HOUSE on FOX in HDTV

If you tell them you like it they'll cancel it

That's the way that network has seemed to work. Cancelling good shows like Futurama and Family Guy and keeping crappy shows like the swan

Does "The Swan" even attract huge ratings? I agree, i look forward to Tues. and not missing "House"

watched it via D* in HD... quality was average IMO. looked grainy. hopefully 24 will look better.

looks grainy OTA too, nothing to do with D*, fyi.

The show is fantastic. Right up there with Lost for me so far as new shows.

I like the show a lot--the medicine is perhaps a tad too hard edged for its own good, though. I was about to watch an episode now. The PQ has been OK. I've been monitoring my cable HDTV bitrates (based on DVR filesizes). In 9 samples I've taken on my system, Fox has varied from 9.07 to 12.06 Mbps: 3 of them were of House, ranging from 10.5 to 10.98 Mbps (that 12 Mbps sample was an NFL game). Nothing on Fox thus far can touch the best quality of the big 3, but I certainly appreciate it being in true HD.

I tried to post about this show the other day, but it looks like the software here ate the post.

I said something like, "If you're not watching House you should. Imagine 'Medical Investigation', only as a good show."

I think House is terrific.

the medicine on HOUSE is NOT realistic AT ALL. ER, though often overly dramatic and exagerates what goes on in the Emergency Room, is at least somewhat realistic with their medical info. HOUSE is completely unrealistic with poor research on many of the topics which comes up on the show. It ruins the show for anyone remotely related to the medical profession.

What I meant by "hard edged" was that each episode is about one anomalous case which defies proper diagnosis, with names of lots of potential diseases bandied about without any explanation of what they are (some don't need much, like "Vitamin 'n' deficiency" or "allergy to so-and-so"). It's one session of differential diagnosis after another, followed by an unsuccessful course of treatment, rinse, repeat.

Of course, procedure is completely unrealistic. The young docs working under House are shown doing their own lab work, etc. You'd think that there were no technicians or nurses in this hospital.

It is, however, entertaining.

I like House and have watched them all so far. My only complaint is that every episode is practically identical.

1. Mysterious illness they can't diagnose.
2. They brainstorm for ideas
3. They think they know what it is and try to treat it.
4. Turns out they were wrong, the treatment doesn't help.
5. House resorts to some controversial treatment to figure out what it is
6. They discover some new information regarding the problem that was never disclosed by the patients in the beginning.
7. This leads to the correct diagnosis and a cure
8. Meanwhile, House sees some regular patients and treats them bad.

We really like this show, too, and we are in the medical profession. If you watch TV dramas for the realism, no wonder you are disappointed. I work in a lab, and the only time we see a Dr. is when they are looking for the results of a test that takes an hour to run only 5 minutes after we recieved the order! Of course shows like this are a little over the top, most professions are rather boring day to day except for brief periods of "crisis". Networks have to make shows this way or we would be turning the channel to something else more attention grabbing. "COPS" is probably the most realistic show on TV, and I can tell you from many hours of riding with a cop friend of mine that there must be many hours of boring footage cut to get that exciting 30 minutes we see on the tube.

Jeraden your list is pretty much a synopsis of the show's premise--the writers who pitched the show to Fox in the first place couldn't have done a better job. isn't it kind of like someone who dislikes spy movies knocking GOLDENEYE because its a spy movie?
there seems to be a glut of forensic/medical investigation shows now. HOUSE stands out for me because of the title character--A Sherlock Holmes-level analyst who is impatient with petty dishonesty & doesn't suffer fools at all!!!(last nite when he acidly told that suffocating mom to "Get the kid an ice cream cake!!" i laughed for 5 min.)
for me the other reason i try not to miss this show is Hugh Laurie & his amazing performances. hard to believe its the samer actor who played the feckless Prince Regent on BLACKADDER 3 & a host of similar characters on so many BBC comedies. if he doesn't get at least an Emmy nomination then the awards are totally meaningless!.

jim

We watch "House" and enjoy it for the *entertainment* show that it is.

Paul

Was really grainy last night (my wife actually said "Are you sure this is HD?") but enjoyable. And I would disagree somewhat. She's got a PhD in Molecular Biology, and has been impressed with most of the science so far. Usually on these shows she laughs herself silly over the "science" involved.

"House" will be helped immensely next month (at least we can hope) when it is scheduled immediately following "American Idol".
In the meantime, its ratings, although not great, have been steadily improving.
Which for Fox is a good sign in a (so far) dismal season.

Here are the top five Fox shows (by viewers in millions) for the week ending Dec. 19.
Fox
Rank Program Viewers
45 Trading Spouses 8.17
46 The Simpsons 8.08
48 The Swan 2 7.53
49 Nanny 911 7.47
57 House 6.91

(And, if you will indulge me in the plug, current ratings and show news is always available in the "Hot Off The Press" thread.)

I couldn't agree more. This is getting like Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare and, lately, 24. You know exactly what WON'T happen and what WILL happen is pretty narrowly defined.

As much as I like Hugh Laurie there's really no point to someone watching more than one episode unless you're into a Dead of Night thing (of course I do pointless things like watch every week). My wife had last night's "disease-of-the-episode" (Wilson's disease) pegged pretty early in the show.

The previews for last night warned us that there'll be a "shocking" ending. I'm still waiting. PLEASSSSE, let him kill somebody or something.

=NLK=

Oh, and I LIKE the Swan, for some reason. Actually managed to watch every episode and the two-hour pageant final. Still say they need a heck of a lot MORE therapy and a heck of a lot LESS surgery, but that's just me.

I watch it, mostly because it's HD. But at some point the formula is going to wear thin.

1) Diagnosed patient comes in.
2) House hears about it and makes a flippant diagnosis, which appears CLEARLY off base.
3) His team (and hospital admin) tries to fight him to prove him wrong.
4) He's slightly wrong, but mostly right.
5) He's now proven right and his team is wrong.

The last showed showed him w/ some compassion for the schizo mom. Quite a big turn of character for him, don't you think?

BTW, I find it interesting that a lot of the Fox characters show up on other shows. Wonder if the Fox actors are on contract w/ the studio vs the show? The hospital admin is the same person who played a transsexual on Ally McBeal. And on North Shore (horrible show, great vid quality), the new chef was the main character from John Doe. (Too bad they cancelled it just when they introduced the twist.)

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0700712/
From the previews for next week's House, I think Purcell guest stars as the husband of a patient.

Yes, you're seeing film grain..If I'm not mistaken, It's shot on 16mm just like
Northshore..

Last night was far worse than any of the other broadcasts. I don't mind film grain at all, but the quality was down as well. I've got the captures from the last few to reference, so I don't know if it was compression from Cox that changed, my local affiliate doing something, or just a grainy episode (as others have commented).

I'm glad to know there are several of you out there watching this show. I hope Fox sticks with it ala '24' and allows it to find an audience. They certainly are breaking their usual mold by continuing to run new episodes deep into December (including next week!).

Does anyone know how many episodes Fox ordered? Will the show at least run into the Spring, and get the 'Idol' audience pick-me-up (as someone mentioned earlier)?

P.S. Agree with the comments regarding the picture quality last night. It seemed lesser than previous weeks. I've also noticed that there will be an occasional 'sharp' scene in every episode, but the video quality itself seems to vary somewhat throughout - almost like a Fox football broadcast, with sharp closeups and varying full field shots.

Love House ...

Haven't watched last night's episode yet (recorded it, one of the few shows both my wife and I like).

couldn't agree more and thank you nakedeye for expressing the point of my earlier post in a simpler & more effective way than i did.

jim


PS what is NOT predictable is how House reacts to each new patient, serious case or silly hypochondriac. as i said earlier he doesn't suffer fools at all & lets it be known to everyone!!

It will be after American Idol starting in January which will boost its ratings, although they are currently respectable considering it's lead-in's terrible ratings (The Rebel Billionaire). Being after Idol helped 24.

Three's Company --> Every single episode about a sexual double entendre that is misunderstood by 1-3 characters.

Gilligan's Island --> Nearly every episode about some ludicrous scheme to leave the island.

American Idol --> Every episode about people singing and getting voted off

Pretty much any reality show --> Ditto

Pretty muchy any detective show (e.g. Columbo) --> Crime, convoluted solution to crime, bad guy apprehended

CSI, CSI:Miami, CSI:NY, Law and Order --> Ditto ^4

I'm not sure how "same premise each week" is such a negative

Fox is in no position to kill a show that this many people are watching. If they actually had hits, it'd be one thing, but right now, I don't think so.

In fact, on today's Fox, Boston Public would be a huge hit, Futurama would be highly desirable, etc....

rogo: on today's Fox, LAX, Hawaii and dr. vegas would be huge hits.