The primary difference being that Holmes was not a complete asshole. Oh - sure - he was full of himself; he was short with Watson on at least one occasion; he enjoyed narcotic substances, almost certainly as a measure to self-medicate bouts of depression (perhaps the down edge of a mild bipolar disorder?).
But the House character’s just a fucking jerk, plain and simple. The show makes me cringe: just why should we be celebrating an attitude like that?
To the extent that we should be celebrating his attitude, it’s because he fiercely advocates for his patients without compromise and against all obstacles, including the patients themselves.
But the show doesn’t (simply) celebrate House’s attitude. Every other character on the show frequently points out that House is a jerk. Yes, House is brilliant, but the other major characters aren’t fools without valid points of view. They cut diagnostic corners that House is unwilling to cut, but they frequently get results because of their interpersonal skills that House is unable to manage himself.
I don’t think House is interesting because he’s a jerk, plain and simple. I think he’s interesting because he’s a multifaceted, brilliant guy who happens to be a jerk. Sometimes it works for him, sometimes it works against him. Makes for good drama.
Bertie Wooster, M.D. is OK - but the other actors (with the exception of Robert Sean Leonard) cannot act, and Hugh Laurie can act, and the contrast is cringe-making. I keep expecting him to make a Blackadder comment and for the others to go, “Wha-?” There’s not enough black humour in there for me. Green Wing is more my type of hospital-com. But I’m currently liking Gray’s Anatomy, mostly because of Sandra Oh.
It must be that over-emphasis that sounds odd to me - rather than the accent. Thinking about it, he does that in a British accent too – just that all the other roles I’ve seen him do have been comedy ones so it doesn’t seem unnatural
Well, for goodness sake, you saw one episode. Maybe it was the bad one–every season of every show has at least one bad one.
I’ve only seen a couple of episodes myself, and I liked it well enough, without really loving it, to watch those. Then I saw the second to the last of the season, which I posted about here. It was one of the best hours of television I have seen in my entire life.
And, according to what I read about it since then, a real break from the usual plots. Maybe that is where they will be taking the show.
I have trouble seeing him as a cliche, when the only example we’ve been given is a show from the '70’s. Something similar every 30 years? I think I could stand that.
And he certainly isn’t being held up as an example in his entirety–that is one of the things that is so refreshing. He isn’t a simple character. He doesn’t make character mistakes and learn from them–while he may be growing, he certainly is still a jerk in a lot of ways. But he tells the truth, and that is what has won my heart. And he doesn’t let mistakes stop him.
So: maybe you should try a couple more shows. Maybe the show simply isn’t for you–maybe you resonate with different types of characters. Feel free to despise it in your heart, but at least give it a chance before you feel the need to go public.
I can’t get into a show that doesn’t have a single likeable character.
True. But the “brilliant-jerk” character is still a type, and has been overused. I think because a lot of the audience resents brilliance, and the character gives them a little feeling of superiority; and perhaps also because another part of the audience resents false niceness, and feels not-nice people are more “real.”
I must say, I’m a sucker for House’s character. He is a jerk and extremely cynical…I admire his cynicism because I feel the way he does, sometimes. People tend to be pretentious and in denial and try to fool themselves. He sees through all that.
I also find House interesting because he uses his cynicism as a wall to protect him from being hurt. At one point he must have been idealistic and sensitive and he was let down in a big way.
I know, people shouldn’t be jerks just because their life has sucked in the past…but if only happy, well-adjusted people were portrayed on TV, that would be boring
I also think he’s funny—I think he should meet John Becker and Perry Cox from Scrubs. They could open a clinic and call it A Dose of Sarcasm. 
Hated it.
Hated, hated, hated it.
But then I hate ER, and almost every “realistic” medical drama out there.
Why?
Because while they may be “realistic” enough for most viewers, I spend the entire show muttering things like:
“That’s unethical.”
“Where’s the funding for THAT coming from.”
“Holy Jesus, THAT’S just not physically possible”
“That drug takes 3 days to work”
“That Lab test takes 3 weeks to culture before you get a result”
“You don’t inject that IV”
“Why is that patient still conscious after that much blood loss?”
“Breaching confidentiality like that in real life would get you struck off.”
“Nobody in their right mind would try and repair a triple A in an elevator”
Which sort of ruins it for me (and anyone else who happens to be in the room).
The only medical shows I watch are **Green Wing ** and Scrubs, mostly because the medicine in them is very minor, and when it does crop up it’s perfectly researched.
One thing that bothers me about the show is that House never pays the price for his arrogance, but my heart goes out to Cuddy who, as the series develops, quite often does. At some point I’d like to see House acknowledge that Cuddy doesn’t just have to deal with him, but she has to stand between him and all his enemies.
How could you do that to poor Margaret?
“You are the sickest link. Goodbye.”
A nasty leading character is enough of a novelty to keep the show going for a bit, but I don’t predict a long run.
I think they could have pulled off a Marcus Welby character doing that trick with the tumor. He would merely justify/rationalize it in more elevated, eloquent, and high-minded terms, perhaps illustrating it with a homespun tale about weighing rules against the greater good.
To dispel any confusion: I have absolutely no complaints about Hugh Laurie’s acting job. Everything I don’t like about this show is the fault of the writers.
Because he isn’t just a jerk. There’s a story behind his jerkiness and behind the pain that he lives with. And it took an entire season to scratch the surface. Next season is looking interesting with Sela Ward.
We don’t miss this one.
I had no idea that he was British! When you say that he was the goofy guy from Blackadder, I have to ask:
Does anyone remember the Blackadder in which the goofy guy was writing a dictionary? I think he started with “C” and defined it as a “blue wobbly thing with mermaids.” If that is the same goofy guy, I may lose consciousness from the shock. It’s been so long since I watched Blackadder and I’ve forgotten so much. But I loved that line.
It entertains me… nuff said.
The practical difference between that and just being a mean ol’ jerk is pretty subtle, though. So much so that it’s easy not to give a fuck what his motivations or background are and just punch his lights out.
You’ve missed the more basic ones like
“Why are they doing an MRI in the dark?”
“Where are the radiologists? The other lab techs?”
“Where’s the other patients?”
“Why are there 20 Doctors for every Nurse?”
I’m willing to overlook those for House just because I like Hugh Laurie that much :). Scrubs still kicks it’s ass up and down prime-time though :).
Dang, that may be my new favorite post. I’m always trying to explain exactly why movies and TV shows like “House” and “Becker” and Bad Santa bug me, but always come up short. Which I will now demonstrate:
People seem to always get stuck on the idea that since cloying sentimentality and feel-good endings are stupid, then the opposite of that is automatically the opposite of stupid. But just being anti-cliche isn’t automatically smart. And even when, on “House” for example, all their best efforts don’t pay off and the patient does die, that feels every bit as forced and formulaic as the predictable, always-a-happy-ending shows.
You know, don’t you, Sol, that now that you and I have cracked that secret, Hollywood will very likely send someone to kill us.
