After rewatching the pilot of the medical dramaHouse, I made a big realization about the show. From 2004 to 2012,every season ofHousekept us enthralled as Dr. Gregory House attempted to solve all manner of strange medical mysteries. However,House’s very first episode was notably different from the rest of the show.
From a shift in screen time for certain members ofHouse’s castto the way it was shot, the first episode stood out for several reasons. “Everybody Lies” was never really considered one ofthe best episodes ofHouse, but it wasn’t terrible. However, after I rewatched it, I realized something aboutHouseas a whole.
House’s Pilot Is Basically From A Different Show
Housechanged in various ways throughout its 8-season run, and it’s astounding how the show originally introduced itself to audiences. Like several other TV show pilot episodes,House’s first episode was shot before the rest of season 1, and so there were naturally some changes after production received feedback.
Upon rewatching “Everybody Lies,” there were several things that were glaringly different from the rest ofHouse. The visuals were a particularly notable quality. The lighting and color grading of the footage was very heavy, bordering on disorienting, and this was because the episode was filmed with an orange hue lens.
The use of ambient lighting was strange, especially consideringHousechanged to a more clinical and cold white hue later on, which fitted the overall tone of the show better. The dialogue differed, too. InHouse’s pilot, the interactions between characters felt rather robotic, and it lacked the dark underlying humor that the show later became renowned for.
Why House Changed So Much After The Pilot
TheHousepilot demonstrated the potential avenues the show could take, and thankfully, the latter installments proved the first episode was worth taking a chance on. It’s worth noting thatHouse’s pilot wasn’t completely different from the rest of the show, but only a few things were implemented into the later episodes.
Thecore elements thatHouseset up in the pilotwere mainly related to the formula, which typically followed a story-of-the-week mystery structure, and Gregory House’s characterization as a Sherlock Holmes-esque figure. After the pilot, however,Houseswitched a lot of things up for the better.
DespiteHouse’s “Everybody Lies” differing so much from the rest of the show, it has an 8.4/10 rating on IMDb and is ranked 72 out of all 177 episodes.
For example, the show dedicated more time to the supporting characters. While the likes of Wilson and Cuddy were present in the pilot, the episode primarily focused on the titular character.House’s team of doctorsplayed a major part in the show’s success, and his rapport with each of them was fascinating to watch.
The patients also became a bigger focus. This allowed for the medical mystery side of things to be more engaging, and we were able to try to figure out what their ailments were alongside House himself in real time based on clues they dropped.
ForHouseto succeed, it was integral that production made these changes. I’m gladHousedidn’t keep the tone of its pilot episode, and while the season 1 opener was still enjoyable, I don’t think the show would’ve been as popular in the long run.
The problem with themedical drama TV showformat is that it can be difficult to keep things fresh. IfHousehad kept Greogry House at the forefront and didn’t spend time delving into the lives of his colleagues and patients, the show could’ve very easily blended into the background alongside several other medical procedurals.
After rewatchingHouse’s pilot, I realized it felt like a completely different TV show. The characters and setting were familiar, but it was as if the same group of actors simply happened to shoot a pilot of another medical drama together. While it teased the man Gregory House would become, I’m relievedHouseimproved itself after its first episode.
