When a series is successful, it's not surprising that there are talks of spin-offs. In the last few years, we had spin-offs for Grey's Anatomy, Girlfriends, CSI, Law & Order, etc., while others are in the works for Battlestar Galactica and Beverly Hills, 90210. Therefore, I don't think you'll fall off your chair if I tell you that FOX is toying with the idea of a House spin off. But you may want to make sure you are properly seated before reading this: the spin-off would not focus on doctors but private investigators!
In his latest "Ask Ausiello" column, TV Guide columnist Michael Ausiello reveals that FOX and NBC Universal are developing a spin-off for the medical hit series House. Next season, a male private investigator will be introduced on House and stick around for a few episodes. If fans respond well to the character, he may get his own series. No more details are given about this "House: P.I." spin-off.
When I watch spin-offs, it's mostly because they have the same premise as the original show that I enjoy. This spin-off sounds like a new show altogether. I'm not saying I would not watch but I won't qualify it as a spin off since it's about private investigators.
Can it really be called a spin off if the base of the show is totally different? Would you watch such a spin-off? Let your voice be heard in comments.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-07-2008 @ 3:04PM
casey said...
It might turn out to be a good show, but I think that I personally would not qualify it as a spin-off. Personally I hope it does well because I like HOUSE and I like FOX, but I think that if it needs to use house to get its start as a detective show it might not be able to stand alone.
However, I guess if they are going to go with the theme of rare, strange, hard to solve cases as they do in HOUSE it might be fitting to start there.
Also, if they are going to use HOUSE as a starting point they better not disappoint us fans by which I mean they had better make sure HOUSE makes an appearance or two in the new show!
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5-07-2008 @ 3:12PM
David said...
We're TV fans. We'll watch any content we deem good. If they develop the PI as a character we want to watch, we will. I think it's smart of them to introduce the character from a vehicle which is very successful, "House, M.D.". It gives the new show a better chance of success, in my opinion, than a pilot with no previous exposure to a fan base.
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5-07-2008 @ 3:14PM
willmore2000 said...
The only reason I watch House, and the only reason it is successful is Hugh Laurie. The rest - the supporting cast, the writing, the setting are average medical show things.
Unless ... it's another interesting "Sherlockian" character played by a great actor. I wouldn't mind, for instance to see Christopher Eccleston in that role.
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5-07-2008 @ 3:17PM
SirCrumpet said...
From my point of view, I watch House less because of the premise and more because I love Laurie and his role as House.
I feel that a new show with a similar premise would be fine and has the chance to do well, however I'm not sure House is the best place to launch it - Let it shine as its own thing, not as a spin-off.
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5-07-2008 @ 3:25PM
Oreo said...
Lame.
And aren't the creators of House working on a Lawyer version of House?
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5-07-2008 @ 3:36PM
Carissa said...
Isn't that kind of what Shark is supposed to be? Not that I watch it.
5-07-2008 @ 3:33PM
Frank said...
In my Tivo guide it says Tom Sizemore guests as a PI in one of the upcoming episodes of House.
A Tom Sizemore spin-off? Really?
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5-07-2008 @ 4:06PM
Oreo said...
Can't be because this is next season, they are done with this season.
5-07-2008 @ 4:24PM
dt3 said...
i hate you even more when you talk in riddles like that oreo.
5-07-2008 @ 5:12PM
Oreo said...
You hate me because I'm smarter than you?
5-07-2008 @ 4:34PM
Midnight13 said...
If they do a spin-off character of anyone from House it should be the detective played by David Morse from a couple of seasons ago. I think this actor is vastly underrated, people generally like him in the movies and television he is in but is so often regulated to being a supporting player, and rarely ever is the title character in movies and television. It would be good to see him in a weekly series again, and he was really good on "House".
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5-07-2008 @ 7:29PM
ac said...
You just took the words right out of my mouth Midnight.
5-07-2008 @ 10:53PM
Lenny said...
I'd definitely watch that! Probably isn't going to be David Morse and his character. That would be too much like a good idea.
Add me to the list of people that watch House for one thing: Hugh Laurie.
5-07-2008 @ 4:55PM
h8rain said...
It could be called Car P.I.
Or if he carries a big gun, Magnum P.I. (wait....I think that name was already used.. :D)
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5-07-2008 @ 6:36PM
Dave said...
They should get an American actor to talk with a Sherlock Holmes style accent.
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5-08-2008 @ 12:03PM
Elly said...
I read that Fox okayed a one-hour pilot of Paul Attanasio's project "Courtroom K" about a judge, a prosecutor and a public defender. Attanasio is one of the producers of House and husband of Katie Jacobs. Could this be the spin off?
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5-08-2008 @ 6:32PM
psh said...
NOO...why cant they just leave a good thing alone? The show is a hit because the character House is awesome...seriously i'm addicted to the show...so a spin off would just be lame and would reflect badly on an awesome show! Just make is on its own and if it worth it then I will watch it.
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5-28-2008 @ 7:23AM
lost_grrl said...
They already have the actor that they plan to use for this.His name is Michael Weston he had roles in 6 Ft. Under and SVU). Next season there will be a multiple episode arc to test the waters before they make a final decision. The guy is going to play a P.I. who is somehow introduced to House--not sure if he is a patient or what.
This type of spin-off is actually called and Engineered Spin-off, where a character is introduced for the express purpose of creating a spin-off. For example, Grant Show's character Jake Hanson was on "Beverly Hills 90210" for a couple of episodes just to try to get some of that audience to watch the upcoming "90210" spin-off, "Melrose Place." I agree that something like that is a spin-off by only the most technical definition.
My question is, just DAYS (5/14 or so)ago there were articles all over the net about Cuddy getting her own show. I wonder if the producers were trying to make a decision about which premise they wanted to run with. Or maybe there will be, eventually, two different spin-offs? I think a Cuddy spin-off, or even a spin-off with Cameron or Chase, would be more like a real spin-off.
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6-05-2008 @ 3:06PM
Lisa said...
I get testing out characters on a show first to see if they are well liked before plunking down all that coin to create and market a new series... It is actually smart, but inserting a character into a show that doesn't fit into the locale of the show, i.e a PI in a Hospital, seems a little odd... And I agree that I would not call it a spin-off.
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6-12-2008 @ 7:56AM
Argus said...
Okay... So here's what we have going on. Sherlock Holme's was a fictional private investigator based on a real doctor. House is a real doctor based on Sherlock Holmes. And the new spinoff would star a private investigator based on House?
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