There's no question that *"House" *has had the most kick of any veteran
series. Last fall, the medical drama stumbled into that seemingly
never-ending battle between the pill-popping Gregory House (Hugh Laurie)
and a police detective out to get him. It dragged on far too long and
got the series out of its usual rhythms.
This year, the writers tried what initially sounded like an equally
dubious creative spin. Having sent House's team of doctors spinning off
to new jobs, the writers decided to stage a "Survivor"-style competition
to pick replacements. It wasn't the most promising of story lines - it
initially seemed a bit convoluted - but it worked out beautifully. Now,
of course, the show has a rather inflated cast with the three old team
members still around and three new ones, so we'll have to see how that
works out.