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House Season 8 Premiere-2 weeks from tonight!

on September 19, 2011

Hello all,

Hope you’ve had a great summer and are ready for the season 8 premiere of House, M.D. “Twenty Vicodin.” I’ve seen the episode and it is excellent. I know some of you are unhappy with the way things turned out at the end of last season and with the departure of Lisa Edelstein as Dr. Lisa Cuddy. However, I think that if the premiere is any indication (and admittedly, it is a stand-alone, House only episode) Season 8 will be fantastic.

Over the weekend, I posted my review of “Twenty Vicodin”  at Blogcritics, so do take a look (warning–there are a few spoilers, so spoilerphobes should stay away). Hugh Laurie is fantastic in the episode (in fact the entire cast of the first episode is excellent). But he is the only one from the cast in it. (That promo floating around with Foreman in it must be from a later episode–maybe episode 2?)

We are all sad that Hugh Laurie didn’t win the Emmy last night, but he looked great, and it was great to see himpresent (and tease Helen Mirren). It was nice to see a few of my regular readers come to our little Blogcritics Emmy party. It was a huge success, with 182 people stopping by during the four hours we were broadcasting our chat.

It was such a huge success that I’ve decided to host another chat–this one following the broadcast of the House season premiere. So. Please come and bring your friends. The only rules will be NO Flaming and if you have an axe to grind, leave it at home. Let me know if you’re planning to come (and I promise to keep the chat open long enough for West Coasters to join in).

And if you haven’t yet, do pick up a copy of Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D. It’s available in paperback and for immediate download (on pretty much every ebook platform)! And if you have already read it, please let others know by writing a short review for Goodreads or Amazon.com

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Happy Birthday Chasing Zebras

on September 7, 2011

In three days, my book, Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D. turns one-year old. This year has flown by so fast!

I want to thank everyone who has supported the book, enjoyed it, reviewed it and taken the time to send me feedback and notes of congratulation. Thanks also to those who have posted my TV interviews on YouTube, have retweeted news of Chasing Zebras, entered contests and blogged. You are all appreciated.

When Chasing Zebras came out it was available in paperback and only in English–and only in the U.S. and Canada. A year later, Chasing Zebras is all over the world–from China to the UK; from Israel to New Zealand. It’s out in Spanish and soon to be out in Russian and French (and who knows what else?). It’s in Kindle and iBook, ePub and PDF! Thousands of you have purchased it, borrowed it from libraries or pilfered it from friends. I am gratified and humbled. It’s no New York Times bestseller, but its done well for a first book–and such a niche book. I recently did a Goodreads book giveaway. In the week the book was up for the sweepstakes, more than 450 people entered for 10 copies. It was a huge success, and thank you AME (Author Marketing Experts) for making it possible!!!!!

I’ve learned a lot from writing a book. One of the most important lessons is that writing the book is actually only the first step of an ongoing effort to get the word out and get people to buy the thing! I’ve tried a virtual book tour; hired a conventional publicist, designed a website (and then had someone who knew what they were doing redesign it!). I’ve done TV, radio and print interviews; done signings and personal appearances in a whole variety of different venues. With a full time day job–and a practically full time job as executive editor of Blogcritics Magazine, finding time to do publicity is a little like threading a needle.

I do hope you will continue spreading the word about Chasing Zebras, and if you haven’t written up an Amazon.com or Goodreads review (or Barnes and Noble, for that matter), I would greatly appreciate your taking the time to do so. The more people that buy the book, the better chance that there will be a sequel to it. That’s how publishing works :)

Thank you again,

Barbara

 

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House, M.D.’s House and Cuddy in Season 7: A Relationship Analysis

on June 26, 2011

I’ve finally had the time to re-watch House, M.D.‘s seventh season in its entirety, no breaks or commercials). I tried to understand the arc of the House-Cuddy relationship—where and when it is good for them, and how it falls disastrously apart.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/video/article/huddy-anatomy-house-and-cuddy-in/#ixzz1QPNUANp1
ClassWish

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The Iconic Moments of House, M.D.: Season 1, Part I

on June 23, 2011

Nearly every episode of House, M.D. has an “iconic” moment–that great moment you can’t get out of your mind, even six or seven years later. Sometimes they involve Cuddy, Wilson or one of the fellows; often they are caught when House is alone, and sometimes those momentous moments are in the company of  a patient. Continue Reading →

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The House, M.D Season Finale “Moving On” – Some Final Thoughts

on June 4, 2011




Posted on Blogcritics.org

I’ve done a lot of thinking about “Moving On,” the House, M.D. Season 7 finale. I decided after watching its original airing, I’d let it rest a week and watch it again without preconceived notions fueled by spoilers and promos, and without the news of Lisa Edelstein’s (Lisa Cuddy) departure too fresh in my mind. It’s sunk in by now that she’s not returning, and in a way, the finale—whatever you may think of it—gives the series an way to make the break permanent if that’s what the parties want. (Although who knows? There’s no reason to believe she’ll stay away forever, and wouldn’t it be spectacular for her to make a surprise guest appearance sometime this season?)

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/video/article/a-final-look-at-the-house/#ixzz1OKvq2C98

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House, M.D.: Season 8

on June 2, 2011

I realize we’re only a week out from the very controversial ending to Season 7, which finds House having crashed his car into Cuddy’s house and then running away from it all to a beautiful tropical paradise. But how do the creat

ive folk at House work

 

themselves out of the finale’s ending. At the very least, House will not be able to show his face in New Jersey without getting arrested. He could be charged with everything from reckless endangerment to felony drug charges. My guess is that Wilson will not let him off the hook as he did in Season 3, and with Cuddy now gone, neither of his enablers will … enable.

Or will House come back having gone through drug rehab and a pain clinic, coming out of the disaster a new man, much to the shock ofeveryone who knows him? But he’ll still have an awful lot to answer for. Continue Reading →

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My preliminary thoughts on “The Fix” – last night’s House, M.D.

on May 10, 2011

I’ve posted my initial thoughts on last night’s “The Fix.” I’m still processing the episode after seeing it only very late last night, but wanted to get something up so you all might have a space to talk about it.

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Time Ticking Down on Negotiations for House, M.D.

on May 5, 2011

Will House, M.D. be back for Season 8? That is still the question as Universal Media Studios (UMS) and FOX continue to negotiate, according to Deadline Hollywood. At this point, according to Deadline Hollywood the studio and the network are yet about 20 percent apart. With the May Upfronts next week in New York, both parties are close to playing brinkmanship; FOX will announce its fall schedule at the annual industry event. Continue Reading →

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Niles North High School: The Start of it all!

on April 19, 2011

From the Winter/Spring 2011 Illinois High School District 219 Alumni Magazine:

 

Once in a decade, Barbara (Shyette) Barnett (N’72) gets hooked on a television show, to the point of obsession.  And while most audience members would be content to simply sit back on the couch and passively soak it in, Barnett is the type to jump online and start a personal blog about her obsession.

Her personal commentaries, and in-depth critical analyses about the show “House, M.D.” garnered a large readership which she eventually parlayed into a weekly column at blogcritics.com (where she now has co-executive editor duties). After each episode of the show, “House” viewers eagerly read her column “Welcome to the End of The Thought Process: House, M.D.” where Barnett dissects the episode, often with the assistance of “House” writers and executive producers, for a behind-the-scenes look that is full of insight and understanding into the sometimes mystifying actions of the show’s central character, Dr. Gregory House. Continue Reading →

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Live Interview tomorrow with “A Book and a Chat”

on April 14, 2011

A Book and a Chat appearing tomorrow evening 6:30 p.m. on “Book and a Chat” from “Across the Pond”  on Blogtalk radio. Should be fun. I’m on for half an hour (and I think they take phone calls, but I’m not certain). I hope you all stop by :)

From “A Book and a Chat”:

To many people from England you mention the name “Hugh Laurie” and they think of the comedian, part of the double act with “Stephen Fry” as must for all the fabulous Black Adder TVseries. In the US however like many other comedians Hugh Laurie has made his name as an actor, being the face of “House MD“.

My guest on today’s show Barbara Barnett knows all about that character. Her book “Chasing Zebras” is a comprehensive and (hopefully) thought-provoking look at the hit TVshow House, M.D.

The title of her book comes from an old medial axiom taught to medical students. When you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras—think common, not complex and rare. The television show’s central character is a zebra-chasing physician—he only treats extremely rare diseases.

 

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