KEY POINTS:
Viewers who have long suspected that House's longtime adversary Dr Lisa Cuddy would make a great mum thanks to the practise she has had handling the whims of her doctor are in for a treat.
In past seasons of the TV3 show, the single Cuddy was desperately looking
for an anonymous sperm donor to father her offspring. House sabotaged her at every turn and soon the controversial storyline was taken over by his search for new acolytes. But this season it's back and Lisa Edelstein, who plays Cuddy, couldn't be happier.
"There is some conflict with the boys early on in the series but the sperm donor storyline is back and there is some really meaty stuff for Cuddy, which is great for me," she says. Although Edelstein won't be drawn on House's chances of being a donor - "you know I can't say anything about that" - she does let slip a little teaser when asked if Cuddy will actually become a mother.
"I think that you'll be happy with what happens ..."
But before Edelstein's Cuddy can take centre stage, the friendship between House an fellow doctor Wilson, reaches rock bottom and Wilson this week resigns from the hospital.
"Cuddy, of course, does her best to get the friends back together as she is really annoyed that she has to pick up the slack in managing House with Wilson gone," Edelstein explains.
In addition to the medical mysteries examined each episode, Edelstein says part of the hit show's appeal is the ever-shifting dynamic between the trio of House, Cuddy and Wilson (both men have dated her in the past). She says the characters have moved beyond romance and friendship to be an unconventional family - "Wilson is House's conscience and Cuddy is his heart."
Edelstein thinks that people underestimate how difficult it is for Cuddy to manage the recalcitrant House. "It is really tough to have to manage a genius who is almost always right all of the time but has unusual and risky techniques to get things done."
Of course, it's a different story in real life and 42-year-old Edelstein has nothing but praise for her colleague, who she says is a hit on set where he only ever speaks with an American accent. In fact, she only heard Laurie's real accent on screen when she watched old episodes of the UK comedy classic Jeeves and Wooster.
* House screens on TV3, Tuesdays, 8.30pm