Hugh Laurie Considering Walking Away From 'House' After Next Season

[Brian Damage]

Wanna good scare? Imagine the end of House. And with Hugh Laurie’s contract up next season, it could happen. “I have no idea” how much longer the show will run, he tells me. “I only hope we’ll know when the time is right [to close up shop]. When people blunder on for five years after [they should have called it quits]… it gets taken out of your hands. Someone will say, ‘That’s it.’

“But for now,” he adds, “I’m immensely proud of the things we did this season.”

As well he should be. The crushing finale alone stands as the actor’s finest work to date (and that’s saying something!). So, given the quality of material he’s still getting to play, it shouldn’t come as a shock that he says “I am open” to continuing beyond season 7.

Laurie maintains that the idea of hanging up House’s stethoscope for good isn’t something he’s had time to dwell on — not yet, anyway. “This sounds like I’m trying to avoid [the question]. I’m not,” he insists. “I have the brain of a hamster and I can’t think beyond 5 o’clock this afternoon. I really am that stupid.

“I can only say,” he continues, “I think we’ll have a sense next year at some point” about whether to keep going.

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/06/...tract-leaving/

[robyrob]

considering most British series are MUCH shorter, I think that we've been pretty lucky that he's stayed with it this long.

[catlover79]

He might as well - the show just isn't as good as it once was.

[Miss Lisa]

You know, I would have been mad if he would have said that earlier, but now after seeing the sixth season, I'd be okay with that. We all saw him finally say that he loves Cuddy to her face, and next season will probably get into that. Let's face it, once two main characters become a couple, the show goes downhill.

A good example would be Tony and Angela from Who's The Boss. They started out cute, they helped each other when they needed it, they were there for each other and made each other smile, but then when they started dating, the show only last like a season afterwards. Same with the Nanny. Once the two were married, the show didn't last much longer.

I know those couples are different from House and Cuddy, but I do think that it'll work out the same way. The curiousity as to how they would be as a couple will be taken away.

[MariposaLKB]

Originally Posted by Miss Lisa

You know, I would have been mad if he would have said that earlier, but now after seeing the sixth season, I'd be okay with that. We all saw him finally say that he loves Cuddy to her face, and next season will probably get into that. Let's face it, once two main characters become a couple, the show goes downhill.

A good example would be Tony and Angela from Who's The Boss. They started out cute, they helped each other when they needed it, they were there for each other and made each other smile, but then when they started dating, the show only last like a season afterwards. Same with the Nanny. Once the two were married, the show didn't last much longer.

I know those couples are different from House and Cuddy, but I do think that it'll work out the same way. The curiousity as to how they would be as a couple will be taken away.

But at least they will be rid of the unbelievable relationship between Cuddy and Lucas. That was already putting House in danger of jumping the shark IMHO! Even as House's private investigator he didn't add much, and I wasn't sure even someone as paranoid as House would really hire a PI to spy on his employees in the first place. Maybe ask them to rat on each other (which he has also done of course), but still....