TMC
02-07-2023, 10:49 PM
Why Does Nobody Talk About It Anymore?
https://www.looper.com/1191976/house-m-d-was-once-the-most-popular-show-in-the-world-why-does-nobody-talk-about-it-anymore/
BY PAULI POISUO/FEB. 7, 2023 4:31 PM EST
Here's a statement that you might find hard to believe: "House, M.D." was once the most popular show in the world. In fact, per Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2009/06/12/house-worlds-most-popular-show/), in the good year 2009 the edgy medical drama reigned supreme with a global viewership of 81.8 million pairs of eyes, spread over 66 different countries.
It's not a massive surprise, either, if you remember what a phenomenon the show was back in the day. In many ways, "House, M.D." is a perfect storm that combines medical drama with prestige-level storytelling and characters, and its cast is one for the ages. On paper, the series ticks all the boxes for an all-time great show, to the point that it even has a killer theme song with a story of its own.
You'd think that a show of such stature would have left a pretty significant mark in people's minds, especially with its stellar Tomatometer and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/house). Yet, the untold truth of "House, M.D." often revolves around its main character, instead of the show itself. There are tales about the way people have mistaken the incredibly British Hugh Laurie for an American, and how Laurie himself looked bemusedly on as his role as the titular mean doctor turned the career comedian into a bona fide sex symbol. As for other aspects of the series ... well, at this point, if you mention "House, M.D." in a casual TV show conversation, someone might bother cracking a joke about lupus before the conversation moves to "The Wire" or "Sopranos."
https://www.looper.com/1191976/house-m-d-was-once-the-most-popular-show-in-the-world-why-does-nobody-talk-about-it-anymore/
BY PAULI POISUO/FEB. 7, 2023 4:31 PM EST
Here's a statement that you might find hard to believe: "House, M.D." was once the most popular show in the world. In fact, per Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2009/06/12/house-worlds-most-popular-show/), in the good year 2009 the edgy medical drama reigned supreme with a global viewership of 81.8 million pairs of eyes, spread over 66 different countries.
It's not a massive surprise, either, if you remember what a phenomenon the show was back in the day. In many ways, "House, M.D." is a perfect storm that combines medical drama with prestige-level storytelling and characters, and its cast is one for the ages. On paper, the series ticks all the boxes for an all-time great show, to the point that it even has a killer theme song with a story of its own.
You'd think that a show of such stature would have left a pretty significant mark in people's minds, especially with its stellar Tomatometer and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/house). Yet, the untold truth of "House, M.D." often revolves around its main character, instead of the show itself. There are tales about the way people have mistaken the incredibly British Hugh Laurie for an American, and how Laurie himself looked bemusedly on as his role as the titular mean doctor turned the career comedian into a bona fide sex symbol. As for other aspects of the series ... well, at this point, if you mention "House, M.D." in a casual TV show conversation, someone might bother cracking a joke about lupus before the conversation moves to "The Wire" or "Sopranos."