House A quick chat with House star Hugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie reveals the prescription for the new series of House...

The last time we saw Dr Gregory House, he was being carted off to Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital after suffering hallucinations brought on by his pill-popping.

As House returns for a sixth series this week (Sky1, Sunday, 9pm), we catch up with Hugh Laurie , who plays the maverick medic, to find out the prognosis…

When series six starts, House is pretty damaged... He’s going through a harrowing medical and psychiatric experience, one that afflicts a great many people.

I feel an extra responsibility not to be cavalier or flippant with the subject of mental illness... We can’t treat it as merely a dramatic prop. It is something that has real meaning in people’s lives, and we take it seriously for that reason.

Incredibly, House is actually trying to curb his acerbic tongue... In this series, he’s in a transitional state, trying to keep himself in check and connect with people in a way he hasn’t done previously. He is a character seeking redemption, but how long that will last remains to be seen. I have my doubts.

People want to know whether House’s relationship with Cuddy was real or in his mind... I don’t know – we’ll have to see. That question will be answered – teasingly no doubt, and it’ll probably take four-and-a-half years to find out.

Whenever I read the House scripts, I’m startled by them... I have no idea what’s going to happen next and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Working on this show is always interesting... The scripts are funny and dramatic and the people I work with are a delight. By and large, I’m very blessed.

I’m busy, so I don’t get to watch much TV... But Family Guy is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.