14 DAY TRIAL // As speculation on whether the upcoming season of medical drama “House M.D.” will also be its last continues to pick up speed, leading actor Hugh Laurie is dropping some major hints: yes, the show ends with season 8.
While this is not the first time that the British actor says something to that effect, that “House” is drawing to an end, this time, it actually makes a lot of sense.
As we also noted earlier today, ratings are declining, while the expenses to keep the show going are making it less of a profitable venture as compared to how it was a couple of years ago.
At the same time, members of the cast are starting to take up other projects as well, which means scheduling conflicts are becoming more frequent (just see the case of Olivia Wilde for season 7).
Now, Laurie himself has admitted that he doesn’t see a future for “House” past season 8, as the Daily Mail can confirm.
“The end of [the eighth] season, right now, looks like the end of the show. That is as far as they have got me for,” Laurie says in a recent interview cited by the publication.
Back in June 2010, before season 7 premiered, the actor said that he’d love for the show to go out with a bang and that he was open to doing more seasons, but that he couldn’t say at the time whether that would actually happen.
“I have no idea. […] I am open. I can only say, I think we’ll have a sense next year at some point’ about whether to keep going,” he said at the time, about the possibility of doing “House” for at least another season, the eighth.
Based on this, it would appear that Laurie and everyone involved is coming to the conclusion that “House” should end with season 8.