I was watching one of those random satellite channels round at my friend’s house the other day – you know, the ones that you only ever stumble upon when there’s absolutely nothing on or your kid has been playing with the remote control – when an old episode of House started. I tried to stay tuned in to my friend’s conversation, which is never easy when Gregory House is in the room, but luckily for me she soon talking about the TV show anyway, remembering that I was a self-confessed addict.

“Of course,” my friend, who has admitted to only ever watching one full episode in her life, said. “You could never imagine someone so obnoxious ever being anything but a doctor.” And then went back to telling me about something her eldest child had done to either get an award from the police or to get arrested by the police; OK, I admit it, I’d tuned out!

The weird thing is that this House novice had actually stumbled onto a very interesting point. Could Gregory House have been anything other than a doctor? And I don’t mean in real life, I’m not that weird. Besides, in real life he’d probably end up developing HR software solutions and it would be a really boring TV show…

But could the TV show House have had the main character as something other than a doctor? Well, when you consider that most TV shows are about either hospitals or police stations, I guess his alternative career is one in law enforcement. We know that a disability never stopped Ironside and House’s analytical brain would always keep him one step ahead of the criminals. He’d probably be the kind of cop who liked to break the rules – think McNulty from my other favourite TV show “The Wire” - but those are the characters we find fascinating and engaging. I think Officer House would actually make a pretty good show!

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Call me a nerd, but when I’m down, I like nothing more than to peruse the countless regency chess sets on offer online (it always takes me ages to peruse them…there are countless varieties and no matter how many I buy I just can’t seem to get enough!). The game of Chess is nothing less than inspired if you ask me; it’s the ultimate intellectual battle between two opponents, and the best thing about it? Somebody has to win, each and every time. Unlike so many other things in life, it just isn’t open for debate.

Hugh Laurie, who plays the legendary character House in the mega-successful show of the same name, is someone who loves a debate – actually, to be more precise, he loves anything, providing it causes drama and for people to scream and shout. And although I often find myself debating with people in an annoying way which really doesn’t start the day off well, I don’t mind watching House get into a debate. In fact, call me crazy, but the angrier he gets, the better I feel and the more episodes I want to watch! I’d love to sit down and play Chess with House one day. Although I have a strong suspicion that I would lose the game and get angry. Not as angry as House though (just imagine, if I actually did beat him, it would be amazing! I could film his reaction and get a million hits on Youtube in no time!).

…I have also seen him at his most broken, when nobody believes in him and he is at risk of being fired…

Having been a fan of House for some time now, you could say I have been on a journey. A big long journey which has seen numerous late nights and lots and lots of early mornings. I have seen House at his most distressing – when he is adamant that someone has a rare medical condition and decides to inject something into their brain, for example – and I have also seen him at his most broken, when nobody believes in him and he is at risk of being fired (I’ve seen that multiple times).

But the times that have really upset me, though, is when House can’t even joke about anything. When one of those episodes comes on I find myself wanting the old House back where he belongs, up there on the screen. Or here playing Chess with me. Who knows…maybe I could learn a thing or two? Probably not. He is a doctor after all…

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The new House season starts with our typical House but in a quite unusual situation. After what happened in the end of season 7, we all know House is about to have some serious problems - this time breaking into a house with his car would be a more serious offence. But typically for House, he finds his way through in a completely different place from his hospital - he is now in prison. And as much as we like to see him in the doctors'uniform again, he is just the standard prisoner - bullied by the older inmates, being pressured by different, ’stronger'offenders. But still, House is House and will see him in his best - cunning, smart and more than unsuitable for a place like this.

But as usually with House, he is again having a case to resolve - even in prison. A young and attractive doctor would be his target of attention when they both focus to resolve the complicated medical case of one of the inmates.

There would be much to see in the upcoming season. Despite rumors and different ’tales’, House would be out there for a little while. So do not skip the chance to enjoy the brand new season, with our brand new and good old House.

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I got VERY excited the other night when two of my favourite TV shows of all time merged together. Well, not quite merged but Hugh Laurie did make his second guest appearance in the fabulous “Family Guy” - and this time he was playing Gregory House!

The first time Laurie was seen on the streets of Quahog, Rhode Island he was playing a very upper class British patron of an English theme pub that had opened in the town, so it was great to see him and his (excellent but fake) American accent returning to the show. The writers even had him mocking the fact that he had to learn how to speak with a US accent when House suddenly started speaking in Laurie’s normal voice, moaning that he hated having to speak like an American…

I immediately shut down the www.lansonrunning.com website I had on my laptop (in a bid to start another new exercise regime…) and got straight onto the House fan site. Of course, the place was buzzing as I wasn’t the only one to have seen our hero back on the small screen. Albeit in cartoon form!

Of course, an outstanding actor and comedian like Hugh Laurie has made plenty of guest appearances in his time, including many on the US comedy institution Saturday Night Live, and a small role in one of The Simpsons'many Halloween specials, but the Family Guy one will always be my favourite; after all, it was really House making the appearance, not Hugh!

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My dad is one of those grumpy men who should be funny but actually isn’t. Why isn’t he? Because his level of grumpiness has reached an all time low of irritatingness. Not only that but real grumpy men go on and on about the same topics and that’s really why it’s funny. My dad, on the other hand, is not the kind to ponder the same things over and over. No: he’ll keep finding new rubbish things to moan and whine about and that is how it will always be.

That said, recently he has been getting better. Not much, but a bit. It’s all because of Hugh Laurie and House MD, of course. House to the rescue once again, yes!

It all started like this: my dad said one day recently that you couldn’t have a career if you were over 40 (he had made display cabinets all his life and was proud of that fact). He was adamant that this was the case. I got angry. Eventually he challenged me to find someone who had had a successful career start after they turned 40. And this is where House comes in…

not only had dad found something he enjoyed, but I had found something I enjoyed with him

I had never known House. Ashamed as I am to admit it, I only recently became a fan. It was by pure accident: I wandered into the record shop in town and asked the assistant if there was anyone who had made it big after the age of 40. He told me about House and I brought the DVD home that day and made my dad watch it.

And, to my dismay, because he never likes anything, he actually did like it! He watched the entire box set and wanted more and only moaned about 50 times! (He would normally moan at least 200 times, so, you see, it was a huge improvement!)

That was a turning point in more ways than one. Because not only had dad found something he enjoyed, but I had found something I enjoyed with him too. A first, you could say…

House is great for the following reasons:

1. He proves that older people should stop moaning; you can be older and have a career and be rich and famous.

2. He makes jokes out of serious stuff, which is sometimes just what you need.

3. He is a new type of character on our screens which is dearly welcome. No more Mr Nice guy…this guy is all about the mean approach!

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Often, very late into the night – or waking up in the morning, or­ while my boring boss drones on and on at me about spreadsheets and the­ wonders of Microsoft Excel.. – I find myself having an imaginary­ conversation with House MD. He is rude, obnoxious, clearly wanting to­ get away from me, but in the reality I have built he can’t. Why?­ Because there are no doors or windows or entry or exit points. In­ fact, the only things in the room are me and House. There is a vent on­ the wall, and fortunately we don’t need food to survive because we­ have an eternity’s worth of frustrated conversation. In other words, it is­ perfect!

But this is not reality, of course. Which is a fine thing,­ because if it was then I’d be arrested for keeping House prisoner­ (there are worse things you can be arrested for, but I still think I’d­ rather not be arrested at all).

In reality, I don’t know what I would say­ to House – if my nerves beat me down and made my mouth useless. But if­ I was carrying the following piece of paper, with all these points­ written on it, things would be very different. It would be great and I­ would ask him this:

1. So House, have you heard of laser hair­ removal sheffield ? (This would be to baffle him into submission so­ that the next words I would say would be heard loud and clear and the­ contrast would be sudden and jolt him into saying something witty!)­ And, by the way, what did you want to be when you were small? To this­ I expect House would make some snide remark about now being a grumpy­ old man. Which would be perfect!

2. So House – this one would be to get him­ annoyed with me – do you think there is anyone on Earth who is­ actually grumpier than you are? Somehow I doubt it. (I reckon this one­ would get him to smile, because he loves it when people give him­ abuse, doesn’t he? I mean, to be honest it’s what he lives­ for!)

3. I was wondering, House, do you think you could give­ me $100? (This one, wow, I think this one would really get him going.­ In a matter of seconds he’d be shouting abuse at me left and right,­ and within a minute he’d want to walk out…but here’s the really COOL­ thing. He wouldn’t be able to, and that’d only make him angrier, which­ would be great!)

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House is still going strong after all the years, not many programs can make the claim that after 7 years it still is pulling in the viewers and they are still demanding more. It has recently been revealed that House will be commissioned for another series. Everyone is anticipating the next series and it is creating quite a buzz. I can imagine even the stars have time to get a quick episode of House into their busy day, and celebs like Rooney who has loads of time on his hands after his hair transplant treatment will probably be tuning in for back to back episodes of House and he’ll be hooked in no time! Next time we see Rooney in the mags he will probably be walking the streets sporting his very own ‘Everybody Lies't-shirt. What really makes this show though is Hugh Laurie his complex and unconventional character adds that edge to the dark and twisted comedy that is House. Without Hugh Laurie House wouldn’t be as hot as it is, not only is he a hunk to look at, he is smart, intelligent and witty. Laugh after laugh is what you get with an episode of House, there is always a smile on your face and if it’s not already there one is definitely forming. Hugh has hinted though that this next series may be his last! What would we do with no Hugh Laurie on our screens? If we cross our fingers, maybe we’ll be seeing Hugh for a few more years to come yet.

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2) OK, OK, I get it…Englishmen doing US accents is a worrying thought. This put me off watching House for a few weeks…until I discovered that actually, he does an amazing job. Don’t be down on this aspect of our modern times, be up!

3) You can learn so much from watching an episode closely: because every episode deals with something new, you, the viewer, are constantly getting more info. This means you can apply it to your job, or an exam, or just in the pub when you really want to impress your mates and blow their minds with your knowledge of the chemicals of the brain.

4) Seeing people in really dire need of a doctor’s help makes you feel really glad you are doing OK health wise. That old saying about health being the most important thing is a saying for a reason.

5) It takes my mind off things: I know this sounds strange, but when I am watching House I am completely able to detach myself from my life. This is probably because of the humorous nature of the show: it’s both fun and serious and you learn –seriously, how can you go wrong with that?

6) It reallys IS a show for all ages, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. When I say “all ages” what I really mean is from early teens upwards. There’s no reason why everyone can’t watch House and get something out of it (yes, even those with a penchant for documentaries about industrial claim . Actually, those people should watch it more than anyone, because seriously, how boring are those documentaries?)

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I didn’t even know until recently that Hugh Laurie’s Dad was actually a real-life doctor. Ran Laurie sadly passed away last year, and Hugh has always thought his father was disappointed that he took a “short-cut” and became a TV doctor, rather than a real physician. Well, Hugh, your Dad might have been disappointed that you took that route, but you have made millions of people happy by doing it! I’d say that’s a pretty good pay-off…
Just imagine how great a doctor Hugh Laurie would have made, though. I mean, the guy’s obviously very smart so he would have managed to graduate no problem in the first place, but I was thinking more about his bedside manner. I’d love to have a doctor that could make you laugh or smile when you were feeling at your worst; same as I’d love to have a decorator who could paint like Doug Hyde!
I imagine Dr Laurie going into paediatrics, where he could be the medical professional and the professional clown all rolled into one. I’m not sure all adults would appreciate a joke-telling doctor when they’re in hospital. They’d probably worry he wasn’t taking their condition seriously enough, whereas kids don’t think about that. I hope Dr Laurie wouldn’t be as grumpy as House, but I also hope he’d be as much of a medical genius! That’s a lot to ask for in someone who took the decision thirty-something years ago to go into acting rather than medicine. I guess it’s best that he chose that route; House without Hugh just wouldn’t be worth watching!

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There have been plenty of rumours and reports in the last few months about whether FOX (the company that broadcasts House has still not made an agreement on whether to renew the series. However, David Shore has made it clear that he would be amazed if a season eight didn’t screen, saying FOX was keen to air it and Universal (the company that produces the show) also expressed its enthusiasm.

However, it is not yet known whether Universal and Fox will be able to agree on a contract, which also means that any arrangement between David Shore and actors in the supporting cast cannot proceed. The only two actors who have extended contracts after the seventh season are Olivia Wilde and Hugh Laurie.

Mr Shore says he has been stunned by the level of success of the House series, which has been viewed by over 65 countries each week, most notable in the UK, US, Canada and Australia. Housen is often described as the kind of individual who has no heart of gold. A middle-aged man who fails at his job, romances and risks his life and who never seems to learn from his mistakes. Shore also says it is difficult to keep the show original and fresh, although the show’s immense popularity would appear to counteract such challenges from test products ratings.

Meanwhile, there has been a rumour that Martha Masters (played by Amber Tamblyn) could be taken out of the series, seeing as her days may be numbered. Shore admitted that there was never a plan in place to have Masters in the series forever.

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