Summary
- House's success on television was due to a complicated cast, medical puzzles, and the challenge of creating his character.
- Hugh Laurie's portrayal of House required grueling hours and led to his separation from his family during filming.
- Behind the scenes drama included network interference, pay disputes, and unexpected character departures.
House hit network television in 2004, offering a complicated cast of characters and new medical mysteries to untangle every week. The sarcastic, brilliant, anti-social Dr. Gregory House dealt with unexpected cases while navigating the hospital's social complexities. Audiences grew to love House, despite and because of the numerous qualities that made him hard for anyone else to work with. However, behind the scenes, House was not easy to create. The writers struggled to find ways to make House a character fans would accept and cheer for.
House's character always had to be rationally motivated and focused on solving a puzzle. However, even that difficult task was made more so by conflict, cast changes, network interference, and grueling filming. In the beginning, writers disagreed over the development of the show. Writing a show that worked was harder when the network kept weighing in on the supporting characters. Cast changes proved tricky, and Hugh Laurie carried the show through eight seasons. Although the final product was successful, House had many issues behind the scenes.
Spoilers of House ahead!!!
7 Core Elements Of House That Were Set Up In The Pilot
House is a medical procedural show like no other, but it has a very distinct format which is established from the very first episode of the series.Hugh Laurie Described Filming The Show As A Nightmare
Laurie Worked Non-Stop On House While Away From His Family
Hugh Laurie made playing Gregory House look easy. The doctor certainly did not put in more effort than he needed to, but the same could not be said of Laurie. The actor put in grueling hours and he later described playing House as a nightmare. He said he told wonderful stories with great people, but it ended up being repetitious - "day after month after year." Laurie explained (via Sky News),
"I had some pretty bleak times, dark days when it seemed like there was no escape. And having a very Presbyterian work ethic, I was determined never to be late, not to miss a single day's filming... But there were times when I'd think, 'If I were just to have an accident on the way to the studio and win a couple of days off to recover, how brilliant would that be?"
He commented that he did not think he would be physically able to take on another major television role. Laurie was also separated from his family during House's run, as they stayed in Britain. According to Laurie, it was probably harder on his family. "It's been a delight to be back with them, to walk the dog, to listen to music and to read. I'm still appreciating and enjoying it."
Lisa Edelstein Refused To Return For The Finale
Cuddy's Story With House Had Reached Its Conclusion
After Lisa Edelstein left the show as Cuddy, she received an opportunity to return for the series finale one season later. However, Edelstein declined to return for the end of the series. Creator David Shore stated, "I wanted her to come back, but we weren’t able to make that happen." Edelstein later commented that she did not regret missing the finale. She thought House and Cuddy's story ended where it should.
"I don't think that show was about happy endings. And the truth is, if someone drives a car through your living room [like House did] you should do what I did and get the f*** out of town. I mean come on. It kind of all worked out... You file a police report and you leave - and you don't come back for the f***ing finale."
In the series, Cuddy and her family left New Jersey after the violent end of her relationship with Gregory House. When House literally drove his car into her house, he went to jail, and she resigned and moved away. Of course, behind the scenes, Edelstein refused to return because the network demanded pay cuts and she refused to accept one. That forced the show to write her out. While she didn't die, there was no reason for her character to come back at the end.