House vs. Holmes

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How many parallels are there really between the medical diagnostician and the famous fictional detective?
There are so many similarities, you can't help but wonder whether Dr. Gregory House was originally based on Sherlock Holmes.

So what does make the pair seem so connected?

Sherlock Holmes

Dr. Gregory House, M.D

Similarities

Sherlock can deduce a lot about a person just by looking, at them.	House can deduce a diagnosis just by looking at the patient.
Arthur Conan Doyle based the character of Holmes on a doctor.	Gregory House is a doctor.
Holmes name is like the word 'Homes'	House is another word for 'Home'
Sherlock was known to go against dangerous criminals.	House goes against deadly infections, diseases, bacteria etc.
Holmes was a Cocaine user, he used it to escape boredom.	House is addicted to Vicodin, he uses in order to relieve his leg pain.
Sherlock calls his best friend by his last name (Watson).	House calls his best friend by his last name (Wilson).
Holmes' attitude is generally arrogant, he once said humility would be a lie.	Arrogance is one of House's well known traits.
Sherlock would read the 'Agony' columns in the news paper.	Greg usually watches 'General Hospital' or plays video games etc.
Would be languid and lazy when he was not working a case.	House is lazy until he is given a case which would intrigue him.
Sherlock's closest friend (Watson) had problems with a wound in his leg (although initially, the wound was in his shoulder)	Greg House had an infarction in his leg which caused a medical problem.
Sherlock has a fond love of music and he plays the Violin.	House has a fond love of music and he plays the Piano and Guitar.
Holmes is usually aloof with everyone apart from Dr. Watson.	Gregory House prefers to keep everyone at a distance except his best friend, Wilson.
Sherlock Holmes lives at 221B Baker Street.	House lives in an apartment, numbered 221B. The street is unknown.

Differences
Sherlock was well known for his courage.	House has been considered a coward and doesn't really care.
He hated to guess, it was considered a shocking habit on his part and wouldn't decide anything against the case until he had all the facts.	When theorizing a case, House would guess a lot to try and narrow down a diagnosis.
Holmes would smoke a lot (a pipe), usually more when he was trying to solve a problem.	House doesn't smoke as a habit but has been seen with cigars, and an occasional cigarette.
Sherlock didn't willingly socialize with women.	House willingly socializes with women.

Who could be based on who?

Sherlock Holmes as Dr. Gregory House
Dr. John Watson as Dr. James Wilson
Inspector Lestrade as Dr. Lisa Cuddy
Grown up & professional Baker Street Irregulars (regarding House M.D, they would be regulars) as -
Dr. Eric Foreman
Dr. Robert Chase
Dr. Allison Cameron

What did character observations from the Sherlock Holmes mysteries reveal about the
detective that could also be relative towards House?

From A Study in Scarlet (the first Sherlock Holmes story)

Quotes from "Young Stamford" about Holmes, giving fair warning to Watson before he introduces the two:

"He is a little queer in his ideas — an enthusiast in some branches of science."

"His studies are very desultory and eccentric, but he has amassed a lot of out-of-the-way knowledge."

"He is not a man that is easy to draw out, though he can be communicative enough when the fancy seizes him."

"Holmes is a little too scientific for my tastes — it approaches cold-bloodedness."

"He appears to have a passion for definite and exact knowledge."

Quotes Watson says about Holmes

"The reticence which he showed on all that concerned himself."

"There was a world of sarcasm in his voice as he spoke."

Quotes Holmes says about himself

"I have a lot of special knowledge which I apply to the problem, and which facilitates matters wonderfully."

"I am the most incurably lazy devil that ever stood in shoe leather — that is, when the fit is on me, for I can be spry enough at times."

From The Sign of Four (the second Sherlock Holmes story)

Quotes Holmes says about himself

"I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation."

"Eliminate all other factors and the one which remains must be the truth."

"Viewing the matter as an abstract problem, I had forgotten how personal and painful a thing it might be to you."

"I could only say what was the balance of probability. I didn't at all expect to be so accurate."

"Was there ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? ...What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material?"

Quotes Watson says about himself and his leg wound (note that in the first story, the wound was in his shoulder but it is in the leg wound that Watson adds to the creation of House)

"...sat nursing my wounded leg....and though it did not prevent me from walking, it ached wearily at every change of the weather."

"...I... limped impatiently about the room with considerable bitterness in my heart."

Quotes Holmes says about detecting (which could apply as well to diagnostics)

"...three qualities necessary for the ideal detective.... the power of observation and that of deduction... [and] knowledge...."

What Watson says about Holmes

"You have an extraordinary genius for minutiae."

Are there any references in House episodes?

In Season 1, episode 1, "Pilot", the patient's name is "Adler". In the first Holmes short story, "A Scandal in Bohemia", the woman Holmes was investigating was named "Adler".

In Season 1, episode 10, "Histories", it is revealed that one of Wilson's two brothers had disappeared nine years prior to that episode; it is assumed he is homeless, and, at the very least, estranged. In the second Sherlock Holmes novel, "The Sign of Four", chapter one, Watson challenges Holmes' bored mind with deducing all he can about a pocket watch that recently came into Watson's possession. It turns out, the watch was his father's and had been passed down to Watson's elder brother, who had, long ago, disappeared and lived an irregular, homeless life before taking to drink, which was the death of him. Watson inherited the watch from him.

In Season 2, episode 7, "Hunting", we clearly see that House lives at number 221B.
In Season 2, episode 17, "All In," House's old patient's name was Esther Doyle, which parallels to the last name of the author Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

In Season 2, episodes 20 & 21, "Euphoria Pt. 1 & Pt. 2", House uses his rat, Steve McQueen to help solve Foreman's illness. In very few of the Sherlock novels, Holmes had used his bloodhound, Toby, to help solve his mysteries. Neither of the two were showcased a lot but when they were, their appearance was fairly significant.

In Season 2, episode 24, "No Reason", House is shot and, even though we don't find out his name during the episode, the shooter is credited as 'Jack Moriarty'. In the Sherlock Holmes stories, Prof. James Moriarty was something of an arch nemesis to Holmes.

In Season 3, episode 8, "Whac-A-Mole", House gives his team a challenge to see who can solve the case without his assistance, he put the diagnosis in an envelope and wrote on the front 'The game is a itchy foot', a clear parallel to the famous Sherlock phrase 'The game is afoot'.

In Season 3, episode 21, "Family", House visits a store to buy a new cane. When Wilson arrives, we have a clear view of House with a pipe in his mouth. Sherlock Holmes constantly smoked a pipe.

In Season 4, episode 10, "It's a Wonderful Lie", House sets up a secret Santa (in which he makes everyone get him) and receives a second edition 'Conan Doyle.' Arthur Conan Doyle is the creator and author of all the Sherlock Holmes novels.
In season 4, episode 13, "No More Mr. Nice Guy," Kutner is arguing with Foreman about why people are nice or mean. Foreman asked what he thought House was, and Kutner replied, "exception that proves the rule." To which Foreman countered, "What sort of argument is that?" The more reasonable sounding quote is "I never make exceptions. An exception disproves the rule" from "The Sign of Four."

In season 5, episode 11, "Joy to the World," House throws out a gift that turns out to be an antique medical text written by Dr. Joseph Bell. Bell is also the doctor after whom Arthur Conan Doyle modeled Sherlock Holmes. Later in the episode Wilson tries to explain away the gift by telling the team a story about a woman House loved, named Irene Adler. In "A Scandal in Bohemia," Sherlock Holmes is outsmarted by a woman who is often perceived by readers as a possible love interest for him. The woman's name was Irene Adler.

Information credited from:
- House M.D Guide
- Wikipedia

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irrelevantmaverick	Latest page update: made by irrelevantmaverick , Sep 22 2009, 3:29 AM EDT (about this update About This Update Edited by irrelevantmaverick 11 words added view changes - complete history)
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TiffanyQ

Great Page!

Aug 11 2008, 3:13 AM EDT by thirteenFtw

Thread started: Jun 2 2008, 2:51 PM EDT Watch

I just love this page. I had no idea that there was so much in common between these two, but now that I have been enlightened I just cant wait to find out more!!! Keep up the Great Work!

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