Hugh Laurie has apologised after his sarcastic response to a viral criticism of House sparked backlash online.
The 66-year-old actor replied to journalist Janet Murray after she described the hit medical drama as repetitive, pointing out that many episodes followed the same pattern of a mysterious illness, failed diagnoses and a last-minute breakthrough.
Laurie initially hit back with the dry humour fans often associate with his character, Dr Gregory House, joking that episodes where the diagnosis was solved too quickly would have lasted only minutes.
But after Murray revealed she had faced trolling following the exchange, Laurie returned to X to apologise. He admitted he had been “very slightly drunk” when he wrote the response and said he never intended for people to attack her.
The British star explained that his reaction came from wanting to defend the writers behind the show, whom he said he “adored”.
He also acknowledged that some people had branded him too sensitive over the row.
House ran for eight seasons from 2004 to 2012 and became one of television’s most successful medical dramas, earning multiple Emmy nominations and making Laurie a global star.
The online exchange has since reignited debate among fans over whether the beloved series was formulaic — or simply a masterclass in variations on a winning theme.
