I usually hate medical shows (I think ER is the only one I've ever been able to sit through). Now I've decided it's because of such terrible precedents - Holby, Casualty, etc. But House? House is awesome. Yeah, like some nihilist with a stethoscope, kicking viral booty and beholden to no-one.

You actually learn stuff, too. Not enough to make you in any way expert, but enough to feel like the hour you spend with the big H and his team of medical sleuths is an hour well spent.

Plus, it's got Teardrop as the theme tune. Ace.

So score yet another one for the Yanks, is what I'm saying. Sooner or later our producers HAVE to start providing intelligent shows. They can't condemn all criticism as snobbery, surely? Not when a fairly broad show like this is still a thousand times better than the most niche show we can devise?

I heard they may bring Steve Fry in as House's older brother, too. Now that would take the show's awesome meter reading from 10/10 to 15/10.