House - Season 1

As a big fan of CSI and medical dramas like Grey's Anatomy, I could hardly wait to buy House on DVD, and I wasn't disappointed. Like so many other shows, House works brilliantly when watched in chunks - 2 or 3 episodes at a time! I lost a lot of sleep watching the series 1 through the first time, and when I finished, I simply threw the first disc back in the player and started again from the beginning.I remember Hugh Laurie from the Fry and Laurie days of long ago, as well as Blackadder, Jeeves and Wooster, and so on, and have always been a fan. But I was still amazed by the quality of his acting on this show. His American accent is so realistic, you forget he is English (in fact I almost got a shock listening to his English accent on the bonus features), and his comic timing makes the best of a witty and clever script. His banter with Dr Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) is really enjoyable, as is his relationship with the doctors on his team, although honestly, I don't think they can hold a candle to Laurie in terms of ability or on-screen charisma.Personally, I like the formulaic nature of each episode, as the characters, the humour and the tremendous variety of sometimes bizarre medical problems stop it getting boring. However, my favorite episode of season 1 was the one that broke the formula by following three cases at once. In this penultimate episode of the series we get a deeper insight into House's character, his past and his leg injury, which stirs up more sympathy for his character, as well as giving Laurie an opportunity to demonstrate some really fine acting.I recently introduced the series to a friend of mine who is a critical care nurse and she loved it! I'm just about to buy series 2!

I was recommended this show as a sort of anti-depressant, though I'm not sure it qualifies as such, even though it is definitely a series well worth watching.I don't have a tv (nor a tv dongle), and haven't had one for at least 5 years, so it's rare for me to be able to watch. I hadn't even heard of this series, but I bought the first season and started watching it, and I have to say it is great.Hugh Laurie was just a straight man for Stephen Fry so far as I was concerned, and I had no idea he could act. In fact, he is a great actor, and his accent is so good, I'm told, that he can fool an American! (An American friend said to me about this show "How is it that British actors can do American accents, but we can't do British accents?" I assume it's because our drama schools used to insist that everyone learn to talk in a completely neutral non-accent, on which any other accent can then be superimposed).Hugh Laurie's portrayal of the misanthropic House is great, and the series bears watching more than once, a mark of a good show. It was only yesterday that I realized how closely his part mirrors the well-known Sherlock Holmes, even down to the drug addiction. Of course, the back stories are completely different, but the idea of someone being obsessed by solving a puzzle (in the form of a crime or disease), by considering the evidence is basic. Which is probably why the episodes can be watched several times without becoming stale.I tried to ration myself to one episode a week, but it was hopeless. I've just ordered Season 2. Nuff said?

I am absolutely obsessed with this show. It is intelligent, interesting, funny and totally absorbing.Of course the main reason for the show's success has to be the wonderful cast. Hugh Laurie is superb! I have always watched Hugh in programmes like Blackadder and I was concerned to begin with that it would be impossible for him to be convincing as a serious actor. I needn't have worried... he heads the show spectacularly... as his numerous awards prove! Robert Sean Leonard is a pleasant surprise. I hadn't seen any of his work before but I find that he is one of my favourite actors in the show. He's a brilliant comic actor. The rest of the cast are brilliant too and the guest stars are always great additions.I have to admit that I am relieved that the show's structure is being changed for Season 4 as it could get a bit boring after a while with each episode following more or less the same outline. it's good to see a show that isn't afraid to change so that viewers are kept interested.As far as the DVD's themselves are concerned- i haven't experienced any problems. The extra's are great too... especially the blooper reel!House is a character that you love to hate... which makes for extremely interesting viewing. I can't wait to see what Season 4 has to offer.

The format of 'House' can't be considered mind-blowingly original, or mould-breaking. As the creators admit on the largely extremely disappointing special features, they wanted to make a CSI-style program set in a hospital, and succeeded. But anyone who has watched the entire series, heart in mouth, chuckling at House's crushing asides but never daring to relieve the tension, knows that this one of the most affecting, life-changing dramas currently showing, expertly cast, brilliantly shot and with writing of real flair and power.Hugh Laurie is magnificent in the title role, balancing the cold sarcasm of his daily duties with a palpable and heart-rendering fragility that demands sympathy from the viewer even though you're not quite sure you should even care. His accent is flawless and he injects every line with humanity and, on occasions, warmth. He is of course ably supported by his team - Jesse Spenser as the enigmatic Chase is the standout, but Jennifer Morrison's Cameron is just as effective, particularly in the emotionally charged scenes with Laurie. The script is sharp, the sets look authentic and the diagnostic puzzles House and the team solve are rarely anything other than absorbing, often filled with twists. I particularly love the episodes 'Maternity' and 'Fidelity', though the series becomes almost unbearably addictive when approaching the final six episodes or so, where the relationships between the doctors, especially between House and Cameron, comes to the fore.A shame, then, that those who are desperate to own the series are let down by the DVD packaging. Sure, the front and back covers of the packaging looks fine, but the 4:3 format (as a previous reviewer has pointed out), the lack of any penetrating special features or commentaries, the flimsy DVD cases and the plethora of annoying adverts/public information films which cannot be skipped make for a frustrating viewing experience. If film companies are so desperate to make people buy DVDs rather than download episodes from file-sharing sites and torrents, then they should at least make the real thing look appetising.Quibbles aside, House is the gold standard for drama - in my opinion it surpasses the often implausible and shock-tactic-prone '24' - and should be viewed with anyone who has any interest in quality drama. The fact that a British institution such as Laurie plays the lead so well is reason enough in itself.

Hugh Laurie? The quintessential posh Englishman (well, posh Scot)? As an American Doctor? Come off it..... This must be one of the greatest successful casting gambles of all time, right up there with that genius who created an up-to-then never mentioned younger brother for Frasier Crane because David Hyde Pierce looked like Kelsey Grammar! 'House' is such a great show, with a fantastic central performance from Laurie - sort of Conan Doyle-as-Holmes with a teeny touch of the Grissoms, all uniquely Laurie. It's refreshing to see an American character in an American series who is so acerbic, so amoral, so unsentimental - dare I suggest that perhaps only a Brit could have carried this off so convicingly? When I think back to the fresh-faced Laurie of 'A Bit of Fry and Laurie' (of which I have very fond memories) helping Fry stop the dreaded Marjorie from taking over the Best Damn Health Centre in Uttoxeter (with a triple-dose of damn and extra damn sprinkled on top!)....... And Sean Leonard's Wilson is a wonderful Watsonish foil - seemingly decent and upright, but with a masochistic streak as wide and deep as the Channel Tunnel, plus a slight problem with marriage. A great double act. Every member of the show is well cast - it's also interesting to be reminded of what a prat Chase was back in Season 1. The extras on the DVD release in the UK are apt - and the packaging, although basic, is good enough. All in all, a great show. Hope Laurie gets the Emmy this year - he deserves it.

Advertised as a complete Season 1 but missing disc 1, very disappointed

If you have already seen House, then you don't need me to tell you anything about the series. If you haven't, then you've probably heard or read that it's fabulous. And I'm going to tell you the same. I love the show. Hugh Laurie is fantastic as the cynical genius doctor, the dry humour, the sarcasm and the outrageousness of the whole thing - medical cases as much as House's behaviour. It's absolute genius. However, if you're hoping for a soppy medical drama with saintly doctors and nurses you'll likely be disappointed.The series is well cast and all the actors play well off each other, but Laurie is the undisputed star. His comedic timing is impeccable and he appears to have to have huge fun making his character as carmudgeonly and rude as humanly possible. And he has enough charisma to make you love this sociopath and root for him right from the beginning.The DVD set is very nice. It comprises of six discs, each with its own slim plastic case, inside a cardboard box. Apart from the 22 episodes of the first season, the following extra features, all of them short but fun, are included:- Dr House- Medical Cases- The Concept- Set Tour- HOUSE-isms- Casting Session with Hugh LaurieSmall drawbacks: No subtitles. The 4:3 aspect ratio, but that may well be the original format of this season, even though later seasons of the series are in widescreen format.

I too was excited at the prospect of getting Season One of this great show on Region 2 dvd. I'd held off buying the Region One set as the slight juddering caused by the NTSC frame rate annoys me slightly, but thats cos I know its there!Onto this set. Amazon doesn't note it, but this set does indeed have bonus features on the 6th disc. As far as I can tell, they are the same as the R1 release -The ConceptCasting Session with Hugh LaurieMedical CasesSet TourHouse-ismsDr HouseIt's a shame that its not in widescreen, seeing it was shown in widescreen both here and in the US - seems a bit odd for a modern TV show boxset if you ask me.All in all, a great series of a fantastic show, with a smattering of extras. The presentation of the dvd set is better than that of its R1 counterpart from what I can tell. Although its bulkier and spread over 6 discs rather than three, I prefer this as it keeps the discs in much better condition. The seperate cases for the discs, although slightly cumbersome, does make it easier to transport a single disc if the need arises.I'm glad I bought it, as I love the show. Just be aware of the lack of subtitles and widescreen presentation. A slight niggle for me that doesn't detract from the excellence of the show.

super

Great product! Fast shipping!!

DVD was in perfect shape.

Welch Freude: endlich gibt es die erste Staffel von Dr. House auf DVD. Ich selbst bin seit Folge #2 der vorliegenden Season begeisterter Zuschauer auf RTL und konnte den DVD-Release kaum erwarten. Nachdem ich mir die Box der ersten Staffel vorbestellt hatte und sie Ende Dezember auch bei mir eintraf, war ich gespannt darauf, wie sich Gregory House im DVD-Format schlagen würde - und wurde nicht enttäuscht. Im Gegenteil.Die Serie ansich hat man in glasklarer Bild- und Tonqualität auf DVD konvertieren können. Endlich konnte ich mir alle Episoden der ersten Staffel nochmal ansehen. Auch war es amüsant, die Serie einmal mit den englischen Originalstimmen zu hören (wobei ich die deutsche Synchronisation ebenso gut finde).Für all jene, die sich bisher an Dr. House vorbeimogeln konnten, hier ein kurzer Einblick in deren Verlauf: Dr. Gregory House, herrlich gespielt von Hugh Laurie (u.a. bekannt aus der Serie 'Blackadder' und den 'Stuart Little'-Filmen), ist Facharzt für Nephrologie und Infektionskrankheiten am fiktiven Princeton Plainsboro Lehrkrankenhaus. Besonders an ihm sind zwei Dinge: zum einen meidet er den Kontakt mit Patienten, da er der festen Meinung ist, dass Menschen aus Prinzip lügen und es ihn einzig interessiert, deren Krankheiten aufzudecken und zu bekämpfen, oder, wie er sagt, das 'Puzzle' zu lösen, zum anderen ist er - trotz oder gerade wegen dieser Haltung - dafür bekannt, das Unerklärliche nicht nur zu erkennen, sondern auch zu heilen. Ihm untersteht ein dreiköpfiges Team handverlesener Fachärzte; gemeinsam machen sie sich in jeder Folge daran, das Leiden von Patienten zu ergründen, die aus den unterschiedlichsten Gründen im Princeton Plainsboro landen. Doch kämpft House auch mit persönlichen Problemen: seit einem Infakt in seinem Bein, das von anderen Ärzten zu spät erkannt wurde, ist er gezwungen, das Schmerzmittel Vicodin einzunehmen, woraus sich allmählich eine Sucht entwickelt hat. Auch innerhalb seines Teams hat jeder mit vergangenen oder gegenwärtigen Problemen zu kämpfen.Dr. House ist eine Arzt-Serie der etwas anderen Art. Wie schon zuvor Nip/Tuck räumt sie radikal mit dem Klischee der 'Götter in Weiß' auf und zeigt dem Zuschauer einen genialen, aber innerlich kaputten Arzt beim Lösen seiner Fälle, gemischt mit viel schwarzem Humor und einem gewissen Emergency-Room-Feeling (nicht, dass ich Dr. House damit vergleichen könnte). Die Serie besticht speziell durch Houses unglaubliche rethorische Schlagfertigkeit, was besonders bei seinen Geplänkeln mit der Leiterin des Princeton Plainsboro, Dr. Lisa Cuddy, und den Gesprächen mit Patienten oder deren Angehörigen offenkundig wird. Definitiv eine der erfrischendsten Produktionen der letzten Zeit. Wer aufgrund dieser Beschreibung unsicher ist, der kann sich ja einmal eine Folge der 2. Staffel ansehen, die derzeit auf RTL zu sehen ist, allen Freunden leicht verschrobener Arzt-Serien und schwarzen Humors kann ich Dr. House jedoch nur empfehlen.

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