House

Dr. Gregory House is a brilliant but abrasive diagnostician who runs the diagnostic medicine department at the fictional Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. He solves baffling medical cases that other doctors can't, using unconventional methods and an often ruthless intellect. House struggles with chronic pain and a dependence on painkillers, which feeds his misanthropic outlook and volatile relationships. Around him is a team of young physicians, and his closest friend, Dr. James Wilson, provides a quieter moral counterpoint. Episodes mix medical puzzles with dark humor and character conflict, focusing on clever problem solving rather than hospital melodrama.

Created by David Shore and first airing in 2004, House starred Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House and featured Robert Sean Leonard, Omar Epps, Jesse Spencer and Odette Annable among its regular cast. The show ran for eight seasons and became a staple of network television, known for its formula of diagnostic cases and sharp dialogue.

The series earned wide industry recognition, with numerous Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Hugh Laurie won Golden Globes for his lead performance, and the show picked up additional awards and nominations across acting and writing categories during its run, reflecting its standing with critics and peers.

House left a clear mark on pop culture, spawning parodies, fan communities, and frequent references in discussions about medical ethics and television antiheroes. Lines like "Everybody lies" entered the public lexicon, and the show's methodical, puzzle-like approach influenced later medical dramas and procedural series around the world.

Critics generally praised the writing, the procedural case structure, and Laurie's performance, reflected in an average viewer score of 8.6/10 from 7,258 votes. Major themes include the moral gray areas of medical decision making, the toll of chronic pain and addiction, and the complicated friendship between House and Wilson, all presented with a mix of wit, cynicism, and intellectual rigor.