The first episode of House M.D. is titled “Pilot.”
The episode introduces Gregory House, his diagnostic team, Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, and the medical-drama format that would define the series. House investigates the unexplained illness of a kindergarten teacher while clashing with hospital administrator Lisa Cuddy and working with his colleagues.
The pilot was directed by Bryan Singer, who also served as an executive producer. It establishes House’s dependence on Vicodin, his limp, his abrasive bedside manner, and his belief that patients and doctors often conceal important information.
“Pilot” is sometimes confused with later landmark episodes such as “Three Stories,” which won major recognition for its unusual structure, or “Everybody Lies,” a phrase strongly associated with the series. The official title of the premiere is simply “Pilot,” a standard title used for many television opening episodes.