Product Details

• Actors: Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein, Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard, Jennifer Morrison
• Directors: Andrew Bernstein, Bill Johnson, Bryan Singer, Bryan Spicer, Daniel Attias
• Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 21
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Universal Studios
• DVD Release Date: August 19, 2008
• Run Time: 3763 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001AV3BY0
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,203 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #6 in	Movies & TV > Drama > Television > House, M.D.
  #37 in	Movies & TV > Television > Medical Shows

• For more information about "House: Seasons 1 - 4 Collection" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Season One
He pops pills, watches soaps, and always, always says what's on his mind. He's Dr. Gregory House (Emmy nominee Hugh Laurie, Blackadder). Producers David Shore, Bryan Singer, Katie Jacobs, and Paul Attanasio haven't rewritten the hospital drama--at heart, it's a cross between St. Elsewhere, ER, and C.S.I.--but they've infused a moribund genre with new life and created one of TV's most compelling characters. More than any previous medical procedural, it resembles Attanasio’s underrated Gideon's Crossing, but House is lighter on its feet. As fascinating as he is, the show wouldn't work as well if it were all House all the time (that would be like Sherlock Holmes without Watson or Moriarty). Fortunately, he's joined by an intriguing cast of characters, portrayed by a combination of experienced vets (Omar Epps, Lisa Edelstein, Tony winner Robert Sean Leonard) and new faces (Jennifer Morrison, Jesse Spencer). Aside from the complicated cases they tackle each week, the sparks really fly when House's brilliant, if naïve charges are put to the test--and as the head of a teaching hospital, it's his job to test them (although his tough love approach is constantly landing him in hot water with Edelstein's administrator). From the first episode, House attracted a talented array of guests, including Robin Tunney ("Pilot"), Joe Morton ("Role Model"), and Patrick Bauchau ("Cursed") as Spencer’s father. In addition, Chi McBride and Sela Ward appear frequently (with Ward returning for the second season). Viewers who first watched these 22 episodes on Fox will be gratified to note that the music has survived the transition to disc, such as the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," as featured in both the pilot and season finale ("Honeymoon"). The only apparent omission is the credit theme (Massive Attack's "Teardrop") from the pilot. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Season Two
The overall strength of the second season of House, M.D. proves that its first-year success wasn't a fluke. This season starts with Dr. House (Golden Globe winner Hugh Laurie) pursuing his ex-wife Stacy (Sela Ward) and ending with a tragedy that could potentially be deadly for himself and two colleagues. The premise of each show follows a set routine--a patient is brought in with unusual symptoms; House challenges his trio of underlings to diagnose the problem; they treat the patient, usually incorrectly the first few tries; and then at the very last minute--through a revelation that often has little to do with the patient--House figures out what's wrong and saves the day. It would be easy for this set up to grow old fast. But because of the smart writing, nuanced acting, and believability of the characters (who're often dealing with unbelievable scenarios), the formula works on each of the 24 episodes that aired on Fox during the 2005-2006 season. Viewers have been conditioned by the Marcus Welbys of the TV world to think of doctors as saviors. Even on ER, the most narcissistic physician was selfless at heart. But House is a different breed. When he's at an off-track betting parlor and a woman collapses, he doesn't miss a beat. Still eying his race on television, he asks, "Is anybody here a doctor?" He'll mock a sick patient's complaints with a sarcastic, "Boo hoo!" And, if there happens to be a dead body around, he has no qualms about shooting it if he believes that could help diagnose another gun-shot victim.

Not that he's any more reasonable or compassionate to his boss Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), his oncologist best friend Wilson (Tony winner Robert Sean Leonard), or his young charges Foreman (Omar Epps), Cameron (Jennifer Morrison), and Chase (Jesse Spencer). He instructs his doctors to break into patients' homes as if they're cat burglars. He does not know the meaning of the phrase "politically correct." But because he spits out insults (as if he has a mild case of Tourette's) equally to both his patients and colleagues, the latter never flinch at his constant stream of inappropriateness. When his three young doctors storm into his office to report the declining condition of a patient by blurting out, "We have rectal bleeding," House says, "What? All three of you?" To sensitive Wilson, who is trying to get some work done without being interrupted, House says, "I know you're in there. I can hear you caring." And when Foreman's father says, "My son says you're a manipulative bastard," House replies, "It's a pet name. I call him Dr. Bling." Of course House actually does care about his patients, but he views a good bedside manner as the luxury of a doctor who has a healthy patient. But dying patients with seemingly incurable diseases need something more. They need House. --Jae-Ha Kim

Season Three
The cantankerous and brilliant Dr. House (Golden Globe winner Hugh Laurie) is back for a third season of the hit drama House, which picks up with his being shot at the end of season two and ends with his staff dramatically refusing to put up with his oddball (and borderline abusive) demands. Each of the 24 episodes, which aired on FOX from 2006 to 2007, is included in this 5-disc set. Fans of the drama will be happy to hear that the formula remains the same: Each show begins with a medical dilemma that's so severe and life-threatening that only Dr. House can diagnose and fix the problem, even if it goes against conventional medical rules. His put-upon boss Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) is back, as are his young charges Foreman (Omar Epps), Cameron (Jennifer Morrison), and Chase (Jesse Spencer). Oncologist Wilson (Tony winner Robert Sean Leonard), who is House's best friend by default, also returns to support (and infuriate) the cranky doctor. Speaking of cranky, House's difficult nature proves to bite him in the rear. In a six-episode arc, the Vicodin-popping House meets his match after he antagonizes the wrong patient, police officer Michael Twitter (David Morse, who played a compassionate physician on St. Elsewhere). Hell hath no fury like a patient poked and prodded like a guinea pig, and Twitter makes it his business to make House's life miserable. But since the show is called House, viewers are safe in assuming that House will not be rotting his life away in a jail cell. After all, the excitement of the show is driven by his unorthodox treatment of patients. As Cuddy succinctly points out, "You just keep on going until you come up with something so insane it's usually right." Look for a slew of excellent guest stars (rocker Dave Matthews, Charles S. Dutton, Piper Perabo, John Larroquette) to help stir things up. The episodes are as compelling as ever, focusing on a morbidly obese patient in denial, an autistic child, and a comatose man that House insists on "waking" up. The bonus materials include Morrison and Edelstein doing scenes in Valley Girl-speak and a featurette on Laurie's all-star charity group called Band from TV (Laurie plays piano). --Jae-Ha Kim

Season Four
Prepare for even more baffling, complex and shocking medical mysteries than ever before as every episode of House MD Season Four arrives on DVD! Reunite with the perplexing and prickly Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie in his two-time Golden Globe®-winning and Primetime Emmy®-nominated role) as he tackles impossible cases while putting a new staff of potential team candidates through the medical wringer with his trademark sarcasm and irreverent bedside manner. Also making house calls this season are such stellar guest stars as Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite), Frank Whaley (Swimming with Sharks), Michael Michele (ER) and more! It’s time to get another dose of one of TV’s most original medical dramas in the show that’s "…exceptionally well-written, well-shot and well-played" (Los Angeles Times).

Product Description
Every compelling and provocative episode from the first four seasons of House is now available in the House Seasons 1-4 collection. Join two-time Golden Globe® winner and Primetime Emmy® Award nominee Hugh Laurie in his critically acclaimed role as Dr. Gregory House, a brilliant physician who can solve the most baffling medical questions but is always a puzzle to his staff and patients with his sarcastic bedside manner. Don’t miss a minute of the show that critics hail as “entertaining and interesting on every level” (Chicago Sun-Times).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth every penny!, September 15, 2008

By	crystal_angel "mitmee_pie" (Cincinnati, Ohio; USA) - See all my reviews

I am a long-time very devoted fan of Hugh Laurie, so naturally, I watch House religiously. I already had seasons 1-3 on DVD, but when it was confirmed that this set contained season one on single sided discs, I had to buy it! I needed season 4 anyway, so it was well worth the money, and I gave my old season 1-3 sets to a friend who was very happy to get free dvds. House is without a doubt the best show that television has to offer these days, and while the whole cast is great, Hugh is the reason I watch; I'm not sure any other actor could make the show as wonderful as it is. If you're at all frustrated with the double sided discs of season 1, or just love the show anyway, don't hesitate. Buy this set, sit back and enjoy!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Single-sided discs, August 22, 2008

By	Jay Schufman (Little Falls, MN USA) - See all my reviews

We've just received our 4-season "Catch Up with House" collection from Amazon! And we're thrilled to have this series on disc and commercial free! The 1st season has been re-issued on 6 single-sided format discs (instead of the previously issued 3 double-sided format discs), to address a question previously discussed! I paid my $132.99, and I'm happy! js

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gregory House is an exceptional Sherlock Holmes, September 8, 2008

By	J. D. Best, author "The Shopkeeper & Leadville" (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This is a great series with fine actors given extraordinary scripts so they can show off their talents. House is the perfect antihero. He's certainly not Doctor Kildare, but despite his handicaps, physical and emotional, he never wavers from doing right--at least in his eyes.

Have we seen this character before? Of course. As many have pointed out, Gregory House is based on Sherlock Holmes. He's arrogant, a drug abuser, solves murderous mysteries, plays a musical instrument, has a best friend named Wilson instead of Watson (who, like Holmes, he always calls by his last name), lives at the same street address (221B), gets bored easy, and at a glance he can deduce a person's recent activities

The creators pay homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (a doctor that says Holmes was based partly on Dr. Bell) by giving their characters similar names to Doyle's creation and throwing occasional hints at the audience; like the episode where House says he got another Conan Doyle book for Christmas or giving the man who shot House the name of Moriarty.

If you find the Holmes/House connections interesting, you might try
http://www.housemd-guide.com/holmesian.php, a site dedicated to the House series.

Most people don't realize that Sherlock Holmes is the most depicted character in film--over 200 movies or TV shows. Perhaps they ought to add all the House episodes to this tally.

The Shopkeeper
The Shut Mouth Society