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House

House

Everybody lies.

2004–2012Ended8 seasons177 episodes~45 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

Dr. Gregory House, a drug-addicted, unconventional, misanthropic medical genius, leads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch House?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists House streaming on Hulu.

Subscription

Highlights

What stands out about House?

House earns 9 badges, led by Top 1% of shows and Modern classic.

Show 1 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Cast

Reception

Is House worth watching?

House's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all shows, from 611K ratings across 2 sources. 94% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of shows

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)98th
Approval (how many liked it)98th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

87 /100

98th percentile of all shows

98th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

Approval

How many liked it

94% liked it

98th percentile of all shows

98th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2000s
94% rated it 7–106% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

99th percentile

603K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 17% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps see House as a relentlessly formulaic medical procedural centered on a brilliant but abrasive lead, disagreeing on whether that's compelling or tiresome.

Fans praised

  • Hugh Laurie's iconic antihero performance anchors the series
  • Sherlock Holmes-style diagnostic puzzles with sharp, witty dialogue
  • Deep character study with an unpredictable, compelling ensemble

Detractors panned

  • Repetitive formula: same disease-of-the-week structure every episode
  • House's cruelty and misanthropy become grating and unwatchable
  • Slow pacing and low stakes undercut tension and drama

What stands out

ActingDivisive95

Hugh Laurie's career-best performance and strong ensemble praised universally, even by detractors

CharactersDivisive90

House as a complex, Sherlock-inspired antihero; supporting cast well-drawn but some find his jerkishness excessive

DialogueDivisive85

Sharp, witty, quotable lines—universally acknowledged but detractors find them predictable

OriginalityDivisive75

Blends Sherlock Holmes deduction with medical mystery; praised as fresh but criticized for formulaic repetition

HumorDivisive75

Wry, sardonic wit lands for fans; detractors see it as forced

Emotional impactDivisive70

Fans cite deep character moments and heart; detractors feel House's cruelty blocks engagement

Plot and storyDivisive60

Case-of-the-week structure: fans enjoy the puzzle, but formulaic storytelling and lack of overarching arc disappoint

PacingDivisive45

Slow, repetitive pacing in later seasons—both camps flag occasional drag

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Episodes

8 seasons

Season 8 · 2011 · 22 episodes · 7.8 average across 22 rated episodes

  • S8E1

    Twenty Vicodin

    Oct 3, 201144 minTMDB rating 8.4
  • S8E2

    Transplant

    Oct 10, 201144 minTMDB rating 7.9
  • S8E3

    Charity Case

    Oct 17, 201144 minTMDB rating 7.6
  • S8E4

    Risky Business

    Oct 31, 201144 minTMDB rating 7.7
  • S8E5

    The Confession

    Nov 7, 201144 minTMDB rating 7.4
  • S8E6

    Parents

    Nov 14, 201144 minTMDB rating 7.4

Watch experience

What is House like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Sardonic · under 1% of shows: Mocking with a bitter edge.Wry · 7% of shows: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe show plays its medical cases straight with dramatic sincerity, but undercuts them with House's sardonic humour and ironic detachment.
The rideThe diagnostic tension is constant, broken by House's barbed wit and the occasional heavy emotional reckoning.
StructureEpisodes follow a conventional case-of-the-week format without significant structural experimentation.
Episode formatEach episode revolves around a single mysterious case, but serialized elements (House's addiction, his relationships, team turnover) develop across seasons.
Season formatEach season brings a new cycle of team dynamics, House's personal struggles, and a continuous but self-contained story arc.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingHaunting · 9% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe cases and House's moral ambiguity linger, often leaving you pondering the nature of truth in medicine and human relationships.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% (this title) · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

18% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeIn a typical episode, a mysterious disease (the monster) preys on a patient, and House's team must diagnose and defeat it before it kills them.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfObsession
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2% (this title)
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6% (this title)
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% (this title) · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

Obsession · 2% of showsDeception · 6% of showsIsolation · 3% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeHouse's dogged obsession with solving medical puzzles defines his life, while his certainty that 'everybody lies' builds a wall between him and genuine connection.
StanceThe show questions whether House's obsessive pursuit of diagnostic truth justifies his cruelty and isolation, never fully endorsing or condemning him.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral classicalExperimentalFolkSupportive music · hybrid · Jon Ehrlich
SettingPrinceton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, New Jersey, early 2000s to early 2010s
MusicThe theme song is 'Teardrop' by Massive Attack, giving the show a distinctive brooding pulse.

Content guide

Is House okay for kids?

TV-14

House is rated TV-14. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (63/100), sexual content at moderate (42/100), language at moderate (39/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (75/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). Overall it is heavier than 85% of TV-14 shows.

Ratings in 28 other countries
  • UK18
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France10
  • Ireland15
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Austria16
  • Czechia18+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK16
  • Hungary16
  • IndiaU
  • LTN-14
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway18
  • PhilippinesPG
  • Poland16
  • PortugalNR
  • RO12
  • Russia16+
  • SingaporeNC16
  • Spain16
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Switzerland16
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 68% of all showsHeavier than 85% of TV-14 shows
Violence & Gore
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 68%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 58%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 51%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 97%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 83%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is drug and alcohol content, frightening material, and violence. Everything else sits at or below what TV-14 shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does House have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in House?

Cast

Hugh Laurie won the Globe for this show.

Hugh Laurie
as Dr. Gregory House
Globe win: Golden Globe — Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - DramaTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Robert Sean Leonard
as Dr. James Wilson
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Omar Epps
as Dr. Eric Foreman
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama SeriesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jesse Spencer
as Dr. Robert Chase
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Lisa Edelstein
as Dr. Lisa Cuddy
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Bobbin Bergstrom
as Nurse
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Jennifer Morrison
as Dr. Allison Cameron
Peter Jacobson
as Dr. Chris Taub
Olivia Wilde
as Thirteen
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
newcomer then · star now
Kal Penn
as Dr. Lawrence Kutner
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

More like this

What are shows like House?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like House include The Knick (2014), New Amsterdam (2018) and Breaking Bad (2008).

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What other shows share a tag with House?

178 other shows share the rarest tag below, kind of show: medical drama. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.