House is better left without a revival, but I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t still be excited about watching it. From 2004 to 2012, the show House explored the cases taken on by Dr. Gregory House, a TV character inspired by Sherlock Holmes. Like many people in the late 2000s, I became enthralled by the show and watched most of the episodes. House went on for nine seasons, which was arguably a little bit too long. Eventually, the series came to a close with a highly divisive finale.

Recently, House has gained more attention again, growing its dedicated fanbase. This led the Screen Rant team to ask Lisa Edelstein about the chances of a House revival. The actor seemed uncertain but said that anything was possible. Despite being a fan while the show aired, I think the idea of a House reboot sounds like a big mistake that would only disappoint. This doesn’t change the excitement I would feel if the revival actually occurred, though.

A House Revival Sounds Like A Terrible Idea

Despite Lisa Eldstein’s comments, there is no reason for a House revival to happen. The popularity of traditional procedural dramas has decreased with the increase of bingeable shows on streaming sites, and I believe this is a good thing. Though it was enjoyable in the day of cable TV and reruns, the case-of-the-week format gets stale quickly when more than a few episodes are ewatched in a row. Streaming House, I find myself getting bored with the formulaic plots when there isn’t good drama or character development.

Additionally, when rewatching House recently, I realized that the show treats the main character too kindly based on his behavior. While he’s never presented as the best person, Dr. House is seen as a lovable misanthrope who is just making jokes, rather than being held accountable. Unfortunately, in retrospect, his intelligence makes him a hero, providing the ultimate apologetic for any of his bad behavior. If the House came back with the same presentation of the titular main character, it would likely turn off anyone new to the show.

House also incorporates jokes that feel insensitive and problematic today – an issue that would hinder any attempts at a revival. Even when the show first aired, Dr. House’s comments pushed the line on what was okay to say. As society has become more aware of prejudices, especially racism and transphobia, it’s become less acceptable to throw these kinds of jokes around.

On top of this, Dr. House sexually harasses the women around him – especially Cuddy – in House, and other characters act like it’s no big deal. When other issues occur, the “villains” treat them as big deals, but the show normalizes House’s sexual harassment in a way that’s sickening. Shows treating workplace sexual harassment as acceptable behavior doesn’t have a place in a post-#MeToo era. For all of these reasons, it would be better for David Shore and the production company to just cut their losses and make a new show, instead of reviving House.

Why A House Revival Seems More Likely Now Than Ever

Modern

The possibility of a House revival has only been speculation from fans and a cast member thus far, but the idea doesn’t seem far-fetched based on the recent trend of reviving and rebooting TV shows – especially ones that were popular in the 2010s. More than 12 major shows will come back through reboots and revivals in the upcoming years. Luckily, most of these shows have a decent angle and story to work with when starting back up.

Examples of similar shows to House with confirmed revivals include Suits and White Collar. In October 2023, the creators of Suits confirmed the spinoff show within the same universe, Suits L.A. The show will focus on a new law firm and characters, but it doesn’t preclude the possibility of familiar faces appearing at some point. On June 7, the creator of The White Collar confirmed a revival starring at least some of the original cast.

Both Suits and White Collar are procedural TV shows that star cocky and unlikable men who are inexplicably brilliant. If these revivals do well, Hollywood will certainly look to other shows with the same basic building blocks, such as N3mbers, Psych, and House. Of all these, I would most enjoy a Psych revival because Shawn Spencer is funnier than Dr. House, but a House revival seems much more likely since it’s regarded as one of the best medical shows of all time.

I Can’t Say I Wouldn’t Be Excited For A House Revival

I Would Watch A House Revival Because Of Hugh Laurie’s Acting

As far as I’m concerned, House should never be revived. Still, because of the nostalgia effect, there’s no question that I would still get excited if the show’s creator announced a revival today. There’s something about watching a familiar show from the past that provides comfort, especially with the chaos going on in the world. Since the original show had so many issues, I would be hopeful that a House revival would fix the problematic dialogue while maintaining the feeling of familiarity.

House also did one thing differently from other medical procedural shows that would make a revival exciting. The titular main character is known for working on medical cases that other doctors can’t solve. Because of this, the show explores many rare diseases that aren’t commonly discussed. When the original show aired, I used it as a jumping-off point to learn about different diseases. A House revival would undoubtedly continue this trend of exploring uncommon medical problems.

Moreover, Hugh Laurie is an incredible actor whose portfolio has continued to grow over the years. Prior to House, the actor was known for his comedic abilities, taking on less serious roles. Since playing Dr. Gregory House, Laurie has played dark characters in Roadkill, The Night Manager, and Chance. It would be interesting to see how his approach to the character in the revival would change from the original seasons of House.