Should one really compare the two? Would it be an injustice, considering that the only thing they have in common is that they are medical dramas? Obviously they are not alike and do not add Scrubs into this equation.
Back in 1994, yes that far back, we were introduced to E.R and Chicago Hope... if I remember well both debuted at the same time. It was clear one was superior but the other was just as entertaining and managed to stand its own ground. We can say E.R overshadowed Chicago Hope, but the latter was a fine masterpiece that would have held its own hadn't it been for E.R and the compare and contrast game.
So a decade later, then comes the Grey's Anatomy and House M.D. Just when medical drama were too cliche...when everyone was running away from medical and legal drama's...producers came up with something new and different.
Personally, I prefer Grey's...but it's not that House M.D isn't damn good. Sometime I prefer the show I'm watching...but season 5 has ascertained where my loyalties lie.
But what people should realise the two are completely different offering separate dishes in the same buffet.
COMPARISONS and CONTRASTS
1. Medicine vs Surgery
House M.D is about the medical mysteries as opposed to surgical mysteries.
2. Ends vs Means
House is about the step by step deductions in solving the mysteries...like C.S.I...they go through differential diagnosis until a bulb lights up and voila mystery solved. And in that case it gets a little monotonous as they go thorough the medical sieve each time, from infections, to autoimmune to cancer... sarcoidosis (it always gets mentioned...)
Grey's is about doing the inevitable to to solve the mystery...they are interested in the end and not the means. Sometimes the mystery is somethin outlandishly bizzare.
3. Branches of specialities
Whilst Grey's only has surgical specialities, House is more well-rounded with all specialities both medical and surgical on board.
4. Characters.
Grey's has more emphasis on the characters than House M.D and I think thats why I enjoy Grey's more. From the additons of Sloane, Addison. Han, Torres...and even the new interns...their development of characters old and new is fascinating and entertaining.
House on the other hand for almost 2 seasons did not develop any character. Such that it did not matter the order in which you watched the season's nothing was missed since emphasis was on the cases. However, later on they realised their folly and characters started being developed. I particularly enjoyed the Sela Ward story line. Even when House was being bullied by the cop brilliantly played by David Morse..and in season 4 they brought in a new cast of doctors to try out for jobs after House fired his entire staff. In fact this season was the best ever!
No one would care if Wilson left the show...it didn't even matter in season 4 when the main characters became temporarily recurring. Which shows that we feel nothing for the other charcaters apart from House...then again that's why the show is aptly called House M.D.
In Grey's new characters are added all the time and they blend in with the viewers. Each character has their own story line intertwined with the main story line for the episode.
5. Romance
-Season 5 has seen both shows have regular lesbian characters. Clearly a ratinngs thing, that ended badly in Grey's when Han was unceremoniously fired. Torres is still pursuing her orientation discovery whilst House has a character that may be a serial lesbian hell-bound on destroying her life.
-Cuddy and House...I was scared to see what would happen if that story was pursued luckily the writers knew best to just dangle that carrot but not pursue it further.
-Grey's: everyone is sleeping with everyone which makes it too soapy for a medical drama and hence the seriousness can be lost on it. However, their love lives are interesting from George contracting syphillis..to Sloane breaking his bone in the on-call room. Yeah, Grey and Shephard and Addison feels like a scene from Days of our lives...but Yang gets interesting love story arcs...like her and Burke and now the guy from Rome. YES, HBO return ROME please!
6. Cliffhangers.
Grey's has had better and more clifhangers than House.
7. Adroable Characters.
Apart from House himself who is certifiably an S.O.B...there is no other endearing character in House M.D. We love him, we hate him, we love to hate him.
However in Grey's the list is endless
-The Nazi is sarcastically hot!
-Yang is an absolute gem. Ms Smarty pants and smarty mouth.
-Addison...loved her
-George-his quirkiness was outstanding..though he is no longer being featured much in season 5
-Torres: grew on me like a nail...I think she is the character that has evolved the most in this show
-Sloane:who could hate him?
-Izzy...that girl has problems...and looks like she could be dying... (How's that for complaining that you were not being written for emmy award winning material...see if that's Emmy for you when you have been written out of the show!) Season 5 had a return of her old flame as a hallucination which could be a sign of something else...
-Burke was a legend with an ego?
-new interns...funnily they are entertaining providing comic relief within comic relief
-The chief too is entertaining.
-Even Meredith has her days and the jury is still out on whether her voice is better in the dialogues or that chick from Desperate housewives.
8. Guest Stars.
A show is as good as it's guest stars. And each mainatins to attract a bevy of celebrities but clearly Grey's has had a better run with celebrities.
9. Stories with substance.
House has deeper stories within its genre. As a medic you would be more amazed and surprised with House. But Grey's gives you an inside on the behind the scene of interns and residents. House is more serious, but Grey's shows you the other side behind the serious curtain.
So there is a non-biased review of the two. Great shows. Great actors. Great Drama.
Pick your favorite provided you are watching both!
