How did the actors find out their characters were being fired? By reading the script?

Jacobs: No. We wouldn't do that. But David and I also knew that if we sent a message to the set that we wanted to meet with them, then they would know automatically that [they were being let go]. But, unfortunately, this became the way that we did it, because we felt that it was really important [to tell them ourselves] — even before the actors' representation knew. First we would talk to Hugh [Laurie] and let him know — because we always include him in the business of the show — and then David and I would go visit them in their trailer or we would call them on the phone. It was horrible. It was really horrible.

I can only imagine.

Jacobs: But [creatively] it was fun, because we opened up and expanded our world. Until this season, we had a much smaller cast than most one-hour [dramas]. And the thing is, I am still in love with Cameron, Chase and Foreman. And how they will fold back in is of equal interest to us as Cole, who has been cut, but who had a really strong presence on the show.

Dr. Lawrence Kutner (Kal Penn) – His specialty is rehabilitative and sports medicine. He is the most enthusiastic of all the potential fellows, but his enthusiasm could be dangerous. A radical thinker, he is the only one who doesn’t think House’s crazy moves aren’t crazy enough.

Dr. Chris Taub (Peter Jacobson) – His specialty is plastic surgery. He is both shallow and inciteful. Taub left a successful practice for unknown reasons, which only made House more determined to figure out why.

Thirteen (Olivia Wilde) – Her specialty is internal medicine. She’s a competent young doctor who plays her cards extremely close to the vest. She is an enigma wrapped in a riddle – and House loves a good mystery.

Dr. Eric Foreman (Omar Epps) – Neurologist who quit at the end of last season because he didn’t want to end up like Dr. House. But after he’s fired from his next job and no other hospital will hire him because of his “House-like” reputation, Hospital Administrator Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) placed him back on the diagnostic team to watch over the brilliant but unpredictable House.

BN: Recently (House star) Hugh Laurie took some time away from the set to go visit his family. How is he doing?

LE: Hugh is fine. His life is very difficult. He's working 15 hours a day, every day. If I were Hugh Laurie, I would be dead. I don't know how he does it. Once in while the guy just has to demand some space for himself and I'm surprised he doesn't do it more. He's a human being who works so hard and is so keenly aware that his showing up at work gives 300 other people a job. For him to have to take the time to have to take care of some family matters is not something that he would do lightly.

HOUSE AND THE FINAL FIVE CANDIDATES TREAT A MAGICIAN
WHOSE ILLNESS MIGHT BE SMOKE AND MIRRORS
ON “HOUSE”
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, ON FOX

House encounters a magician whose heart failed while performing an underwater escape act. While the remaining fellowship candidates work to diagnose the illusionist, House is determined to prove that he’s a scam artist faking his ailments to cover up the fact that he nearly drowned during his act. During the testing, House suspects one of his own candidates may have an undisclosed illness. In the meantime, House pits his team against one another in a challenge involving Cuddy, granting the winner immunity from elimination and a chance to nominate two other candidates to be put on the chopping block in the “You Don’t Want to Know” episode of HOUSE airing Tuesday, Nov. 20 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (HOU-408) (TV-14 D, L)

TVGuide.com: House has been so busy with his candidates, we haven't gotten as much of Cuddy lately. Will we see more of her soon?

Lisa Edelstein: It's still pretty much focused on the new team, and it just starts becoming more of the regular construction of the episodes after Episode 9 [airing Nov. 27]. But then... everyone went on strike, so we've only got up till Episode 12 in the can, so Cuddy won't be sleeping with House unless we get the writers back. So I'm out there picketing.

J.J. Abrams has snatched up another tube star for his forthcoming Star Trek reboot. Abrams confirms that House's Jennife r Morrison has joined the cast of his as-yet-untitled Trek pic. "She is indeed in the movie," he tells me, "and she is most excellent!"

HOUSE AND THE TEAM TREAT A TEENAGER
WITH A FACIAL DEFORMITY
ON “HOUSE”
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, ON FOX

A documentary film crew is chronicling a teenager with a major facial deformity who opts to undergo a dramatic reconstructive procedure. When the patient suffers a heart attack just prior to the surgery, House and the team are called in to determine the cause, since the surgery cannot proceed until the patient’s cardiac condition is diagnosed. With the film crew covering their every move, Cameron and Chase are especially self-conscious, and House looks for ways to escape from the cameras. Meanwhile, House finds himself distracted by several of the candidates vying for a spot on his team, and he questions his motives for having chosen them in the “Ugly” episode of HOUSE airing Tuesday, Nov. 13 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (HOU-407) (TV-14 L)

FOX ANNOUNCES REVISED LINEUP FOR 2007-08 SEASON ...

In light of the recently announced strike by The Writers Guild of America, FOX has revised its lineup for January and the remainder of the 2007-2008 season. (The new schedule is subject to change, pending resolution of the strike.) ...

Two popular FOX dramas take over Friday nights starting Friday, Jan. 4, when BONES has its time period premiere at 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT and encores of HOUSE begin weekly appointments at 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT. Comedy ‘TIL DEATH also moves to Fridays, beginning with the time period premiere on Friday, March 7 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT).

HOUSE will air in its regular time period after AMERICAN IDOL on Tuesdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) starting Jan. 22, and also will encore on Mondays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) beginning March 10. An original episode of HOUSE with guest star Mira Sorvino will immediately follow Super Bowl XLII on Sunday, Feb. 3, as previously announced.

In addition to AMERICAN IDOL, the Sunday-night animated comedies – THE SIMPSONS, KING OF THE HILL, FAMILY GUY and AMERICAN DAD – as well as ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER?, DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS!, COPS and AMERICA’S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK all will continue with original episodes, while a mix of original and encore episodes is currently planned for HOUSE, BONES, ‘TIL DEATH and BACK TO YOU. Encore episodes of BACK TO YOU will follow AMERICAN IDOL on Wednesdays (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) beginning March 12.

HOUSE IS RECRUITED BY THE CIA
TO TREAT AN AGENT WITH AN ILLNESS
AS MYSTERIOUS AS HIS PREVIOUS ASSIGNMENT;
THE FELLOWSHIP CANDIDATES RACE TO DIAGNOSE A STOCK CAR DRIVER
ON “HOUSE” TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, ON FOX

Michael Michele Guest-Stars

House is recruited by the CIA to help diagnose a deathly ill agent with an unknown illness. The agent’s medical case is being spearheaded by Dr. Samira Terzi (guest star Michael Michele), who offers up very little information about the agent’s history or previous assignments. With limited information to go on, House uses some unorthodox methods to try to crack the code and determine a diagnosis in time to save his mystery patient’s life. Meanwhile, Foreman faces resistance from the remaining six fellowship candidates when they question his judgment and argue over the diagnosis of a female drag car racer who passed out after a race in the “Whatever It Takes” episode of HOUSE airing Tuesday, Nov. 6 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (HOU-406) (TV-14 D, L)

It's business as usual tonight on primetime television, despite the ill-timed writers' strike, and that's especially good news for fans of House. Long-running TV series grow and change over the years, and this one, which stumbled a bit creatively early last season after two brilliant years, is enjoying a creative resurgence. The writers' strike, if it lasts -- early indications are it will -- will catch up to House by mid-January, when new scripts finally run out. For now, however, the prognosis looks good. The show's fan base (three million viewers in Canada alone, 1.7 million of them in the hip 18-49 crowd) can expect a run of fresh, new episodes this month and next.

While some series started shooting earlier than usual last summer, few are expected to have more than a half-dozen new episodes taped before a strike begins. That has caused studios to order more reality shows, because those shows do not employ union writers. Some networks have also ordered early production of pilots for new series for the fall of 2008, in case a strike interferes with planning for next season. While some writer-producers say they believe they could perform one job function without the other, others say they cannot.

“If there’s a strike, I do neither,” said Matt Olmstead, the writer-producer who is the show runner for Fox’s “Prison Break.” “I walk out.” ...

“I will work as a producer for as long as we have stuff to produce,” Mr. Shore said. “I won’t be working as a writer. That means we won’t have any new scripts coming along. As I see it, should there be a strike, we won’t have any choice but to shut down shortly after.”

TV Guide: Is there any ad-libbing in those priceless House-Wilson exchanges?
Leonard: Our writers are far wittier and smarter than we are, so we don't need to improvise. When I auditioned, Bryan Singer — who directed the pilot — said Fox wasn't sure if they wanted me, because I was "not warm enough." I was too sarcastic and prickly. In the waiting room, I said, "I don't want to be like a teddy bear because House wouldn't waste his time with that kind of guy." Bryan agreed but said, "Go in there and smile more and get the part." So I smiled more, miraculously got the part and in the end, we were right. The more we worked on it, the more prickly Wilson got and the better the relationship.