House, M.D./Gregory House

Gregory House
House, M.D.
Actor	Hugh Laurie
First Appearance	1x01 - Pilot
Last Appearance	—
Series Billing	Series: Billed
Episode Count	22 (through season 1)
Notable Episodes	—

Dr. Gregory House is the head of Diagnostic Medicine for Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in Princeton, New Jersey. Beyond his position at the hospital, he is also an infectuous disease specialist and nephrologist. Aside from being the title character to which most episodes of the series pivot around, he is also often compared to Sherlock Holmes.

Basic Information

Comparisons to Sherlock Holmes

David Shore has said in interviews that the character of Gregory House is at least partially based on Sherlock Holmes. In both instances, the character is something of a detective; although House's detective work is purely internal rather than the external work of Holmes, the two make quick judgments after only a slight amount of time with a patient or victim. Following these judgments, both inevitably solve the case using logic and observation rather than typical measures. Another large connection the two characters have is their choice of mysteries. Although Holmes stories typically only showed him solving mysteries which intrigued him and required legwork, this was generally for the entertainment value of the reader. House actively passes on patients whose illnesses do not interest him, as he believes it is a waste of his time.

Also linking the two is their drug addiction (House's vicodin and Holmes' cocaine) which is truly their only vice aside from their willingness to bend the truth and break the law in order to get correct results. However, these things combined end up alienating the people around the respective characters aside from one person who each considers their true friend. In this case, Dr. Wilson is the Watson to House's Sherlock.

Throughout the series, there are several small details which also point to this comparison, particularly in Hunting which revealed House's apartment number to be 221B, a reference to Sherlock Holmes living on 221B Baker Street. Additionally, in the script for No Reason, the second season finale, the man who shoots House was named "Moriarty," after the infamous Holmes villain.

Quotes

• House: You know how people say you can't live without love? Oxygen is even more important!

• Foreman: Shouldn’t we be speaking to the patient before we start diagnosing?
  House: Is she a doctor?
  Foreman: No, but…
  House: Everybody lies.

• (House enters Clinic)
  House: 12:52 PM - Dr. House checks in, please write that down. Do you have cable TV here somewhere? General Hospital starts in 8 minutes.

• House: Welcome aboard the good ship ass-kisser. Nice day for a sail.