House

[dreamer_easy]

Rented the first four eps to see what all the fuss was about. It's engaging and intelligent - sort of a cross between Sherlock Holmes (hence the name, I assume) and the ER column in Discovery magazine. I love how House's brusqueness removes what I call "Flintstoning" from scenes. In any other show, a scene where doctor confronts recalcitrant patient would have filled at least the first minute with "I'm told you're refusing treatment" etc etc, running on the spot with information we already have. House cuts straight to the point: "You're an idiot". The same scene would normally include a speech from House while the camera slowly zooms in; instead it's all fast repartee and the crucial message is conveyed in a couple of lines. Also, Hugh Laurie's American accent sounds extremely convincing to my admittedly inexpert ear. I'm impressed.

Comments

[severa.livejournal.com]

Yay! join us House fanssss.

And yes, Hugh Laurie's American accent is quite amazing. Of course, I've been impressed with it since I saw Stuart Little.

[alawston.livejournal.com]

I quite like it. I just wish Laurie would get it out of his system and make another series of 'A Bit Of...' with Stephen Fry. It's been a tantalisingly concrete rumour for some time now.

[angriest.livejournal.com]

Apparently Fry and Laurie simply aren't able to put aside the year or so it would require to sit together and write all-new sketches and then shoot them. Or so I've heard.

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

As someone living in the Midwest for 7 years now, listening to it day in and day out... it is VERY good. There are only the occasional moments where it seems a little too nasal, but on the whole? You'd never know.

[angriest.livejournal.com]

Apparently the producers didn't realise Laurie wasn't American when they hired him.

[wyldemusick.livejournal.com]

I'm told Laurie's American accent is supposed to be a New Jersey accent, and that it's indeed a very fine job despite a couple of slips in early episodes.

the show is fantasy, of course, as House would have been sued out of existence in a matter of weeks, not to mention fired by every hospital that hired him within days of his first patient.

It makes for an engaging show though. Just don'tlook for medical accuracy.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

And it has Cuddy's tits Cuddy!

[ide-cyan.livejournal.com]

In a S2 episode there's a hugely obvious (but blink-and-you'll-miss-it brief) shout-out to Sherlock Holmes.

Also, consider the name of House's best friend: Dr. James Wilson.

And then there's the drug thing, except House has an actual medical condition that requires him to take drugs.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

Holmes has a serious medical condition, in that his entire body is a mere appendage.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Hee! That's possibly the best definition of Sherlock Holmes I've ever heard.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

It's pinched from The Mazarin Stone, and I've been misquoting it all these years! "I am a brain, Watson. The rest of me is a mere appendix."

[ravenevermore.livejournal.com]

I just can't get my head around the accent. Probably because I've spent him doing his 'normal' voice and only using accents when slipping into parodies and comedy. I should probably sit down and watch a full episode, but the accent is just going to take some adapting to.

[fizzixrat.livejournal.com]

Great show. One of the ones I record so I won't miss it. :)


Hugh has fooled a lot of Americans -- not just on the accent, but on the idea that he's this cutting dramatic actor (when we all know how well he plays the comedic posh fop :D). Still, he does a very good neutral American accent...

...but it's not a New Jersey accent.


The wife and I love this show. As a rule, she avoids hospital shows, what with actually working in one 80-some hours a week, but there are a few things going for the show that appeal to her anyway: 1) a chance to study a really mysterious medical case and try to figure out, from the symptoms, what's wrong before House and crew do (think of her as the 4th resident on the team, only she doesn't get insulted by House :D) and 2) House says all the things she'd *like* to say to some people she deals with -- and gets away with it. Vicarious thrill, I guess. :)

Okay, sick thing is that I've been known to beat her to the diagnosis from time to time. That might be because I don't have the knowledge of all the other possibilities she has -- I just think of one of the weirder ones that might make it a bit more fun dramatically...



And yeah, Cuddy really doesn't quite dress appropriately for a hospital supervisor, does she? Then again, her previous life [blatant West Wing reference ahead] as a call girl-turned-lawyer may be influencing her dress sense a bit. Still, eye candy is eye candy. ;)

[vindaloo-vixen.livejournal.com]

I was actually surprised when Hugh Laurie was in House - the first write-ups that made me interested in the series didn't mention its actors at all. And at first, yes, I was driven nuts by Hugh's accents, but damn if he doesn't nail House so well. He's so convincingly different that whenever I see him interviewed as himself about the show, I think, Wait, why are they talking to Hugh Laurie? Surely they should be talking to someone from House? :)

[whochick.livejournal.com]

Yes, I fear I'm addicted.

And whilst I will never gush over Laurie as a sex-symbol, I've always maintained he's one damn fine actor, and House proves it imho.

As far as the accent goes, the director didn't know he was English until the casting agent told them a week into shooting (as I hear it).

[jvowles.livejournal.com]

Love, love, LOVE that show. He's an absolute rat bastard....and when you get up to those episodes, you'll find out more about WHY. The medical stuff is an excuse to explore the personalities of the docs. :)

[kelemvor.livejournal.com]

Also, it has Jesse Spencer (http://www.drgreghouse.com/img/photos/chase.jpg). 'Nuff said.

[bex77]

Hubby and I love it, too! We tuned in to see Hugh, and were astonished at his Americanization and his nastiness (in a good way). The camera loves him. And they play it up.

Some of the plot devices are whincey, and the routine format can grate a bit (This guy has weird symptoms! Try that! Oops, now he's worse! Try this! Nope...oh...wait! I know! All is well.) But focus on Hugh and there is enough there to keep us coming back.

[jenavira.livejournal.com]

House is so refreshingly horrible -- it's an obscure kind of vindication. You know doctors are like that behind your back, but House does it to his patients. :D

Plus Hugh Laurie's just sixteen kinds of awesome.

[reveilles.livejournal.com]

My husband and I love this show, too. Ditto on all the reasons, and the great laugh-out-loud moments. I'd highly recommend it.