TV legend Hugh Laurie has hit back at criticism that every episode of House was basically the same — while admitting the show did have something of a formula.
Laurie played House in the long-running medical drama series of the same name from 2004 until 2012, appearing in 177 episodes across eight seasons. The show was hugely popular, though often faced comments that its episodes were all very similar.
It's this similarity that journalist Janet Murray recently posted about on X/Twitter — only for Laurie to respond personally with a rather sarcastic reply.
"Late to the party, but I've started watching Season 1 of House," Murray wrote. "Same narrative every episode: Patient has mysterious illness. Hugh Laurie (House) gets diagnosis wrong. Patient nearly dies.
"Hugh Laurie gets diagnosis wrong again. Gets threatened with being fired. Patient nearly dies again. Hugh Laurie has last minute leftfield idea. Gets diagnosis right. Doesn't get fired. Eight seasons of this?"
While this is often the basic structure of a House episode, the series was still celebrated at the time for Laurie's performance, as well as the ongoing relationships within his close team. The character of House himself was the show's top draw — a modern day version of Sherlock Holmes with talents specialized for medical mysteries (with the character's name a direct reference to the infamous Victorian sleuth).
Plot-wise, though, House definitely had a formula — something Laurie seems to accept in his reply.
"Thanks for your critique, Janet," Laurie wrote. "We actually tried a couple of episodes where House (Hugh Laurie) (please put the brackets in the right place) gets it right first time, but they were only six minutes long. NBC weren't happy. Then we tried some where House never gets it right and the patient dies. The audience wasn't happy.
"One could apply your trenchant analysis to other art forms: JS Bach wrote 30 Goldberg variations on the same chord structure; Frida Kahlo painted 50 portraits of herself; Henry Moore, what?? The point is, or was, variations on a theme; if all you see is hospital, medical blah blah, then it wasn't meant for you."
Signing off, Laurie ended with a flourish: "Nonetheless, I look forward to your first novel!"
Ouch.
While formulaic, House's episode structure clearly never hurt the show's popularity. The series earned a Guinness World Record for being the most popular TV show globally in 2012, and also picked up awards such as Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild award, and a Peabody Award. All in all, a solid — even if predictable — diagnosis.
Murray's response to Laurie's response? "Well this was unexpected. And not the slightest bit patronising."
Image credit: Alan Zenuk/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
source https://www.ign.com/articles/hugh-laurie-roasts-critic-who-said-all-house-episodes-were-basically-the-same