The first episode of House M.D. is titled “Pilot.” It introduces Dr. Gregory House, his diagnostic team, Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, and the show’s central style of medical mystery.
In the episode, House initially resists taking a case involving a kindergarten teacher who becomes seriously ill. His team investigates competing explanations while House applies unusual deductions and challenges both the patient’s account and the hospital’s assumptions. The story establishes the procedural pattern used throughout the series.
“Pilot” aired on November 16, 2004, the same date as the series premiere. It is sometimes confused with “Everybody Lies,” an early episode title and a phrase strongly associated with House’s worldview. “Occam’s Razor” is the second episode, so neither is the official title of the opening installment.