Flutterby™! : TV Scores An Intelligent Hit! Can it be true?

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TV Scores An Intelligent Hit! Can it be true?

2006-07-07 18:51:47.719792+00 by ziffle 8 comments

Much as I have disdain for what passes as culture today it shocks and thrills me when I find something worthwhile.

Well I found one: "House" on TV of all places.

"the hero is an irreverent, controversial doctor who trusts no one, least of all his patients. Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) is devoid of bedside manner and wouldn't even talk to his patients if he could get away with it. (They all lie)"

He is anti religion - "I have trouble with the whole concept of 'belief'" and driven more to find the answer than take time to care about the feelings of the patients - usually. The only patient he said did not lie was the mentally ill one!

This is good writing folks - some of the best there has ever been, in my estimation. http://www.tv.com/house/show/22374/summary.html He reminds me of Howard Roark in a sense - a dedication to objective truth and everyone else be damned.

There are funny moments as where he was hauled before the Medicare billing commitee for his non compliant but brilliant use of medicines - 'but I saved her life'....

Worth seeing and on TV no less.

Ziffle

[ related topics: California Culture Sociology Interactive Drama Philosophy Technology and Culture Ziffle Writing Television moron Health Real Estate Religion ]

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: made: 2006-07-08 14:06:12.60912+00 by: meuon

The Register Likes It as well, and has a funny script in the vein of the show. Supposedly anyway.

#Comment Re: made: 2006-07-09 03:53:33.656232+00 by: Diane Reese

I've been addicted to House for two seasons now. It is currently the only thing I watch on TV, and both of my sons (19 and almost 17) are similarly addicted (the one in college called me at the end of the season to tell me he'd missed a particularly important episode and wanted to make sure I'd TiVO'd it, which I had). This season ended on a weird cliffhanger of sorts, and we're eagerly awaiting the next season, while watching and re-watching all the old TiVO'd episodes.

The writing and acting is superb and nuanced, the characters are unpleasant yet incredibly competent and there's much going on below their surfaces. And of course the coolest thing is that Hugh Laurie is a Brit and is faking the whole Gregory House accent the whole time: that's acting, all right! Two thumbs up from me.

#Comment Re: made: 2006-07-09 16:25:50.705236+00 by: ziffle

Diane - if we ever meet we only talk about 'House'. :)

#Comment Re: made: 2006-07-10 03:49:21.8221+00 by: Diane Reese

Ziffle -- I think what we do, actually, is head to a nude beach or naturist resort and we can talk about "House" *THERE*. :-)

#Comment Re: made: 2006-07-10 10:49:49.102336+00 by: donovanpax [edit history]

#Comment Re: made: 2006-07-10 11:44:15.370945+00 by: donovanpax [edit history]

#Comment Re: made: 2006-07-14 18:45:37.320397+00 by: baylink

Subscribe, my friends, to House_MD@yahoogroups.com (yes, I actually set up a yahoogroups account just for this list; eGroups and antichrist and all), and check our archives; I've been reccing the best in fanfiction for about a month now; some really good stuff.

TiVo: House watches Blackadder. Hee.

Don't forget that underscore; the people on HouseMD@ are substantially less cool than we. :-)

#Comment Re: made: 2006-07-22 15:51:34.799475+00 by: TheSHAD0W

I've been watching House and was a bit disturbed by the underlying message it presents. "So long as your intentions are good, you can do whatever the hell you want."