Here be (slight) spoilers for an upcoming storyline...
So here we are folks. One week to go until the House, M.D. season six premiere “movie event.” When last we saw the beleaguered House (Hugh Laurie, who must, absolutely must be finally granted his long-overdue Emmy award this year), he was struggling with hallucinations and the terrifying realization that he had lost his grip on reality.
The season premiere, "Broken," takes place solely inside and on the grounds of Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital, where House committed himself at the end of “Both Sides Now.” The story picks up right where it left off and focuses on House in the hospital over a two- to three-month period.
I had a chance to catch up with House production designer Jeremy Cassells recently to talk about the season premiere as wells as the unique look and feel of the show. As production designer, Cassells works with the executive producers and the episode directors to give the show its signature look. He oversees everything from props to costumes and each set, whether a standing set used every week or, as in the season premiere, one built for a specific episode.
He confessed that the work on "Broken" was one of the biggest challenges his production team has faced since joining the show mid-season four. Cassells and his team of production wizards needed to turn an 8,000 square-foot space into the fictional psych facility. He told me that the original plan was to be at Mayfield for longer, but a decision was made to leave Mayfield behind by the end of the season premiere.
According to Cassells, the idea for House’s new (albeit temporary) home was to blend the rather forbidding exterior and old-ish feeling with something that would realistically exist as a well-run and modern facility. Originally thinking of basing it on a California-style rehab facility, executive producer Katie Jacobs thought a touchy-feely and cushy setting would be too comfortable a place to put House. The less welcoming-looking design they went with seems to better fit the tone of the mini-film and dire nature of House's predicament.
When House leaves Mayfield at the end of the premiere, Cassells noted, he is not particularly ready to return home. His apartment holds a lot of bad memories for House right at the moment. It’s where he hallucinated having sex with Cuddy and, in season three, nearly killed himself, and he’s not quite comfortable returning to it right away. Where does he go? Cassells wouldn’t say directly, but I have it on good authority that House is going to spend some time bunking with Wilson. (Hey, turnabout’s fair play, right? After all, Wilson spent time living with House back in season two!)
Article comments
1 - Quin
Thanks for the peek into the world of set creation and decoration. My brother teaches scenic design and I understand from him how important it is to create a plausible environment for the actors to use when they are developing their pieces of the story. Great article. I hope you get to do more interviews with some of the creative people behind the scenes. They don't get enough recognition for the wonderful work they do. Thanks!
2 - xinyuActor
Laurie's always amazing. Thank you Barbara as always for your great job! :)
3 - Visitkarte
Lovely and interesting reading. I just don't grasp the need to remove the decors in the evening, just to put them back in place the next morning. It doesn't seem to make any sense to me, but I'd love to be corrected...
4 - Sandra
Thanks for the refreshing article, it's so interesting to sneak a peak behind the scenes! Having high hopes for season 6 (hopefully a season WITHOUT Huddy - yeah, I'm not fond or the Huddy arc), I can't wait to see the season's premiere!
5 - blacktop
Great article, Barbara. I always love learning about the exquisiste behind-the-scenes work that goes into producing my favorite show. Did Cassells give any insights into the details of the others standing sets, especially Wilson's movie-infused closed off space and Cuddy's collection of Judaica and family memorabilia?
6 - sdemar
Thanks for this terrific article. I love how Hugh makes sure all toys are never removed. I'm glad that Hugh is able to play the piano throughout the day to help him relax.
7 - sherlockjr
That was great! And thanks for the link... There's a lot more to House's House than you might think. And now that I've got the Season 5 dvds, I'm going to have to update everything.
Loved hearing how much input Hugh Laurie has into the props and how insistent he is on making sure they stay where they're supposed to.
Still wish I knew where that other hall went...
8 - flippet
Fabulous article. I get so geeked out over the House sets and props, especially in House's apartment. If I could ever spend a day on set, I'd spend it studying the props. :-)
9 - Orange450
Thanks for a great article! Wonderful and fascinating information. My favorite fact is how House's desk contents are carefully packed away at the end of each shooting day, and then replaced.
Like absolutely everything else that goes into making this show, the attention to detail by the production design staff is extraordinary. It's the kind of thing you almost take for granted until you notice its absence in other (more mediocre) shows.
10 - Quin
Visitkarte-after seeing how much HL's cane went for on e-bay I can see the need to pack up the toys every night. They are too big a temptation for some sticky-fingered person who wants to make a fast buck.
11 - Sue
I looked at the photos and the explanation from the link you provided. One thing not mentioned is that House has no personal photos in his home or office. He may have momentos of places he has lived or traveled, but he has no personal photos of himself or friends or loved ones from those places. He wants no reminders of the good or the bad about the people who have come into or have left his life. He does not even have a picture of his mother around. The only time we have seen him with a photo is when he was looking at Stacy before she appeared in Three Stories.
House is a man with traditional values and intersecting with the modern medical world. One environment he has total control of, the other he doesn't. Can he be true to himself in either environment?
12 - maya
Thanks for the article, Barbara. Hugh is obviously deeply immersed in his character and it's great to know that he's behind many of the objects in House's apartment.
I wonder if House will move or redecorate his apartment after everything that occurred there at the end of season five.
13 - Celia
I love studying the articles on the set of House once I've digested the storyline du jour. It's fascinating & I should have known HL had a big hand in it all. KJ has done a lovely job on House's laird. I do miss the old German piano though it seemed more in keeping with House's personality than the Yamaha. Oh well. I do treasure this show for it's commitment to getting it right time & time again.
14 - angelcat2865
Lovely article Barbara. I love knowing that Hugh plays the piano on his breaks. I also love knowing that Hugh pays so much attention to the set.
15 - Gaby
Was hoping if we could get anything about the new Cuddy/Lucas relationship? It's said H takes it pretty hard, and that Cuddy finds out. Will she take it into consideration?
16 - Silvia
We've been on a run of bad Huddy news. As a Huddy fan I'd like to know where the whole House/Lydia + Cuddy/Lucas plot twist is going and whether the torture is going to be payed off sometime further along this season.
17 - Sooz
Thanks very much for this very interesting article, and especially for your remarks on House's gourmet kitchen. I had always wondered whether the kitchen had been Stacy's idea and left "as is" after she moved out.
18 - Sera G.
Very nice interview, Barbara, as always!
Hey everyone, I have tried so hard to stay spoiler free. Could people please preface remarks with a warning? Thank you.
Now, I am depressed! I had so hoped that the show wouldn't resort to the trite old ploy of having one or both characters meet someone else in order to postpone what (I hope)is inevitable.
Monday can't get here soon enough!!!!