House (TV Series)
A maverick doctor specializing in diagnostic medicine uses his wits and a crack team of doctors to solve puzzling cases. Antisocial House often clashes with his colleagues, including his own diagnostic team, as he frequently formulates hypotheses about patients’ illnesses based on subtle or controversial insights and flouts hospital rules. He also has a habit of pursuing personal relationships with his patients.
The show combines drama with comedy and has been a top-rated series on Fox. It has also garnered high ratings in other countries, notably the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy. In 2008, the series was listed in The American Film Institute’s list of 10 Television Classics. It has won numerous awards, including the Peabody Award, and is regarded as one of the most distinctive new dramatic programs in a decade.
From its inception, House has attracted a large and devoted audience. At its peak in the early seasons, it ranked as the third highest-rated program on network television, beating out all other American television shows except for American Idol.
Although House is filmed primarily in Los Angeles, most of the action takes place in the fictional medical center of a city called Century City. The set is modeled after the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, and was designed by production designer Peter MacDonald.
In the first three seasons, the main members of House’s diagnostic team were Dr. Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer), Dr. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison), and Dr. Eric Foreman (Omar Epps). After a season three episode in which he dismisses Chase and Cameron, House recruits new team members. The most prominent of these are Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley (Olivia Wilde), Dr. Christopher Taub (Peter Jacobson), and a new janitor, medical student Martha M. Masters (Amber Tamblyn).
House is notable for being the first major television series to feature a woman in the title role. It has also been noted for its innovative use of special effects and cutting-edge camera technology, such as the Canon 5D DSLR. Cinematographer Gale Tattersall was credited with using the camera to create many of the show’s most visually stunning shots.
The series has received acclaim from critics, as well as audiences, and has won several awards, including four People’s Choice Awards. It has also been nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award.
Despite its critical acclaim, the show has not made a profit. The first season lost $1.6 million per episode, and the second season lost an additional $1.9 million. By the end of its seventh season, the series was losing an estimated $2.8 million per episode.
Paul Attanasio, Katie Jacobs, David Shore, and Bryan Singer are the show’s executive producers. Through the sixth season, more than two dozen writers have contributed to the show. The most prolific have been Kaplow, Blake, Friend, and Lerner, while Shore has directed the most episodes at 17 through the sixth season. In addition to these directors, the show has featured work from a wide variety of other directors and staffers.
