Larry Watson/FOXSad day for House fans! The producers of Fox's longtime hit drama have just issued a statement announcing that the series is coming to an end.
Though rumors had been swirling Hugh Laurie and Co. might be calling it quits, it's now official.
So when will House end? And who's to blame? Here's what the producers and network boss tell us...
Production on House will be shutting down after the eighth season, which is airing now, so the season finale in May will be the very last episode of the series.
According to Fox president Kevin Reilly, it is the producers (and Laurie's) decision to end the series, so this is not a cancellation by the network. It has been rumored for months now that Laurie felt ready to move on after this current season, and the producers also felt that they wanted the series to go out on a creative high note.
Here are their just-released statements:
Statement from House Executive Producers David Shore, Katie Jacobs and Hugh Laurie:
After much deliberation, the producers of House M.D. have decided that this season of the show, the 8th, should be the last. By April this year they will have completed 177 episodes, which is about 175 more than anyone expected back in 2004.
The decision to end the show now, or ever, is a painful one, as it risks putting asunder hundreds of close friendships that have developed over the last eight years—but also because the show itself has been a source of great pride to everyone involved.
Since it began, House has aspired to offer a coherent and satisfying world in which everlasting human questions of ethics and emotion, logic and truth, could be examined, played out, and occasionally answered. This sounds like fancy talk, but it really isn't. House has, in its time, intrigued audiences around the world in vast numbers, and has shown that there is a strong appetite for television drama that relies on more than prettiness or gun play.
But now that time is drawing to a close. The producers have always imagined House as an enigmatic creature; he should never be the last one to leave the party. How much better to disappear before the music stops, while there is still some promise and mystique in the air.
The producers can never sufficiently express their gratitude to the hundreds of dedicated artists and technicians who have given so generously of their energy and talent to make House the show it has been—and perhaps will continue to be for some time, on one cable network or another.
The makers of House would also like to thank Fox Broadcasting and Universal Television for supporting the show with patience, imagination and large quantities of good taste. The Studio-As-Evil-Adversary is one of the many clichés that House has managed to avoid, and for that the cast and crew are deeply grateful.
Lastly, the audience: Some have come and some have gone, obviously. This is to be expected in the life of any show. But over the course of the last eight years, the producers of House have felt immensely honored to be the subject of such close attention by an intelligent, discriminating, humane and thoughtful—not to mention numerous—audience. Even the show's detractors have been flattering in their way.
Making the show has felt like a lively and passionate discussion about as many different subjects as could possibly be raised in 177 hours. The devotion and generosity of our viewers has been marvelous to behold.
So, finally, everyone at House will bid farewell to the audience and to each other with more than a few tears, but also with a deep feeling of gratitude for the grand adventure they have been privileged to enjoy for the last eight years. If the show lives on somewhere, with somebody, as a fond memory, then that is a precious feat, of which we will always be proud.
Everybody Lies.
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Dare we dream that that last line means this is all a joke and House will live on? Yeah, probably not. And we have the following 10-word statement:
We're going to miss the bejesus out of this show.
Thanks for all the great years, House crew.