Can you believe it’s September already?  Judging by the hot temps Tiffany and I deal with in Texas and Florida, neither can we. But, fall is practically here, and with the hope of cooler weather and crisping leaves in other parts of the country, we are all looking forward to the return of our favorite programs.

This week, we discuss two of our FOX favorites, Bones and House.

I must disclose, I am reviewing House not only because I love the show, but because until recently, I had not watched Bones.  At the urging of Tiffany and another excellent writing buddy, I queued it up.  Be sure to check out Tiffany’s review – there is a reason I have over 100 episodes to catch up on.

But on to what I already watch when fall season hits the TV.

For any of you who don’t own a television, live in a cave, or just hate yourself, House is a medical drama following a cantankerous and brilliant diagnostician and his team as they figure out difficult case after case.

The show’s namesake, Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), gets away with most everything because at the end of the day, he is great at what he does.  However, the show is about more than just the cases and the chances Dr. House and his team take in methods of diagnosis (dangerous procedures, breaking into people’s homes) and treatment.  It’s also about the man himself, his addictions, and what has made him into the kind of guy you want to punch in the face, but can’t live without.

Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), the hospital’s Dean of Medicine and Chief Administrator, has a complicated relationship with House.  Her days are spent balancing her need for his talent, her concern for him as a friend, and her headaches in keeping the hospital out of trouble with the stunts he pulls.

The one person House comes close to considering a friend throughout the series, although he often doesn’t treat him like one, is Dr. James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard).  Dr Wilson works in the same hospital as the head of Oncology.  He, at times, attempts to serve as House’s conscience and protector.  The conversations between the two often lead to House piecing together the mystery set before him in the form of a patient.

The dynamic of House’s team, with him and each other, adds even more to the story, and over the course of several seasons the team has seen a few changes.

The original team consisted of Dr. Foreman (Omar Epps), Dr. Chase (Jesse Spencer) and Dr. Cameron (Jennifer Morrison), but after the third season, House is forced to assemble a new team, a task which plays out over several episodes.  Over the next few seasons, the team included Dr. Kutner (Kal Penn), Dr. Hadley (Olivia Wilde), Dr. Taub (Peter Jacobson) and med student Martha Masters (Amber Tamblyn).

Over the course of seven seasons, there is a lot of ground to cover when it comes to storyline.  So instead, I offer what it is about this show that keeps me tuning in.

Remember when I told you how I love the stories of Sherlock Holmes?  House’s indifference towards his patients, his reasoning skills, his refusals to take cases that don’t interest him; these are all qualities possessed by the great Holmes.  Also, House and Holmes – see the connection?  Dr. James Wilson and Dr. John Watson?

If you think I am stretching for a connection, pay attention to the building number House lives in (221B).  Or the crazed gunman referred to as Moriarty.  Or maybe the book by Joseph Bell, given to House by Wilson (Bell is who Doyle based Sherlock Holmes on).

Geeky Sherlock references and similarities aside, another great part of the show are the clinic visits.  House’s interactions with “regular” patients when he is on clinic duty provide some of the more comical moments in the show, and make me wonder how many doctors wish they could get away with the things he says to some of the patients.

Medical mystery, addiction, snark, this show has a little but of everything I enjoy. When you strip it down to the basics, the show is “about truth”, according to its creator David Shore.

I’m looking forward to what truths lie ahead in Season 8 (a Cuddy-less season from what I hear…).  Although House is probably MacTV viewing for some, perhaps those who understand whether or not the medical talk is accurate, for me it qualifies for a GTV rating.  I never miss an episode.

That could have something to having Hugh Laurie AND Robert Sean Leonard on the screen.

Are you looking forward to the return of House?  What are your favorite House moments?  Are you among the few who aren’t watching this show?

Now click over to Tiffany’s blog and see why she has me catching up on the Fox drama, Bones!

Come back next week when we review a few more of our favorite returning programs returning this fall – the opposing 10pm EST/9pm CST Monday night hit series Castle & Hawaii 5-0.  Bet you can guess which one I am covering.

Remember to stop by the #watchwed hashtag in Twitter to discuss any of today’s reviews, or to mention any television programs that you’d like to see on Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday in the future.  We’re currently working on our September schedule and would love to chat with you!

 

 

The WatchWed Review System

GTV (Gourmet TV): Everything we want and more
MacTV (MacNCheese TV): Guilty pleasure. Not perfect, but is satisfies
JFTV (Junk food TV): It’s not great for us, but we’ll go back for seconds
SSTV (Still Simmering TV): It has potential, but the jury is still out
NIV (Nyquil Induced Viewing): Perfect for that late night television sleep timer
LOTV (Liver&Onions TV): Do we really have to explain? Blech