TV3 last week) but then I noticed that it has the coveted "own board" status on here, so if I posted on that board I would inevitably find nobody in agreement with me.

Yes, I have only seen one episode, but in that episode my problems were
- very 1-dimensional misery-guts of a Dr House, ridiculously overconfident in his analysis. And the way that none of his patients in the ER stood up to him, but let him walk all over them with insults is just silly.
- ridiculously attractive team of junior doctors, all too fresh-faced and air-brushed and silly undertones of attraction going on between them (about at the intellectual level of 90210)
- and all the medics seem to have the time in the world to devote to their patient .... all going off to the lab on a whim to do more checks, explaining all they are doing CSI-like (which helps understand what they are doing, but makes for completely unbelievable TV) ... have they no more patients to see? Are they not proper sleep-deprived doctors?

It's like someone said: lets do a new take on the hospital drama with a grumpy doc who has no redeeming qualities apart from being always right, surround him with some fluffy characters and a squeaky clean hospital with badly lit labs for better cinematography and add a razor sharp dialog .. then we just scoop up the EMMYs. Too formulaic for me. You can get the razor sharp dialog in a better package on other shows.

Basq

humanji wrote: »

House is the standard crotchity character with a heart of gold you see in so many tv shows that I found myself not caring what happened. He's like an even less likable version of Dr Cox from Scrubs.

Sorry humanji.. but you could not be more wrong. I understand you haven't seen much of it but House has no "heart of gold".

He's an complete ass.. one such scene sticks to mind in how much of a hard-hearted person he is:

Dr. Gregory House: [becomes entranced while performing open fetal surgery and the fetus' hand emerges and grasps his fingers]
Dr. Lisa Cuddy: House?
Dr. Gregory House: [snaps out of it] Sorry. I just remembered I forgot to Tivo Alien.

Maybe it's not for everyone.. but I remember starting the series and not really getting much out of it. It quickly grew into one of my favourite series currently airing.

The opinions of nevey are quite inaccurate since you've only seen 1 episode but let me address what you've said:

nevey wrote:

- very 1-dimensional misery-guts of a Dr House, ridiculously overconfident in his analysis. And the way that none of his patients in the ER stood up to him, but let him walk all over them with insults is just silly.

Dr House specialises in solving cases no-one else can.. his brain works overdrive, and he solves by over-analysing and typically detecting what other surgeons and doctors would miss.

His patients do stand up to him... plenty of times. An odd time we get him doing brief clinic visits in which patients become highly insulted but he soon cuts them down.

As for his weekly cases, he is a doctor no matter what you say.. you can't really insult someone in charge of saving your life.

But his "bullying ways" makes way for major storylines in later seasons (season 3).

nevey wrote:

- ridiculously attractive team of junior doctors, all too fresh-faced and air-brushed and silly undertones of attraction going on between them (about at the intellectual level of 90210)

It's a US TV show.. try and find a US TV show that doesn't have a cast of young good looking actors.

nevey wrote:

- and all the medics seem to have the time in the world to devote to their patient .... all going off to the lab on a whim to do more checks, explaining all they are doing CSI-like (which helps understand what they are doing, but makes for completely unbelievable TV) ... have they no more patients to see? Are they not proper sleep-deprived doctors?

They work for House. Like I said, House specialises in these "special" cases. So they spend the episode focusing on a single case.

The same thing happens in every hospital drama.. why add in more complexity and un-necessary storylines? Focus on the storylines at hand.

Would you prefer to see them eating lunch weekly like in Grey's Anatomy?

nevey

basquille wrote: »

The opinions of nevey are quite inaccurate since you've only seen 1 episode but let me address what you've said:

An opinion can't be inaccurate - I stand over every one one the statements I made, but as I said I have only seen one episode. However, with the amazing accolades the show receives, I think I'm entitled to expect to be impressed and hooked by 1 episode. All the comments I made are general to the show .. not a specific episode.

basquille wrote: »

His patients do stand up to him...

Fair enough.

basquille wrote: »

It's a US TV show.. try and find a US TV show that doesn't have a cast of young good looking actors.

Yeh but I expected something that was more than just a US TV show.

basquille wrote: »

They work for House. Like I said, House specialises in these "special" cases. So they spend the episode focusing on a single case.

So while he gets dragged down to deal with colds and flu in the ER, his minions get to ponder on these difficult cases? Don't you see that it is just a setup for a scene where young female attractive doctor pouts over microscope while attractive young male doctor looks on??? Shallow shallow shallow!

basquille wrote: »

Would you prefer to see them eating lunch weekly like in Grey's Anatomy?

Excellent point - I think the two shows are just about on a par. Except, in its favour, I think that House spares us the annoying silly repetitive and braindead backing tracks and the voice-overs which tidy everything up in a neat little bundle at the end.

Lookit, I know there are major fans out there, and I'm not saying its crap and I promise to dip my toe in again next week .... all I'm saying is that it is nowhere near the category of really class, quality TV series such as The Wire or the Sopranos. And it shouldn't be hailed as such!

aequinoctium

great show

yerayeah

Love House. I'm working my way through the box set at the moment:D

Mr E

Absolutely nothing wrong with a differing opinion, nevey.... if you don't like it, you don't like it. I don't like the Wire and people think I'm mad.

However....

nevey wrote: »

Greys Anatomy .... I think the two shows are just about on a par.

.... is so so soooo wrong. Comparing something as well written as House to the soap opera that is Greys Anatomy, well... annoys me. McDreamy, McFarty, McSkinny, McMoody and the rest of them can take a flying leap. She sleeps with him, he sleeps with her, she sleeps with his ex, he sleeps with her husband, she breaks up with him, he has a fling with her, yawn.

When I see that ad on Living for the latest episode where that doctor uses the word "Va-jay-jay" I just want to slap her. You're a doctor, its a VAGINA. Christ.

</rant>

tvnutz

House is the standard crotchity character with a heart of gold you see in so many tv shows that I found myself not caring what happened. He's like an even less likable version of Dr Cox from Scrubs.

Totally disagree with this. House is a git,plain and simple. Sometimes its actually hard to like him,even to Wilson his best friend he can just be a complete git.I actually liked that about the character though,it was different from most leading characters.

That being said,I originally bought seasons 1 and 2. I watched all of season 1 fairly quickly,really enjoyed it. I then watched about half of season 2 and gave up. Have not watched it in months. I felt it just got too repetitive,the same thing over and over,and while there was some character development,I felt it wasn't enough. I might pick it up again since I have half of the second season lying there,but I'm not pushed to get season 3.

aequinoctium

tvnutz wrote: »

I might pick it up again since I have half of the second season lying there,but I'm not pushed to get season 3.

dude, just watch season 3! it'll be worth it.
you will have to watch the end of the second series to know what is going on with House in the first episode though

Posy

Yeah, season three is worth watching. Don't give up now!!

ixoy

Great show and of course it's down to Laurie's performance. I got to laugh at the idea that House really has a heart of gold - he's a misanthropic bastard. If he's determined to help a patient, it's only ever because he doesn't like the idea of not being able to solve a problem; he couldn't care less for the patient themselves. His mind is highly analytical and he's a borderline autistic in his approach to people - he doesn't have any desire to understand their personal problems unless it helps him diagnose the disease that he wants to solve. This contrasts sharply with Cox in "Scrubs" who actually cares about the patients.
For what it's worth, House is based loosely on Sherlock Holmes (Holmes as in "Home" -> "House"). Like the great detective, House is an addict (pain killers instead of opium) and he has one person who can try to reign him and who he'll listen to (Wilson instead of Watson). Oh and both live at 221B...

The supporting cast are great too (especially Leonard as his long-suffering and only friend, Wilson). They bounce off each other well, especially the original "ducklings". By now it's also great to see how the characters are always second-guessing each other, trying to outsmart and outplay each other. The dialogue is snappy and Laurie really delivers the sarcastic liners brilliantly.

The show is of course formulaic - patient falls ill, House & co. make an initial few diagnosis which are always wrong, then 7-8 minutes before the end some random event will trigger the solution and patient is cured. It's the method of execution - the one-liners, acting, and character dynamics - that make it such a treat, even now in its fifth season (with its fourth season finale, being one of the great season finales of the last few years).

Dr Galen

i hated House for the first few eps tbh, the missus got me watching it, but then after that was hooked. Season 2 does slightly loses its way a bit midway, but it was really just finding of feet type blip. Season 3 is excellent and as has been said the finale of season 4 is must see tv of the highest order. And this is all coming from someone who doesn't watch a huge amount of tv shows.

Got the Wire Boxset for xmas though.......

dango

I enjoyed the first few shows but it became so formulaic...

(shamelessly robbed from cracked.com)

nevey

That's gas!! It fits the episode I saw perfectly .. except for the insightful words of a child bit ... so I guess it is not formulaic afterall !
Will definitely try to watch it this week for comparison.

Posy

Love 'House' so should be insulted- but that was VERY funny!

cuckoo

I adore House, but don't think of it as a medical show.

For me it's a show about addiction, and is about the only one I can think of on tv that has such an unlikeable main character. There's no heart of gold, no heart of any kind there at all.

The other characters all dance a dance of enablement around the pill popping House, each has there own messed up reason for putting up with his behaviour and it's interesting how the writers slowly tease these out and demonstrate them. The diseased patient of the week is only a tool to show a little more light on the messed up people working in that hospital.

The music is great, and Hugh Laurie is genius. Only thing that could make it better for me would be Foreman leaving - very boring character.