by Helen Langdon
House is perhaps not the first Sherlock Holmes adaptation that springs to mind. After all, it’s not about an English detective fighting crime. But it’s still based on Sherlock Holmes, just an alternate universe version where Holmes is a maverick doctor who solves those (medical) cases no ordinary person can.
House is perhaps not the first Sherlock Holmes adaptation that springs to mind. After all, it’s not about an English detective fighting crime. But it’s still based on Sherlock Holmes, just an alternate universe version where Holmes is a maverick doctor who solves those (medical) cases no ordinary person can.
Back when House first started airing in 2004, the idea of Sherlock Holmes being quite so misanthropic was an unusual one. But House is Holmes, in more than just the one way. They share the same apartment number, 221B. Both have drug issues, although Holmes’ is usually seen as just a solution for boredom, as opposed to an end in and of itself. Yes, House’s Vicodin addiction is also in response to outside stimuli – the pain of his leg – but it’s also implied that he was a drug user before his infarction. They’re both surprisingly good musicians – Holmes on the violin, House on the piano. Characters with the surnames “Adler” and “Moriarty” show up in each canon.
But what’s really interesting is where House takes this central character, a man flawed but more brilliantly intelligent than anyone around him. There is no direct Watson substitute in House the TV series, despite the character of Wilson supposedly holding that role. He’s usually referred to as House’s only friend, and for a while the two of them are flatmates. But in the first couple of series, excepting a few episodes, Wilson’s role is to walk down corridors with House and say something banal which breaks the case wide open. No, House’s fellows are far more like his Watsons, helping him out on cases and looking impressed when he pulls the correct diagnosis out of the air.
But what’s really interesting is where House takes this central character, a man flawed but more brilliantly intelligent than anyone around him. There is no direct Watson substitute in House the TV series, despite the character of Wilson supposedly holding that role. He’s usually referred to as House’s only friend, and for a while the two of them are flatmates. But in the first couple of series, excepting a few episodes, Wilson’s role is to walk down corridors with House and say something banal which breaks the case wide open. No, House’s fellows are far more like his Watsons, helping him out on cases and looking impressed when he pulls the correct diagnosis out of the air.
House as a series also has a far more equal gender balance than any other Sherlock Holmes adaptation has managed. House has female colleagues, superiors, fellows, lovers, patients… which makes a bit of a change from seeing Irene Adler, occasionally Mary Morstan and any agency-less women who need to have their cases investigated (unless you start gender-bending characters, that’s your lot in Holmes).
But does House work? As a Sherlock Holmes adaptation, yes; the mysteries are compelling, and although House is occasionally formulaic to the point of parody (patient guaranteed to get worse at least three times, at the 10, 20 and 30 minute mark), maybe that just ties it in more as a Holmes adaptation. After all, Holmes will nearly always solve the case.
And as a TV drama? The relationships work, the acting is superb and it’s generally well shot. House is proof that Sherlock Holmes doesn’t need to be entirely faithful to be good fun.
But does House work? As a Sherlock Holmes adaptation, yes; the mysteries are compelling, and although House is occasionally formulaic to the point of parody (patient guaranteed to get worse at least three times, at the 10, 20 and 30 minute mark), maybe that just ties it in more as a Holmes adaptation. After all, Holmes will nearly always solve the case.
And as a TV drama? The relationships work, the acting is superb and it’s generally well shot. House is proof that Sherlock Holmes doesn’t need to be entirely faithful to be good fun.
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