Actor and comedian Hugh Laurie shared a damning response to social media criticism of House, the American medical drama series he starred in between 2004 and 2012. The show saw the 66-year old star as title character, Dr Gregory House, a medical genius with an orthodox way of leading his Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital team.
The former Blackadder star recently found himself on the receiving end of an accusation that each episode followed the same pattern – in particular Dr House’s actions. “Late to the party, but I’ve started watching Season 1 of House, same narrative every episode,” began viewer Janet Murray in her damning critique on X.
She elaborated in a three-paragraph summary: “Patient has mysterious illness. Hugh Laurie (House) gets diagnosis wrong. Patient nearly dies.
“Hugh Laurie gets diagnosis wrong again. Gets threatened with being fired. Patient nearly dies again.
“Hugh Laurie has last minute leftfield idea. Gets diagnosis right. Doesn’t get fired.”
Janet closes her rant by asking: “Eight seasons of this?” Her tweet went on to amass more than 1.4 million views – one of whom was Dr House himself, Hugh Laurie.
“Thanks for your critique, Janet,” he sarcastically responded. “We actually tried a couple of episodes where House (Hugh Laurie) (please put the brackets in the right place) gets it right first time, but they were only six minutes long.”
The star went on: “[Broadcaster] NBC weren’t happy. Then we tried some where House never gets it right and the patient dies. The audience wasn’t happy.”
Hugh, who found fame alongside fellow comedian and pal Stephen Fry in Laurie and Fry, continued: “One could apply your trenchant analysis to other art forms: JS Bach wrote 30 Goldberg variations on the same chord structure; Frida Kahlo painted 50 portraits of herself; Henry Moore, what?
“The point is, or was, variations on a theme; if all you see is hospital, medical blah blah, then it wasn’t meant for you. Nonetheless, I look forward to your first novel!”
It prompted one X user to exclaim: “Oh crikey, Janet! I’d take this one on the chin, mate. I cannot be more objective, I’m afraid, as I’m rather envious that you got roasted by Hugh Laurie himself.” To which Janet admitted: “Apparently it is a badge of honour.”
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While another questioned her: “The series stopped 14 years ago – is it really worth going to such an effort to put someone who thinks it might be a bit ‘samey’ in their place? It was a popular, long-running series and consensus is that you were great in it. Isn’t that enough?”
Hugh, meanwhile, returned to the post to reply: “I put no more effort into my message than you have into yours. It just happens to be closer to my heart.”
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