8 Best Shows Like House To Watch If You Miss The Medical Procedure

House was an incredible show with a dedicated following during its run, but there are other shows worth exploring for those missing House’s unique style. House was created by David Shore and the show ran between 2004 and 2012 on Fox. The show continued to achieve incredible success throughout the eight-season run and only ended when Hugh Laurie, who played the lead, chose to move on to new projects (via Looper).

The show has been universally praised for the quality of the writing, the development of its characters and character arcs, and the performances of the cast. House also won 5 Primetime Emmys, with a further 20 nominations in various categories. While the show is unique in its approach to medical drama and is distinctive from other serialized drama in general, there are other shows that have similar tones and themes which are likely to resonate with fans of House.

8
Elementary

Released In 2012

Just as House came to an end, an almost perfect replacement began to air and continued to run for seven seasons from 2012 to 2019. Elementary is a procedural crime drama, and a contemporary take on the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. The series follows a drug-addicted Holmes as he attempts to aid the New York City Police Department to resolve crimes that they struggle to make sense of.

While that may not sound like House’s medical drama, the two shows have a lot more in common than they appear on the surface level. For instance, both shows are modern adaptations of Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories that take liberties with the original mystery novels and bring them into a new setting. At the heart of House, the show is a mystery series that stars Doctor Gregory House, who is obsessed with trying to unravel mysterious illnesses and help his patients improve, which is ultimately very similar to Sherlock in Elementary aside from minor changes in plot and setting.

7
The Mentalist

Released In 2008

The Mentalist is another crime drama series, featuring a con man who puts his skills as a “psychic” to use helping detectives solve mysteries and get closer to finding the man who killed his family. Patrick Jane, played by Simon Baker, previously had a successful career as a medium in California, but when his family is brutally killed, he shifts his focus to doing everything he can to find the people responsible.

Admittedly, the shows premise is very different to what House has to offer, but the dynamics between a selfish, lying, manipulative, genius and his colleagues is a core that runs through both shows. Both Jane and House behave as though they are superior to the people around them. They use their exceptional talents to solve mysteries, and they frequently alienate people along the way. The Mentalist is a different experience, but it does contain a lot of the same elements that make House a compelling and engaging show.

6
Sherlock

Released In 2010

Sherlock is a UK-based series that updates the Arthur Conan Doyle stories and features the brilliant and tortured genius as he attempts to solve puzzles that no one else is able to make sense of. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as the titular lead, alongside Martin Freeman as his faithful companion Dr. John Watson. The series is a close adaptation of the original ACD stories, with the biggest changes coming from the modern setting.

While both Sherlock and House are clever adaptations of the ACD novels, the shows share a lot more in common than their source material. Both shows are brilliantly written, with clever twists and incredible reveals that happen slowly over the run of the series. Both are also complimented by outstanding performances from the cast, who embody their roles and remain compelling throughout. And finally, both shows also have clever visual representations of the way their leading men process information and solve the mysteries that are presented to them.

5
Psych

Released In 2006

Psych is a comedy-drama series that revolves around an amateur detective who is gifted with an eidetic memory and above-average observational skills, but his real talent is his ability to convince others of his psychic prowess. Shawn Spencer isn’t especially remarkable, but he knows how to use the skills he has to market himself and convince others of his worth. Using simple tricks and powers of reasoning with his eidetic memory, Spencer convinces the police that he is psychic.

While the premise is very different to House, the comedy and deception within the series do bring the shows together. House is a skilled doctor, with a wealth of knowledge, but there are many times in the show where he doesn’t know what’s wrong with patients, and takes a guess at what it could be. Much of the time, he is tricking people to go with his opinions, and fortunately, due to his talents, he is very often proven correct. Spencer may not appear to be on that same level, but the characters are more similar than they initially appear.

4
Monk

Released In 2002

Monk is a great series that focuses more on the comedy element than the drama. Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) suffers from a severe case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. He formerly worked as a detective in the San Francisco police department, but after the death of his wife, his OCD intensified, and he had to retire from active duty. When he eventually finds a way to control and manage his OCD, it gives him the opportunity to work as a consultant with the police and use his unique skills to solve crimes.

While Monk’s OCD is a challenge, it is also a significant part of what makes him a great detective. His attention to detail and a keen eye for noticing any changes means he is incredibly observant and sees things others miss. Like House, his ailments are a part of what helps him to focus on other issues and uniquely understand things. Which also highlights how House may have a lot more in common with crime procedurals than traditional medical shows.

3
The Good Doctor

Released In 2017

The Good Doctor is another show by creator David Shore, with brilliant writing, and incredible attention to detail when it comes to medical accuracy. The focus of the show is an autistic surgeon named Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore), who is incredibly gifted in his medical knowledge and prowess. While Dr. Murphy struggles to socially engage with his patients and colleagues, and he has several things that can trigger him to become unresponsive or withdrawn, he understands the internal workings of people in incredibly minute detail.

Aside from sharing a showrunner and series creator, The Good Doctor and House have a great deal in common. Both shows feature a talented doctor with social issues, who is madly in love with their work, and obsessive in their need to solve medical mysteries. However, the thing that makes them truly great is their differences. Shaun wants to improve his ability to engage with others and struggles to maintain relationships, while House wants to run away from people, and actively disrupts his relationships.

2
Sneaky Pete

Released In 2015

Sneaky Pete is another series developed by David Shore, this time in collaboration with Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Malcolm in the Middle). The series follows a convict who is running from his past by adopting the identity of his former cellmate, Pete. Despite having learned much about Pete’s family while in prison, Marius needs to convincingly pass to Pete’s own family, who have long been estranged from him, and thus, they are not immediately suspicious. However, if he can’t convince Pete’s family, he risks being discovered for his fraud and his old life catching up with him.

Sneaky Pete is certainly different in terms of its premise and story from the one that is unpacked in House, but with the clever writing of David Shore, there are elements that feel reminiscent. The show revolves around deception and lies, and while House tends to be more focused on solving medical mysteries, there are lies that persist throughout the show and many of the relationships. Whether it’s Wilson lying to House to get his help, or House lying to Cuddy, so he can perform morally gray treatments, lies are pivotal to both shows.

1
Bones

Released In 2005

Bones is the perfect blend between a crime and a medical procedural drama show. Agent Temperance “Bones” Brennan is a gifted forensic anthropologist. She is paired up with FBI Special Agent Booth, and together, they are assigned to investigate cases where the only remains of victims are their bones. The show is known for its darker comedy and exploration of the relationships between the characters, along with clever writing and scientific exposition regarding the cases investigated in each episode.

Bones follows a similar procedural style in each episode, with a new case being studied and eventually resolved. For both shows, the real story is playing out between the main lead characters and their relationships with the people around them. In House, patients only exist so that House can reveal more of his story, and likewise, the inanimate bones that Brennan and Booth dig up are just background noise to the events on screen. If you enjoyed House, it’s highly likely that you will also enjoy Bones.