It looks like House M.D. might've diagnosed its last case of lupus, with FOX declining to pick the show up for a ninth season. There's been enough turmoil on the show over the past couple of seasons to make any network wary, with significant cast members being asked to take payroll cuts and one (the actress who plays Cuddy) refusing, opting to leave the show instead. When you get into the seventh or eighth season of a show, salaries become so high that you need to maintain awfully high ratings to continue to make a show a good financial bet, and House hit its peak in seasons three and four, having slid quite a bit in the ratings since then. Eventually there comes a point where syndication will make you more money than actually making new episodes of a series, especially with Hugh Laurie's contract up at the end of the season; he'd likely want a fair amount of cash to come back for another two or three years.
Deadline indicates that it's possible that Universal, which actually produces the show (they license it to FOX) may bring it back on another network, but it'd be a likewise expensive show for any other network to pick up. Regardless, the decision has apparently been made early enough for House to actually get a real finale, rather than simply ending on a cliffhanger. [Edit: According to an open letter from David Shore, producer Katie Jacobs, and Hugh Laurie, they are not going to attempt to move the show to another network, and this will definitely be its last.]
If you've been following House all these years, how do you think it has to end? Obviously House and Cuddy aren't going to get together (barring an amazingly gracious cameo on the part of Lisa Edelstein), so maybe he'll lose his leg? Or kill someone while high on vicodin and get sent back to jail for real, forever? It'll be curious to see how it all resolves, even if I'm not too likely to tune in until the last episode, this season being less than remarkable.
Rorie, If you don't love Charlyne Yi you are without soul.
Suddenly someone coughs up blood.
Also, the finale's patient will be played by Stephen Fry.
It's about time.
This was a heckuva show for a while.
I haven't paid attention to the last two seasons, but the one where House went to that mental institution was preeeeeetty awesome.
It's weird: for a show with such an easily recognizable, almost rote formula, they were not afraid to do crazy things to change shit up (House gets off Vicodin, House heals his leg, House goes insane, House starts being nice, House finally gets it on with Cuddy)
I'll always love this show for introducing me to Hugh Laurie as well. I'll absolutely tune in to the series finale.
It became too formulaic and everytime House changed he would revert back to his old self after a few episodes.
There should still be a show like House on the air, just not this one.
@tgammet said:
Having watched a couple episodes this season, I gotta say she is not a good actress, probably the worst on this cast. Every line she speaks has no inflection or anything, it's all monotone.
About this time two years ago I started watching the first season of House, and found that, within a month, I had watched all six seasons of it. Bunch of good memories of watching it, and I thank it for being the show that got me into serialized television. That being said, I'm glad it's being put down. I didn't manage to make it through last season, and I'm sure that this season is worse. I want to save the good will I have left for the show.
I'm really just concerned about what's going to happen to Hugh Laurie. He's a great actor, comedic or not, and I don't want to see him disappear from the eye of the public.
well that stinks I really liked that show and still do. To bad. I agree though the last case should be about lupus would be rather funny
Kinda glad that it's ending now instead of holding on until it's completely sunk. I actively stopped watching this season, but like most people, I'll be sure to see how it ends.
This series lost me when it started getting needlessly graphic.
I figured this was it. After House almost murdered Cuddy and her entire family during last season's finale, I figured there might be one more season left.
Still, eight years is a hell of a long time to know characters. It'll be hard to watch them leave.
Someone, and I can't remember who, compared this show to Scooby-Doo in that every single episode follows an identical format. I actually couldn't watch it seriously after that, but bully for Hugh Laurie! He did great!
The only thing I hope for is that Hugh Laurie gets to do something different now. I watched House for about four seasons and loved it because of him. The rest of the actors were almost humorously pale in comparisons. Makes me wonder if they deliberately picked the most boring co-stars to make House stand out.
I have no opinion on how it should end. Everything was a dream... how's that for a wrap-up?
@Oldirtybearon said:
I remember watching that and thinking how good the series use to be versus the, then, recent quality and made a secret pact with myself never to watch house again...
@ThePhantomStranger: To each his own, but it felt like the perfect, cathartic 'fuck you' I've seen committed to film.
Call me crazy, but as sad as it is to say, would House committing suicide be a terrible way for it to end?
I think House will die, I mean they already got Chase pretty fucked up.
I still watch House every week. I'm a little sad now. It definitely hasn't been as good as it used to be but I still enjoyed it.