09/02/05
While desperate housewives can make mischief, House makes grumpiness a joy.
And much of the success of House, the hit Fox medical show that debuted last year, is due to its star. Hugh Laurie plays the title character, the acerbic, pill-popping (he's in constant pain) doctor with a cane (he has a limp) and the ''everybody lies'' mantra.
What's surprising about the Emmy-nominated Laurie's brilliant performance is not that he's a Brit, but that he's a Brit who's known for his comic turns. It's a bit disconcerting to hear Laurie talk with an English accent on the special features of the first season, which is out now (Universal; $59.98).
Created by David Shore, Paul Attanasio, Katie Jacobs and Bryan Singer (X-Men and the upcoming Superman Returns), House is set at a prestigious New Jersey hospital, where Dr. Gregory House and his team of young assistants (Omar Epps, Jennifer Morrison, Jesse Spencer) tackle the medical cases that baffle everyone else. Also on board are Lisa Edelstein as Dr. Cuddy, the hospital's administrator, and Robert Sean Leonard, who plays Dr. Wilson, the closest thing to a friend House has.
And while it's fun to watch House do the Sherlock Holmes thing -- ferreting out obscure clues to find the causes of illness -- it's really fun to watch him say whatever he wants, things most of us think but wouldn't have the courage to say. When an intern finds him reading a comic book, she blurts out, ''You're reading a comic book.'' His reply: ''And you're drawing attention to your bosom by wearing a low-cut top.'' When the intern covers her chest with her clipboard, he adds, ``Oh, sorry, I thought we were having a state-the-obvious contest.''
But the brazen honesty of the character comes out not just in flippant situations. When a mother has decided to wait on treatment for her dying son until she gets a second opinion, House -- who rarely sees the patients -- visits her at her son's bedside. When she asks who he is, he replies, ``I am the doctor who's trying to save your son's life. You're the mother who's letting him die. Clarification -- it's a beautiful thing.''
House has climbed in the ratings, but it hasn't generated a must-see buzz. However, everyone I know who's watched has become hooked, like House to his pain pills. And I bet this will be remembered as a great show.