Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Melilla www.eoimelilla.

com Profesora: Sonia Heredia

Holmes was based on a doctor and Gregory House, MD (played by Hugh Laurie), like Holmes, is an observational genius with the ability to see a pattern in small things and draw conclusions from that. Dr. House is a diagnostician instead of a detective but there are echoes of Holmes and other influences upon House MD (character and television series). Instead of criminals, the enemy is germs, diseases and other vulnerabilities of the human body, tracked down like criminals. The stories usually follow the pattern of the scientific method: The team thinks up possibilities based on the evidence and then tests them, eliminating the ones that don't pass the tests until they come up with a theory that works. Or as Sherlock Holmes said, "When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Some critics have derided the plots for being formalistic, but if through interesting fiction, the writers are demonstrating how science works,

Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Melilla www.eoimelilla.com Profesora: Sonia Heredia

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there is genius in their method. The creator of "House" (David Shore) said in an interview: "...Anytime one says puzzle and brilliant deduction in the same sentence, one can't help but think of the great fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson. And indeed, Holmes -- and the real-life physician that inspired him, Dr. Joseph Bell -- were very much inspirations for 'House.'" Holmes himself was based on Doctor Arthur Conan Doyle's teacher Doctor Joseph Bell so "House" brings the story full circle. Gregory House, M.D., like Holmes, is anti-social (only interested in the puzzle) and takes a drug (in House's case for pain as well as the boredom that plagues both fictional characters). Even the names are similar: Holmes (one letter different from and sounds like 'Homes' which is another word for House). Dr. Gregory House doesn't have Holmes' distant, cultured politeness. He is too "21st century American" and so is distant, uncultured and rude. His friend is not named Dr. John Watson but Dr. James Wilson who, like Watson is married and unlike Watson doesn't seem to be writing stories about his companion. And the cast also consists of a team of "Baker Street Irregulars" to follow House's orders - and in typically modern fashion these grown up versions of the original "helpers" (those Holmes used to send out to do the

Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Melilla www.eoimelilla.com Profesora: Sonia Heredia

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tedious work) offer their own opinions and, occasionally, stand up to their leader.