Many people noticed right away that there were similarities between House and the great fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. Even their names were phonetically similar: House=Ho(l)mes. This isn't by accident: David Shore acknowledged in an interview that Holmes was one of his inspirations for the character of Dr. House. Ironically, Sherlock Holmes was himself inspired by Dr. Joseph Bell, under whom Arthur Conan Doyle studied. In a recent episode ("Whac-a-Mole," S3), there was a direct nod to the House/Holmes relationship when House said, "The game's a itchy foot"- a play on the famous words of Holmes, "Come, Watson! The game's afoot!" ("The Adventure of the Abbey Grange," by A.C. Doyle)

House	Holmes
Solves puzzles by brilliant powers of observation and deduction	Solves puzzles by brilliant powers of observation and deduction
Loner with few social skills	Loner with few social skills
Has one friend, James Wilson	Has one friend, John Watson
Uses Vicodin for pain	Uses cocaine when bored
Thrill of the puzzle brings him alive	Thrill of the puzzle brings him alive
Has one unfulfilled love, Stacy	Has one unrequited love, Irene Adler
Plays piano and guitar for solace	Plays violin for solace

How House Is Like Holmes