8110 replies to this topic

[Meems]

I just read about this new drama in Lisa de Moraes' tv column in The Washington Post, and after SQUEEEEing for about five minutes I rushed over here to start this thread.

The pertinent facts:

1. It’s called House.
2. It stars Hugh Laurie.
3. It’s some kind of medical mystery show.
4. It stars Hugh. Laurie.

Just when I think I can’t love Fox anymore than I already do this week (following their renewal of Arrested Development) they go and get Hugh “Jeeves & Wooster, Blackadder” Laurie and give him their best time slot (Tues., post-American Idol!) and everything.

I’m so excited.

Edited by Meems, May 18, 2005 @ 12:33 PM.

[phantomframe]

I know a little bit more about this show for those interested. It's about a doctor (that's Dr. House, played by Hugh Laurie) who runs the diagonstic medicine department at a hospital. Dr. House walks with a cane, won't wear a white coat and isn't interested in dealing with patients, he's just interested in their illnesses. Suffice it to say, he has zero bedside manner. He has three young doctors who work with him (Omar Epps, Jennifer Morrison and another guy I don't know) and he makes these doctors deal with the patients, and then they report back to him. The hospital is up in arms over Dr. House's attitude, but he's a great doctor, so they try and find the balance of giving him some slack and giving him some shit.

I saw some bits of the pilot and it has a CSI feel--you go inside bodies to figure out the illnesses. The difference is, the people on House are still alive! I liked what I saw of Hugh Laurie--he plays a curmudgeon, which is quite a leap from being Stuart Little's dad!

[sorority]

I managed to get my hand on a screener of the pilot episode and watched it yesterday. And I loved it.
Which came as a total surprise since I don't like shows about Doctors and CSI bores me half to death. And this show is a bit a mix of both. But: it has a non-PC main character. It has Hugh Laurie and it has the snark. Lots and lots of snark. The part I loved most?
"You could try to hurt me but I'm pretty sure I could out run you." said by House's Boss to House - and his cane. .

Besides that: I loved the assistents and I loved how they added the character played by Robert Sean Leonard to make House look more human and less like a total jerk. Besides that, their relationship brings the HoYay.

When the show starts coming January, I'm definitely watching.

[Invisible Green]

When the show starts coming January, I'm definitely watching.

It actually starts in November.

[buttersister]

Oh good, a show worth watching we needn't wait until 2005 for. Or 2006.

Hugh Laurie + snark = love. Let's hope it gets a decent time slot, rather than the other new medical show, that potential crapfest, Dr. Vegas.

Did I say potential?

[sorority]

It does? That's great. Thanks for the info. :)

[americana19]

I think I'll watch since it's in the timeslot 24 was in last year. That may not make sense, but it's true. It's got potential for good ratings since there's not a lot of competition, plus, if it makes it to January, it'll have American Idol for a lead-in.

I've heard both great things and terrible things about the show, although the only complaint I've seen has been about what a jackass HL's character is, although that's never really bothered me about a show before; for example, NYPD Blue was a good show in its first few years despite the fact that Sipowicz was such an antihero.

[Invisible Green]

Looked it up: It starts on Tuesday, November 16 @ 9 PM ET.

[caia1970]

My complaint. I hate HL's American accent. Why can't he keep the English one? Sigh. I miss Jeeves and Wooster.

[Nikki125]

I have become pretty interested in this show ever since it was mentioned a few times in the Medical Investigation thread. It sounds very interesting. I will definitely have to check it out because I am such huge HL fan.

I loved the assistents and I loved how they added the character played by Robert Sean Leonard to make House look more human and less like a total jerk.

RSL is in this?? Fantastic! I love him and it has been awhile since he has acted in anything.

My complaint. I hate HL's American accent. Why can't he keep the English one? Sigh. I miss Jeeves and Wooster.

Word. HL's American accents are not the best and I too miss Jeeves and Wooster. What a terrific series. HL and Stephen Fry were great together.

[sorority]

RSL is in this?? Fantastic! I love him and it has been awhile since he has acted in anything.

He is. He stars as Hugh Laurie's best - and only - friend. The only person he's actually nice to. That's why in my first posting I said they bring the HoYay. *G*

[dives]

Wow! There's a thread for this show already! I too will definitely watch come November 16th. The tingly sense of anticipation I have now mirrors slightly the feeling I got when waiting for Hugh Laurie's cameo(s) on MI-5 around this time last year.

Word. HL's American accents are not the best and I too miss Jeeves and Wooster. What a terrific series. HL and Stephen Fry were great together.

I too don't like the American accent, but I thought he did alright with it in Stuart Little.

At least he and Stephen will be in that new Hound of the Baskervilles thing this winter.

americana19, what 'great things and terrible things' have you heard?

Edited by dives, Aug 16, 2004 @ 12:54 PM.

[americana19]

americana19, what 'great things and terrible things' have you heard?

What I was referring to was the two opinions I've seen from people who have seen for the show so far: one was postive (see sorority's post), and one that was negative (Izzy of Spoilerfix's review).

Edited by americana19, Aug 16, 2004 @ 2:05 PM.

[dives]

Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification.

[Sandman]

My complaint. I hate HL's American accent. Why can't he keep the English one?

Wait. Hughie's playing Amurrican? Oh. As usual. Dear.

Sigh. I miss Jeeves and Wooster.

Hee. Now I'm wishing for an amalgam of House and Wooster. I suppose they'd have to call it Manor House. Coming to FOX, approximately never.

[Eliot]

I didn't realize until today that one of the executive producers - Paul Attanasio - was also one of the creators of Homicide: Life on the Street.

I'll definitely check it out based on that alone.

Although, come to think of it, Homicide alums don't seem to have a good track record with Fox (see The Jury)...

[Phamos818]

I was ignoring all the ads for new Fox shows during the world series until all of a sudden I saw someone making a funny face. I jumped up and went "Is that Hugh Laurie?!?" I'm suddenly very excited for this show. Any new buzz building?

[Pete]

There's a DVD of the first episode attached to this week's TV Guide, the one with Desperate Housewives on the cover. The verdict? I'll probably check it out again, but this would be a fairly generic doctor show if not for Hugh Laurie's performance. It reminded me a little of Gideon's Crossing cranked up a bit.

[Slade347]

There's a DVD of the first episode attached to this week's TV Guide

So, is this another case (ala Jack and Bobby) of a promo DVD just being available in only certain markets? Because my TV Guide didn't have the DVD attached to it.

[biakbiak]

So, is this another case (ala Jack and Bobby) of a promo DVD just being available in only certain markets?

Probably, there was a DVD for it in my issue of EW.

[Wootini]

I got my DVD in my Entertainment Weekly. Which actually worked out well for me, because I was mildly intrigued by this show, so handing me the first episode on a DVD I can watch at my leisure got me to try it out.

Hugh Laurie does an admirable job with his American accent, though he did slip once rather noticeably. A little Scotch leaked out. The odd thing, is they let Jesse Spencer keep his Australian accent (He's the cute assistant - I know him from the blink-and-you-missed-it brief run of Neighbors on Oxygen). Why not let Hugh B. Natural, too?

I also found the cinematography to be a little overpowering. In the beginning, when it was a little bit warmly-lit and looking like the videogame Ico, I thought it was a nice visual style. But by the halfway point of the episode, it looked like it had been shot in black & white and then colorized. But only with orange, making everything look either grey or tan. It got to be a bit much after a while. Oh, and when one of the patients is supposed to actually look orange, it's not nearly as effective visually when everyone else looks pretty orange, too.

On the plus side, it was nice to have a medical show that isn't also a crime drama or a chaotic rollercoaster ride like e.r. It was interesting to see how they examined the case, and the solutions they came up with. The "going-inside-the-body" bits were a little gimmicky, but interesting. Basically, there's nothing that spectacularly different about House compared to other shows except for the solid casting and snarky dialogue. I'll probably continue tuning in just to watch House be a crank. Especially since there's nothing else on in that time slot that I can think of.

[Rinaldo]

If I can get the DVD with an EW or something, I might get it just for that. Because it's starting the same night as TAR, in the very same timeslot. So I will not in fact be watching House....

Even though it was one of the two drama series that popped out of the "season preview" roundup pieces and yelled "watch me!" Because of the amazing assembly of talent assembled in the cast, good actors one doesn't expect to see all together. (The other such series was Lost.)

Robert Sean Leonard would be surprised to hear he "hasn't acted in anything lately." He goes directly from one play to another on Broadway and is in big demand there, as well being hugely respected in the theater community. (His appealing but low-key screen presence would not prepare one for what a superb stage actor he is.) He won a Tony award a couple of years back for a Tom Stoppard play.

[Nikki125]

Since I don't watch FOX that much, I hadn't seen the promos for this show and had forgotten about it. In case anyone didn't know, it premieres November 16th @ 9pm. This will interfere with my Scrubs viewing, but I will check it out anyway.

Robert Sean Leonard would be surprised to hear he "hasn't acted in anything lately."

Since I don't get a lot of Broadway plays where I live, I was not familiar with RSL's extensive stage career, although I did know that he had done some work on the stage. When I said "It has been awhile since he has acted in anything", I was actually referring to his film career, so my bad for not making myself clear.

Edited by Nikki125, Nov 8, 2004 @ 10:01 PM.

[ld]

I'm looking forward to this, because I've long loved Laurie in Bit of Fry and Laurie, Jeeves & Wooster, BlackAdder, and various small film roles. I, too, wish they'd let him keep his lovely native accent, but...Hugh Laurie on my TV every week? I am so there.

Haven't seen all his work of course, so I think this will be my first exposure to him in a non-bumbling/non-nice-guy role. Can't wait.

I also got the preview DVD in my EW. Plan to watch it asap.

[Jet Black]

I also got my preview DVD in the latest EW (Natalie Portman/Julia Roberts cover). I wasn't even going to view until I read something about it on Ain't It Cool News. I loved the pilot! Hugh Laurie's American accent is a bit cheesy (it sounds almost Australian), but his character is really intriguing. The cast is also really deep in talent. The guest star Robin Tunney was fantastic. I am definitely going to make House one of my regulars. I am concerned that this series will succumb to the Fox curse since it's not a reality show.

[StickyKeys]

Hey Jet Black! Can I ask what part of the country you're in? I'm an EW subscriber and I never get anything! Unless it comes on those AOL disks which I just throw away.

You know I've seen paper ads and they have these huge stars (Jim Carry, Omar Eps, etc) and then I read the description and things just don't seem to jive up.

I'm not sure about this show, but I'll give it a chance!

[Uber Beaver]

Hugh Laurie on my TV every week? I am so there.

Totally. When I first found out that Hugh was doing an American show I nearly exploded into tears of happiness. He is one of my favorite actors, and I am praying that this show gets picked up.

I haven't gotten the TV Guide with the DVD which bummed me out. I should do more scouring around because I don't think I could wait for next Tuesday!

[AresCupid]

I hated it. Bryan Singer must be the only director who abuses bloom-lighting so much that it looks bad. A bunch of too-cool doctors and their jackhole leader puttering around in a thoroughly unpleasant-looking "city" and sets. Their boss wasn't so bad mostly because she, like me, was annoyed with them and trying to her best to be above it all. And looked the best at the same time. Nope, I won't be watching.

Edited by AresCupid, Nov 9, 2004 @ 3:17 PM.

[caia1970]

Hugh Laurie's American accent is a bit cheesy (it sounds almost Australian),

It sounded like he was trying too hard. You know how when American's try and do British accents and they go overboard? "Wot ho, guvnah!" Same thing but in reverse. (Well not that bad, but close).

I actually didn't love the show. A medical procedural? Again? Some more? I'm only watching it for Hugh, but if his character becomes any less appealing I might give up. What with Veronica Mars and now The Amazing Race in the same timeslot, something's got to give.