Hugh Laurie appeared in his finale of House last night (May 21, 2012). The award winning US medial drama ended its eight-year run on US TV. The episode began with his character, the enigmatic Gregory House, suicidal, in a burning building and fans of the show and of Laurie's character were left on the edge of their seats waiting to see whether House would be killed off altogether or whether the series would end in some form of redemption.

Prior to being cast as the troubled doctor, Laurie was best known as a quintessentially British comic. He often worked with Stephen Fry and his unprecedented switch to an American drama series caught many people off guard. However, it turned out to be a shrewd move for Laurie as House ensured that he became a household name both in the USA and in the UK. During his time on the show, he has won two Golden Globe awards and two Screen Actors Guild awards, whilst the show itself has picked up 'Favorite TV Drama' at the People's Choice awards four years in a row.

Last night's finale was preceded by a one hour long retrospective of the show, which has produced 177 episodes over the last eight years. The feature also included scenes from the final cast party, before launching into the finale that fans of the show had been waiting to see. With viewers on tenterhooks to see whether or not House survives a potentially disastrous end, Hugh Laurie clambered out of the fiery building just as it exploded into flames. Relief, then for fans of the show. and potentially a door left open for scriptwriters to create a spin-off?