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Robert Sean Leonard, Omar Epps Set To Return To ‘House’; Series’ Renewal Imminent
UPDATE: House star Hugh Laurie today also indicated that this would probably be the series’ final season. “The end of (the eighth) season, right now, looks like the end of the show,” he told U.K.’s Radio Times. “That is as far as they have got me for.”
PREVIOUS: After months of negotiations and a string of deadlines that came and went, Fox has closed a deal with Universal Media Studios to bring House for an eighth season, which is expected to be the medical drama’s last. House creator/executive producer David Shore’s does not have a deal beyond this season yet but one is underway and he is fully expected to return and finish the series. Also returning is the cast, including Hugh Laurie, who has one more year on his 3-year contract, co-stars Robert Sean Leonard and Omar Epps, who just closed their deals, and Lisa Edlestein, who is also expected to come back. All senior writers on the show will be back too.
Sticking point in the negotiations was the show’s license fee, which Fox had been pushing to lower by almost 20% to $5 million per episode, something that was going to put pressure on UMS to cut the budget of the series, including above-the-line costs. I hear the final agreement is for a license fee very close to the $5 million Fox had been seeking. As part of its cost-cutting measures, UMS had gone to the 3 actors whose deals were up this season – Leonard, Edelstein and Epps – asking them to take salary cuts on the $175,000 an episode they had been making for next season. UMS had been partially successful as I hear Leonard will be returning at his old salary, while the other 2 will be taking a modest pay cut.
For years, House was Fox’s highest-rated scripted show. A year ago, it was also the most watched TV series worldwide and is estimated to gross about $1 billion over its run. “Over the past seven seasons, House has redefined the medical drama and has given us one of television’s most compelling and iconic characters,” Fox’s entertainment president Kevin Reilly said. “From the producers to the incredible writers to the unbelievably talented cast and crew, the House team is fearless in its creativity and I can’t wait to see what they have in store next year.” House is executive produced by Katie Jacobs, David Shore, Paul Attanasio, Bryan Singer, Russel Friend, Garrett Lerner, Thomas L. Moran, Greg Yaitanes and Hugh Laurie. With the pickups of House today and Bones last week Fox has secured its highest-rated drama series for next season. The two join previously renewed Fringe.
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It’s just such a dreary show. Don’t people find it depressing?
I find your posts depressing because they make me imagine your depressing life.
totally agree
Why Olivia Wilde has still not left this television series?
The series has some positive qualities but they are really dragging it on now. They should have made it shorter but better written and they would have been able to have ended by now. Hopefully they will conclude the series with the eighth season.
You are actually free to end your involvement with House right now, this very minute, by not watching it.
Agree w/John – if it has lost its appeal, don’t watch… I am still in love with this show-this cast.
But how many episodes for the season??
24
How do the reps of these actors allow their clients to take a pay cut on a show that has made over a billion dollars? Thats just insane. It also sets a dangerous precedent for re-negotiating contracts on hit tv shows.
completely agree. The fact that the huge corps squeeze the actors for money when they are raking in big bucks is criminal.
Ironic that the one of the three, who took biggest hit, is the one who can act. It’s unfortunate that FOX has let HOUSE languish in an 8/7 slot instead of moving it to a more appropriate 9/8.
Awesome! Love House…. I Hope there will be ten seasons overall….. And they end it nicely…
As much as I’m a HOUSE fan, I am glad this upcoming season will be its last. The series has not been the same for a few years now. I would actually say that the episode featuring the death of Amber was the series’ highest point.
This season especially has been awful. They hooked House and Cuddy up about two seasons too late, only to see that crash and burn. Now they bring in the pain storyline, which seems to come out of nowhere. Inconsistence is a huge problem.
What hurts the show more is that we don’t care about the supporting members any more. Taub is useless, Foreman is boring. Chase hasn’t been the same since Cameron left. Wilson has been downgraded, and Cuddy is the most unlikable character of the series now.
It’ll be curious to see how they end the season, setting things up for the final season. I’m still on board, but barely.
As much as it pains me to say it – I concur. They need to bring back snarky, irreverent, PITA House and put needy House out to pasture. Cuddy looked like an idiot hooking up with a drug addict and then getting spooked when he had a little relapse. No drug addict gets clean without a few slips and she’s known House is an addict for the entire serious. Foreman has been under-utilized and underdeveloped for years now, Wilson is only trotted out for comic relief and Chase has even less substance now than when the show started. I’ve been tempted to call it quits all season and now that I see where they’re heading for a cliff-hanger I wonder why I’m still watching.
”Chase hasn’t been the same since Cameron left.”
House md hasn’t been the same since Cameron left.
She is my fav character, I’m in love with House and Cameron pairing
Your comments are about the closest to my own sentiments. And I’ll add just my own view on this: David Shore (& Katie Jacobs) consistently trashed and downgraded a once-great show. I can’t wait to see the show end. And, believe it or not, even those of us who are fed up with the show and no longer watch are entitled to state our opinion. Radical American concept, I know!
Olivia Wilde has not left because she signed a contract
Kind of underlines how DREADFUL Fox’s drama development has been the last two seasons–not counting Glee (which Kevin walked in)– but all the stuff his nitwit department heads were responsible for. Past Life, Terra Nova, Lone Star, Dollhouse, not to mention things that were supposed to be slam dunks like Chicago Code, Locke & Key and Alcatraz that are now DOA. Kevin please shake up your team and import some real execs to pound the pavement. This track record is SAD.
Series finale: A patient actually has Lupus.
Already happened.
Season 4 Episode 8 “You Don’t Want to Know”
I’m glad to hear House is coming back, but I hope to God the scripts are better next year than they were this year. If they’re looking for a reason the ratings dropped so much they need look no further than the thoroughly annoying addition of Amber Tamblyn for a huge chunk of the season. Her character, Martha Masters, was beyond irritating – to the point that I couldn’t watch some of the episodes and I’d seen every show since the series began 7 years ago. Giving the character as much airtime as they did was stupid. And so were some of the plot devices – particularly the one that came out of nowhere in last night’s show and the excuse given for 13′s absence. Those episodes were ridiculously underwritten with plot turns that were clearly last-minute additions without any build-up in tension or mystery. In other words – the show has more than jumped the shark. It’s fucking the shark right now and I sincerely hope they get their crap together before the final year and deliver 24 kick ass episodes like they used to do instead what we’ve had these last 2 years – 6 great episodes, 2 really good episodes, 4 mediocre episodes and 10 crappy episodes.
I have to completely disagree. Amber Tamblyn was practically one of the only interesting characters this past season. Watching her and House interact was like watching a bunny headed for a buzzsaw — you just can’t look away. Her personality was a needed break from the overbearing personalities of some of the other characters.
Foreman has been almost non-existent, and Chase and Taub’s characters have just been trying to find themselves by utilizing their vices. House’s storyline with Cuddy was interesting for a little bit, but the random breakup and subsequent episodes were just plain annoying. I really enjoy Wilson as a character and as comic relief, but the camaraderie between he and House has been missing most of the season.
I look forward to seeing how they finish the series.
Yeah, giving the snore-inducing Foreman, Cuddy, Chase & Taub tons of airtime was so much better! Glad to see that of the 3, Epps, Edelstein & Leonard, the one deserving actor — Robert Sean Leonard — didn’t take a pay cut. Epps & Edelstein know they’ll never get anywhere near such a good deal again. Why they were perceived as “assets,” I’ll never know.
glad to see house come back for one more season to if nothing else finaly end the saga of house and company for if eight seasons fox figures is enough for house. at least they can let house go out in style. though interesting the story does not mention if jesse spencer who plays chase will also be back for what is now the final season yet.
Final episode–A biker who uses a wheelchair and sidecar has a sick son. As House treats the boy, he has philosophical clashes with the laid-back dad. Final scene–House in helmet and leathers, back to us, walking away thinking about what has been said. HL plays this character–we would all love to see such an acting tour-de-force. Scenes of House trying to get what this heavy dude knows about pain and life would be an honorable way to end the show…I would appreciate help in rolling this idea up to the script office.
what about jassy spencer?is he going to be in the 8 season??
So RSL didn’t have to take a pay cut but Lisa Edelstein and Omar Epps were required to? Seems pretty nasty when you factor in that RSL had the least air time of the three and is a white guy. LE and OE are both considered minorities and they WERE expected to take it? C’mon! LE had to do full on nudity this past season and has been a trooper promoting the show everywhere in the world as well as maintaining a classy silence and tact about the contract debacle with the Fox network suits. OE accepted the paycut and fewer episodes (25% cut in episodes appearances) and that makes me think his character isn’t a reason for viewers tuning in. Lisa Edelstein won the People’s Choice Awards this year for favorite TV actress and then FOX goes and treats her like that? There’s more to it and it has to do with Lisa Edelstein public PSA for moveon.org’s ad fighting the republican party’s effort to cut back on planned parenthood funding and efforts to overturn Roe V. Wade. The Cuddy/House romance was unceremoniously shafted shortly after Lisa did the PSA which FOX had an issue with and even rebuked her for doing it. This was political in many ways and Lisa E did the right thing by leaving the show when she did. I can only hope the networks take the opportunity to give Lisa Edelstein her own show. WOuld love to see it be an unofficial Cuddy spin-off on ABC or whatever. Meanwhile, I’ll be watching LE on The Good Wife while House rots in jail and continues being a morose a-hole. He has become so tiresome that I no longer care to watch. Guess Monday nights are freed up now! Yay me!