House

House is a new US TV medical show import which they're now showing on a Thursday night on Channel Five. This alone would not get me to tune in, since ER is more than enough blood and death for me, and "Channel Five" is never a good sign. Also, new TV shows, no matter how good they are, do not seem to be lasting long in the states these days. A show called Dead Like Me, which some of you may be aware of, was axed after two series for very little conceivable reasons. It was the highest rated show on its channel.

So I'm just going to try not to get attached in the future. Having said all this, House promised me firstly the cynical genius archetype, which I'm a huge fan of, and Hugh Laurie playing the role whilst pretending to be American. (Since an alarmingly number of people who I've mentioned this to don't seem to know who Laurie is, he was the stupid Prince in Blackadder III and the stupid Lieutenant in IV.) So, with all this in mind I tuned in. (Well, actually I taped it and watched it the next day, but that didn't have anywhere near as much punch.)

That was actually pretty good. Hugh Laurie does bitter, twisted and people-hating much better than you'd expect him to, and the American accent is not half bad. I doubt the Americans even realise he actually sounds like a British public school boy. He gets all the good lines, of course, and permanently gets to look good at the other characters' expense. It actually reminds me of one of the greatest characters in recent BBC drama, Anton Meyer from Holby City. He used to single-handedly make that show worth watching, simply because he maintained the God-like air of caring but brutal detachment while everyone else got the traditional BBC soap opera knife-twisting.

Admittedly, although it wasn't a problem in the first episode, the rest of the characters are going to need to show some spine in future episodes, otherwise it will quite easily break down into formula. Impossible case turns up, rest of hospital baffled, House solves it. The end. Whole audience switches off.

But you know I liked something when I have to start fishing this badly to find things to whine about. For now, this was a damn good first episode. Strongly recommended. I'll be trying to find a way to watch next week, after my housemate Kirsty has stolen the damn TV.

: 10 Jun 2005 17:21 |  Comments (0) |  Report a problem