Hugh Laurie to direct 'House' episode

civis_liberalis

This showed up the the internets today, thought I'd share.

I have to say that I'm really looking forward to what he might come up with. I've seen interviews with Stephen Fry recently and he always maintains that Laurie was always the guy that had the last word on things when they worked together, because he just has such a great mind for comedy and what type of thing works and what doesn't.

Hugh Laurie is going to direct an episode of his hit Fox series "House."

This is going to be the first time Laurie has stepped behind the camera on the series, which has produced more than 100 episodes to date.

“I am thrilled, daunted and honoured – with a ‘u’ – by this new responsibility,” Laurie. “'House' scripts are Fabergé eggs, and I will try my very hardest not to drop this one on a stone floor.”

“I’ve wanted him to direct since Season One. In fact, I can’t believe he’s actually doing it,” said executive producer Katie Jacobs. “There is no one more qualified to direct the show than Hugh Laurie. I’m sure this is evident to anyone who’s seen the show, but he is simply the most versatile, talented, funny actor on TV today. Add to that an impeccable feeling for the visual storytelling, and you have the makings of a great director. I don’t know how he’s going to be in two places at once, but that part we’ll just have to figure out.”

The episode Laurie is directing is “very intense and truly a director’s piece.”

Link http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/12/hugh-laurie-to-direct-house-episode.html

TT&TO

This is great news...he was officially named Exe Producer this season and masterminded their 'snakes on a cane' marketing campaign...so I'd say this is just a natural extension of the work he was already doing.

Who thinks this episode will be focussing on everything and everyone except House himself?;)

batbaby

Wow, that should be awesome!!

BlitzKrieg

anyone wanting more hugh laurie, he is in the latest episode of family guy doing House...its pretty crap for the most part and hugh laurie is hardly in it, but if you are desperate for a bit of laurie...

civis_liberalis

This is the episode wiki of the Family Guy episode for any that's interested.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Guy

Will try to catch it at some stage.

r3nu4l

I'm not sure he'll bring anything drastic to the show tbh. I heard Colm Meaney on radio talking about why he refused an offer to direct episodes of Star Trek: The next generation.

H said that TV shows are tightly choreographed from placement of cameras, to lighting used so that viewers become familiar and comfortable with the formula.

House is already tightly scripted to remain pretty much the same each week (see below), and in much the same way, the direction is tightly controlled.

So we'll see Cuddy wearing nice, low-cut tops (drool), someone (or House himself) will make a comment that makes House realise the actual problem with the patient and the camera will zoom in on House's face or the back of his head and he'll become very still before rushing off to his team to change the treatment etc...

There isn't much room for him to do a lot but with the limited freedom he has I hope he pulls something special out of the bag It would be nice to see a change.


I Love House but I posted this on another forum (I use a different username there) as an example of formulaic TV shows...

r3nu4l wrote:

I love that episode of House, where House and Cuddy have the sexual tension going on. I think it's the same one where House manipulates Wilson into doing something he wants.

I also loved it when that character made a seemingly innocuous comment that caused House to pause, drop everything and limp back to the team to tell them he had figured out the patients' problem and promptly cure him.

That was the same episode where they thought they had figured out what was wrong with the patient, treated the patient only for the treatment to nearly kill him.

The Black Oil

Yeah, you're right about the tight scripting and directing that's in place. Hmm, it would be good to see them something to turn things upside down, even temporarily such as Dreamland, Bad Blood, Jose Chung's episodes of the X Files. Taking the mick can work and I think shows should only really try it after they've been on the air for a few years so why can't House try now?

civis_liberalis

The Black Oil wrote: »

Hmm, it would be good to see them something to turn things upside down, even temporarily

They sent House to a psychiatric hospital at the end of season 5 and was in there for the duration of the hour-long opener for the current season. I'm not saying that they shouldn't turn things upside down again, I'm just making a point.

I also thought the bus crash storyline deviated a fair bit from the "formula". Incidentally, it was one of my favourite episodes from any TV show . I was really moved by it, I was mopey for a day or two afterwards thinking about it... .

Now... Ahem... [Manly cough] I'm off to do something incredibly manly.

The Black Oil

Definitely. The end of series 4 was..quite something.

JP Liz

The episode hasn’t even been shot and already Hugh Laurie’s upcoming House directorial debut is attracting some serious Oscar buzz.
Actor David Strathairn, who scored an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Edward R. Morrow in Good Night, and Good Luck, has been tapped to guest star in the Laurie-helmed 17th episode.
“He’s a patient who has scenes with Dr. House,” explains executive producer Katie Jacobs. “I’m excited to [watch] the two of them in a room together.”
Jacobs says Laurie, who was absent from Fox’s press tour party tonight because he was busy prepping for his big episode, hand-picked Strathairn for the sure-to-be-meaty part. “Hugh really wanted him to play the role,” she says, “and [David] responded.”
As Jacobs previously teased, episode 17 will be a tense, change-of-pace hour. “I can’t give away the premise,” she says, “but the format is different.”

brogen

Oh I know House is formulaic. But it's still awesome.

Can't wait to see what Hugh Laurie does with it.

brogen

And as though the show heard me talking... the new episode aired in the US this week breaks away completely from the established formula. Not enough House himself, but a really really good episode.

SimpleLogic

"Lockdown" is the seventeenth episode of the sixth season of the American medical drama House. It is set to air on March 22, 2010. This episode is directed by Hugh Laurie and is his directorial debut for the series.[1]
When the hospital is sent into lockdown mode due to a missing infant, all of the doctors must remain where they are leaving Foreman and Taub in the file room, Wilson and Thirteen in the cafeteria playing truth or dare, House in a room with a patient (David Strathairn) and Chase with an old flame as Cuddy tries to help police locate the infant

looking forward to this

The Black Oil

Was a bit disappointed with it, tbh. Slightly worried by the promo for the next ep..

BlitzKrieg

really?

I liked it, was a step away from the usual scenarios...I was dreading he was going to notice something

about the dying man and end up saving his life...

But it was nice little dips into everyone's life, it may not have gone too much into them, but everyone got their fair share of detail (except cuddy but she just came off an episode solely focused on her) And I must admit I laughed at the taub foreman ones, and I'm glad that they are getting him to be a bit more risky again (though the

vicoden

did sort of come out of nowhere


Overall an good enough episode.


I didnt see the preview for next week so I'm curious now...

NeoSlicerZ

I enjoyed it, the episode showcased how House has changed I think despite all the other characters' screen time. Taub is awesome , I laughed when Foreman punched him on the schnozz .