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silversolitaire) wrote2006-09-02 11:31 am
silversolitaire) wrote2006-09-02 11:31 am
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Medical Association article on House/Wilson
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house_wilson and I'm reposting it here to keep it :3.
Medical association
Hugh Laurie as crusty Dr. House and Robert Sean Leonard as his best friend operate well together
BY DIANE WERTS
Newsday Staff Writer
September 3, 2006
Disdainful doctor Gregory House lives in an old brick Princeton town house at street number 221. His apartment door bears the letter B.
Of course. The famed address of sleuth Sherlock Holmes clues us into what has become a surprisingly key appeal of Fox's top-rated series not involving a national singing contest. "House" enters its third season Tuesday (airing earlier, at 8 p.m., on WNYW/5) as much more than a medical procedural in which acclaimed star Hugh Laurie levels witty dollops of sarcasm while devising shrewd diagnoses of mystifying maladies no one else can fathom.
Last season's episodes (just out on DVD) explored the relationship between the maddeningly brilliant/bitter House, with his limp leg and his Vicodin habit, and Wilson, the young oncology specialist who is his best, and perhaps only, friend, played by Robert Sean Leonard. That relationship has deepened beyond a sounding board for House's theories and theatrics when the two lived together in the wake of Wilson's marital breakup.
Their psychological sparring ran the gamut from playful pranks to painful stripping away of pretenses exposing each other's weaknesses. What began as an investigative pairing in the vein of Sherlock Holmes and his handy Dr. Watson only intensifies emotionally this fall, enriching the character byplay that's been attracting ever-greater ratings to "House" even through this summer's reruns.
"It's the Holmes-Watson thing we were hoping for," says executive producer Katie Jacobs, in pairing veteran Broadway featured player Leonard with British TV mainstay Laurie, a quick wit known for both writing and absurdist humor ("A Bit of Fry and Laurie"). "The chemistry of the two of them is so brilliant that it's something we spend a lot of time with now." Jacobs says "House" script honcho David Shore, who just won an Emmy, has become attuned to "mining what they have to offer and who they are and how it can work."
A good team
That's to the delight of the two, as both said in separate chats one hot Los Angeles evening at a preshow reception before Laurie accepted his second straight Television Critics Association Award for outstanding achievement in drama by an individual. For his part, the much-acclaimed Laurie took the opportunity to salute Leonard's contributions. "You know, I look at the menu for the day [of shooting], and if there are Robert scenes, that's always a good day," Laurie said. "It's very, very good fun."
That delight comes across on screen, watching the two chew into their thrust-and-parry. "I've changed," House tells Wilson Tuesday, thanks to the season-ending gunshot wounds that have triggered a stunning new physicality for the once-gimpy character. "No, you haven't," Wilson shoots back. "No, I haven't," House brightly snaps. Wilson can't figure why his patient-averse colleague has taken "a case with no upside except the satisfaction of helping another human being." House says, "I don't remember you being this bitchy." Wilson's reply: "The Vicodin dulled it. In the sober light of day, I'm a buzz-kill."
He may indeed be. The ostensibly amiable Wilson "is not quite the straightforward good man and true that you imagine that he is," Laurie hinted at the awards reception, dryly speaking in his relaxed off-screen British lilt. "Obviously, it'll turn out Wilson's the more interesting character than House. House'll burn out and I'll be kicked off the show."
Last season's marital separation revealed Wilson, after he left House's apartment, to have moved in with one of his vulnerable terminal cancer patients.
A life of his own
If House couldn't exist without Wilson, then the secondary character has taken on a gratifying life all his own. Leonard always "loved the part. In the [audition] script, I thought, 'Wow, the guy I'd like to play is the guy they're seeing me for.' Which never, ever happens. You're always reading the script, going 'I wish I could read for that one.'"
He saw in Wilson a distinctive authority that unleashed him against the would-be domineering House. "I'm the only one on the show who doesn't work for him or he doesn't work for. So we can be straight with each other."
Besides, Leonard says, "there's an intelligence to them that I like. I mean, Hugh has it," having been educated at Britain's prestigious Eton and Cambridge (his degree is in anthropology) and written the novel "The Gun Seller" in addition to his TV and film work. "He's one of the few guys I can throw Bob Newhart references around and he knows what I'm talking about. Or Lenny Bruce. We have similar tastes in things."
That personal connection translates to the "House" characters, whose inherent camaraderie, Laurie notes, touches a primal creative chord. "There is something pleasingly archetypal about that sort of a relationship - you know, the Sancho Panza or the Dr. Watson. Or Jeeves and Bertie," the P.G. Wodehouse pair, which Laurie played on British TV with compatriot Stephen Fry.
"House" isn't an easy show to pigeonhole. "No one knew what it was for a long time," Leonard says. "We didn't know if it was a procedural or character-driven or what. Honestly, I think, and quite brilliantly, the writers are balancing it. They're still - in my mind, a good thing - sort of finding what the show is."
Viewers can only hope they keep probing that particular mystery for years to come.
The more I read about the new season, the more nervous I get. I've been reading a lot of spoilers now, but none of them really managed to disparage my fears. I really hate the fact that they've taken away the cane. Happy House just is so wrong. But I'm confident they're going to fix that. I've also heard that the pain and the cane will be back, so there's hoping. Guess I'm being selfish for wanting to keep the character the way he is, but I want my Hooooooouse! Anyway, I'm both nervous and excited about it. This is why getting into a show while it's still on sucks so much! You always have to wait for new episodes and you always have to fear that they're going to screw up everything you loved about it! D: Oh well, guess I gotta wait and see.
house_wilson and I'm reposting it here to keep it :3.Medical association
Hugh Laurie as crusty Dr. House and Robert Sean Leonard as his best friend operate well together
BY DIANE WERTS
Newsday Staff Writer
September 3, 2006
Disdainful doctor Gregory House lives in an old brick Princeton town house at street number 221. His apartment door bears the letter B.
Of course. The famed address of sleuth Sherlock Holmes clues us into what has become a surprisingly key appeal of Fox's top-rated series not involving a national singing contest. "House" enters its third season Tuesday (airing earlier, at 8 p.m., on WNYW/5) as much more than a medical procedural in which acclaimed star Hugh Laurie levels witty dollops of sarcasm while devising shrewd diagnoses of mystifying maladies no one else can fathom.
Last season's episodes (just out on DVD) explored the relationship between the maddeningly brilliant/bitter House, with his limp leg and his Vicodin habit, and Wilson, the young oncology specialist who is his best, and perhaps only, friend, played by Robert Sean Leonard. That relationship has deepened beyond a sounding board for House's theories and theatrics when the two lived together in the wake of Wilson's marital breakup.
Their psychological sparring ran the gamut from playful pranks to painful stripping away of pretenses exposing each other's weaknesses. What began as an investigative pairing in the vein of Sherlock Holmes and his handy Dr. Watson only intensifies emotionally this fall, enriching the character byplay that's been attracting ever-greater ratings to "House" even through this summer's reruns.
"It's the Holmes-Watson thing we were hoping for," says executive producer Katie Jacobs, in pairing veteran Broadway featured player Leonard with British TV mainstay Laurie, a quick wit known for both writing and absurdist humor ("A Bit of Fry and Laurie"). "The chemistry of the two of them is so brilliant that it's something we spend a lot of time with now." Jacobs says "House" script honcho David Shore, who just won an Emmy, has become attuned to "mining what they have to offer and who they are and how it can work."
A good team
That's to the delight of the two, as both said in separate chats one hot Los Angeles evening at a preshow reception before Laurie accepted his second straight Television Critics Association Award for outstanding achievement in drama by an individual. For his part, the much-acclaimed Laurie took the opportunity to salute Leonard's contributions. "You know, I look at the menu for the day [of shooting], and if there are Robert scenes, that's always a good day," Laurie said. "It's very, very good fun."
That delight comes across on screen, watching the two chew into their thrust-and-parry. "I've changed," House tells Wilson Tuesday, thanks to the season-ending gunshot wounds that have triggered a stunning new physicality for the once-gimpy character. "No, you haven't," Wilson shoots back. "No, I haven't," House brightly snaps. Wilson can't figure why his patient-averse colleague has taken "a case with no upside except the satisfaction of helping another human being." House says, "I don't remember you being this bitchy." Wilson's reply: "The Vicodin dulled it. In the sober light of day, I'm a buzz-kill."
He may indeed be. The ostensibly amiable Wilson "is not quite the straightforward good man and true that you imagine that he is," Laurie hinted at the awards reception, dryly speaking in his relaxed off-screen British lilt. "Obviously, it'll turn out Wilson's the more interesting character than House. House'll burn out and I'll be kicked off the show."
Last season's marital separation revealed Wilson, after he left House's apartment, to have moved in with one of his vulnerable terminal cancer patients.
A life of his own
If House couldn't exist without Wilson, then the secondary character has taken on a gratifying life all his own. Leonard always "loved the part. In the [audition] script, I thought, 'Wow, the guy I'd like to play is the guy they're seeing me for.' Which never, ever happens. You're always reading the script, going 'I wish I could read for that one.'"
He saw in Wilson a distinctive authority that unleashed him against the would-be domineering House. "I'm the only one on the show who doesn't work for him or he doesn't work for. So we can be straight with each other."
Besides, Leonard says, "there's an intelligence to them that I like. I mean, Hugh has it," having been educated at Britain's prestigious Eton and Cambridge (his degree is in anthropology) and written the novel "The Gun Seller" in addition to his TV and film work. "He's one of the few guys I can throw Bob Newhart references around and he knows what I'm talking about. Or Lenny Bruce. We have similar tastes in things."
That personal connection translates to the "House" characters, whose inherent camaraderie, Laurie notes, touches a primal creative chord. "There is something pleasingly archetypal about that sort of a relationship - you know, the Sancho Panza or the Dr. Watson. Or Jeeves and Bertie," the P.G. Wodehouse pair, which Laurie played on British TV with compatriot Stephen Fry.
"House" isn't an easy show to pigeonhole. "No one knew what it was for a long time," Leonard says. "We didn't know if it was a procedural or character-driven or what. Honestly, I think, and quite brilliantly, the writers are balancing it. They're still - in my mind, a good thing - sort of finding what the show is."
Viewers can only hope they keep probing that particular mystery for years to come.
The more I read about the new season, the more nervous I get. I've been reading a lot of spoilers now, but none of them really managed to disparage my fears. I really hate the fact that they've taken away the cane. Happy House just is so wrong. But I'm confident they're going to fix that. I've also heard that the pain and the cane will be back, so there's hoping. Guess I'm being selfish for wanting to keep the character the way he is, but I want my Hooooooouse! Anyway, I'm both nervous and excited about it. This is why getting into a show while it's still on sucks so much! You always have to wait for new episodes and you always have to fear that they're going to screw up everything you loved about it! D: Oh well, guess I gotta wait and see.