House returns with ‘new’ episodes
By Elizabeth Gartley
Special to the Pioneer Times
OK, the writers’ strike officially needs to end. Last week I was forced to watch a “new” episode of House that was actually the Christmas episode. Apparently, the episode had been held over so that the network would have something unseen to air after the winter hiatus. While the episode itself was all right, I can barely handle Christmas during December, so watching a Christmas episode at the end of January was totally lame.
I began watching the FOX medical drama/procedural a few years ago after a friend insisted that I would “appreciate” the titular cantankerous, self-destructive character (and I guess he was right). The idea of the show is actually simple: Dr. Gregory House is the head of the diagnostics department at Princeton Plainsboro Hospital, and every week he and his team must solve a new medical mystery. (House is also an example of the fact that people watch TV shows, not for complex and compelling stories, but for the characters.)
The show was actually something of a surprise hit when it began, especially since it had success both with viewers and critics alike. And House owes a very large portion of its success to star Hugh Laurie (I’ll grant the rest of the credit to series creator and executive producer, David Shore). Laurie has won a plethora of awards, from an Emmy and two Golden Globes to a SAG award and two Television Critics Association awards. Although the show’s story lines have reputation for being hit-or-miss, Laurie keeps fans coming back.
Laurie is somehow able to make a manipulative and acerbic character completely likeable, funny and even sympathetic. With Laurie’s help, House is another drama that is actually funnier than most sitcoms on TV right now (well, I’ll give the writers some credit – the stories may not always be great, but the dialogue and characters are spot-on). But nevertheless, Laurie did begin as a comedic actor and writer on English television (yes, the rumors are true, he is English). Laurie co-starred and co-wrote the sketch series, A Bit of Fry and Laurie with BFF Stephen Fry, and then starred in the final two (and best) seasons of Blackadder with Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean). (Both of these shows are also worth checking out and are available on YouTube.)
Anyway, the current season of House began with some pretty dramatic cast changes, which, much to my surprise, seems to be working. Adding new characters can be dangerous for many TV shows, but it seems to be working here.
House is on FOX Tuesdays at 9 p.m. after American Idol.
Elizabeth “Liz” Gartley, of Houlton, has a BA in media studies from Emerson College in Boston. She has studied abroad in the Netherlands and Australia, and most recently interned at a production company in Hollywood. She can be reached online at egartley@gmail.com or leave a message for her at your local newspaper office.
