House (TV series)

Production

David Shore and Paul Attanasio, along with Attanasio's business partner Katie Jacobs, pitched the series to Fox in 2004 as a CSI-style medical detective program. The main character was loosely based on Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Attanasio was inspired by The New York Times Magazine column "Diagnosis" by physician Lisa Sanders, an attending physician at Yale–New Haven Hospital; the fictional Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital is modeled after that institution.

Fox bought the series, though network president Gail Berman told the creative team she wanted a medical show without white coats going down the hallway. Jacobs noted this stipulation influenced the show's final form. After Fox picked up the show, it acquired the working title Chasing Zebras, Circling the Drain. The original premise involved a team of doctors diagnosing the undiagnosable.

Shore felt an interesting central character was important, one who could examine patients' secrets and lies. As the concept developed, the program became less procedural and more focused on the lead role. The character was named House, which became the show's title. Bryan Singer directed the pilot and had significant input in casting.

Singer said the pilot's title was "Everybody Lies" and that this was the show's premise. Shore stated that several early episodes were based on the work of Berton Roueché, a New Yorker writer specializing in unusual medical cases.

Series overview

Gregory House heads a team of diagnosticians at Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Most episodes begin with a cold open outside the hospital showing events leading to a patient's symptoms. The team attempts to diagnose and treat the patient, often failing until the condition becomes critical. They typically treat patients other doctors have not accurately diagnosed, and House rejects cases he finds uninteresting.

The patient is usually misdiagnosed at least once, causing further complications that provide new evidence for the correct diagnosis. House often arrives at the correct diagnosis seemingly out of the blue, inspired by a passing remark from another character. Diagnoses range from common to very rare diseases. The team faces difficulties from patients concealing symptoms or personal histories, leading House to frequently proclaim "The patient is lying" or mutter "Everybody lies."

This assumption guides his decisions and makes housebreaking a routine tactic. House often has trouble obtaining permission for medical procedures from his superior, Dr. Lisa Cuddy, especially when procedures involve high risk or ethical questions. Frequent disagreements occur between House and his team, particularly Dr. Allison Cameron, whose medical ethics are more conservative.

Cast and characters

Six main actors received star billing throughout the series, all playing doctors at Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Dr. Gregory House, played by Hugh Laurie, heads the Department of Diagnostic Medicine and describes himself as a board-certified diagnostician with double specialties in infectious disease and nephrology. Dr. James Wilson, played by Robert Sean Leonard, is House's only true friend and heads the Department of Oncology. Dr. Lisa Cuddy, played by Lisa Edelstein, is an endocrinologist who serves as dean of medicine and chief administrator, making her House's boss.

Their relationship involves innuendo and sexual tension; they kiss for the first time in the season five episode "Joy." In the season five finale, House believes they had sex, but this is a hallucination from his Vicodin addiction. In the season six finale, Cuddy tells House she loves him, and they agree to try being a couple. During season seven they attempt to make the relationship work, but Cuddy ends it because of House's addiction.

In the season-seven finale, House drives his car into Cuddy's living room in anger. Edelstein left the show before season eight; after this incident Cuddy leaves the hospital and House never sees her again.

Reception

When House first aired, critics largely praised it, and the show stood out on Fox, a network then dominated by reality programming. Its first season earned a Metacritic score of 75 out of 100 from 30 reviews, which translates to a generally favorable reception. Matt Roush of TV Guide called it an uncommon cure for the typical medical drama. David Bianculli of the New York Daily News commended the strong acting and writing.

The Onion's A.V. Club labeled it the nastiest black comedy Fox had aired since the short-lived Profit in 1996. John Leonard of New York magazine found it to be medical TV at its most satisfying and basic. Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe praised the show for not hiding its characters' flaws. Brian Lowry of Variety felt the storytelling was by-the-numbers, even if the package was glossy.

Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle dismissed it as mediocre and unoriginal. Doctor Mikhail Varshavski, an osteopathic physician, reviewed the show's medical content on YouTube, noting that while the information was usually accurate, it was often exaggerated for drama, and House's quick use of invasive tests was not standard practice. The character of Gregory House drew especially strong reactions. Tom Shales of The Washington Post described him as the most electrifying new main character on television in years.

Did You Know?

• In 2008, House was distributed in 66 countries and was the most-watched television show globally with over 81.8 million viewers.
• T-shirts bearing the phrase "Everybody Lies" were sold for charity, with proceeds going to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
• A soundtrack album titled House M.D. Original Television Soundtrack was released on September 18, 2007.