We used to call doing whatever was necessary to amuse the audience: “Doing the show.” Laurie always does the show. When necessary, it means eating the scenery. Things are going well when the residue of your prior efforts allow you to sort of coast like a duck on a pond, but real showmen are always ready to break into the “seltzer bottle down the pants” when all else fails.
I have no idea what the recycled Marcus Welby MD show is like, but I imagine there’s some “show” in it somewhere. The guy sheds it.
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He was amazing as Bertie Wooster.
I have been watching House since it started. The writing on the show is uneven, but Laurie is unfailingly brilliant. Not the British “brilliant” which means retarded, but truly brilliant.
Once in a while they let him show off his musicianship – the ol’ boy is talented, I’m gonna tell you what.
I’m not sure I’d call the writing uneven … the characterization is steady throughout, except for that one unbelievably horrible episode with Michael Michelle, which made me think the usual writers discreetly left the room while the nephew of the studio boss had a go because his uncle said so … the plots aren’t always up to the best standard, but the writing, of individual dialogue and characters, is steady.
And Hugh Laurie is indeed truly brilliant. He’s incredible.
Grady’s right. His Wooster was spot on. Even better than the books, and the books are awesome.
His House is pure fun.
Now, the true test of a good entertainer: can he be entertaining when his character isn’t really all that entertaining? Yes. He plays this IA Officer in “Street Kings”. Sort of a square, yet he is fascinating on screen. I don’t know how he does it, but the proof is in the pudding.
Didn’t he also play bungler #2 in teh live version of 101 Dalmations?
Hahaha, Street Kings, what an awful movie–so awful it was hilarious. And he was awesome. As usual.
Ok, maybe the writing is even – predictable and even.
Auto-immune illnesses – they happen way too often.
House guesses, is wrong, something happens, patient nearly dies, House stares into space, answer arrives. The Mad TV parody was spot on.
I am not knocking – I watch every episode. Why? Had a brother who was a brilliant diagnostician. I also worked with a guy who was brilliant and looked like House. A good medical mystery keeps my attention.
Ramblin’ mode off…
Well, yes, “formulaic” is the word you’re hunting for … but they make it work like a charm. It’s not JUST him, either, much as I would like to say so. He is the firecracker, but there’s good material there to start with.
It’s never lupus.
Hey. You said you don’t watch.
There’s more than one way to know things.
It was lupus once.
And Street Kings was awesome.