When writer Janet Murray took to X to make a joke about the repetitive formula of the Fox TV medical series House, she certainly didn’t expect a response from House himself. Or the vitriol that came as a result. 

“Late to the party, but I’ve started watching Season 1 of House. Same narrative every episode: Patient has mysterious illness. Hugh Laurie (House) gets diagnosis wrong. Patient nearly dies. Hugh Laurie gets diagnosis wrong again. Gets threatened with being fired. Patient nearly dies again. Hugh Laurie has last-minute left-field idea. Gets diagnosis right. Doesn’t get fired. Eight seasons of this?” Murray’s post read. 

When a playful critique meets its star

Laurie saw the post and decided to issue a retaliation reminiscent of his lovably condescending character, writing:

“Thanks for your critique, Janet.  We actually tried a couple of episodes where House (Hugh Laurie) (please put the brackets in the right place) gets it right first time, but they were only 6 minutes long. NBC weren’t happy. Then we tried some where House never gets it right and the patient dies. The audience wasn’t happy.

One could apply your trenchant analysis to other art forms:  JS Bach wrote 30 Goldberg variations on the same chord structure; Frida Kahlo painted 50 portraits of herself;  Henry Moore, what??

The point is, or was, variations on a theme; if all you see is hospital, medical blah........

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