The House of Representatives (TV Series)
The House of Representatives is a key part of American representational democracy. Its structure and functions emphasize the people’s connection to policy-making, empowering citizens to influence the legislative process and strengthen their democratic rights. As the chamber closest to the people, the House is uniquely connected to civic engagement, providing a powerful platform for people to connect with their legislators and shape policies that benefit them.
The series centers on Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), a misanthropic, pain medication-dependent maverick specializing in diagnostic medicine who works at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. House’s unique personality, his clashes with fellow physicians and other hospital staff, and his refusal to follow hospital procedures frequently inspire humorous or controversial dialogue and serve as a framework for the show’s narrative.
As the show progressed, House’s team of diagnostic fellows grew. In addition to his ally, Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), House worked with Dr. Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer), an internist; Dr. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison), an immunologist; and Dr. Eric Foreman (Omar Epps), a neurologist. Occasionally, House’s analytic prowess at the clinic and his witty observations about the nature of each patient’s illness inspired other members of the diagnosis team to offer their own theories on the case.
Despite House’s refusal to obey hospital rules, he is still required to treat patients in the facility’s walk-in clinic. His grudging fulfillment of this duty and his creative methods of avoiding it are a recurring subplot in the series. During clinic duty, he bewilders his patients with eccentric prescriptions and unorthodox treatments. He also irritates his fellow doctors with his unwelcome observations about their personal lives, and analogies to simple cases in the clinic often inspire his quick and accurate diagnoses.
During the third season, House and Cuddy begin dating, but his physical relationship with her does not advance past this stage. In the fifth season, he begins sleeping with his lab partner, Dr. James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard). During the seventh season, he begins having romantic relationships with both Thirteen and Masters. Gale Tattersall, who was the show’s cinematographer from 2007 to 2012, was renowned for shooting some of the show’s most dramatic scenes on the Canon 5D DSLR camera, which made it the first time network television had used this type of camera. The series was filmed at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and at the real Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey. Some of the episode locations are also filmed at the University of California, Los Angeles campus for exterior shots. The pilot episode was filmed in Vancouver, Canada, and the remainder of episodes have been shot on the Fox lot in Century City. The show was produced by Bryan Singer and Paul Attanasio, with Shore credited as the show’s co-creator. The final episode aired on May 21, 2012. All eight seasons of the series have been released on DVD and Blu-ray disc. The show was nominated for seven Emmy Awards and won four.