Which fictional detective inspired House M.D.’s title character and several story details?

Sherlock Holmes inspired House M.D.’s title character and several story details.

Dr. Gregory House shares Holmes’s reliance on observation, deduction and unusual explanations. Both characters are highly intelligent, socially difficult and willing to challenge conventional thinking. The connection is reinforced by House’s surname, which sounds like “Holmes,” and by his friendship with Dr. James Wilson, whose role parallels Dr. Watson’s.

House’s fictional apartment is located at 221B Baker Street, the famous London address associated with Holmes. The series also includes adaptations of Holmes-related ideas, including substance dependence and the use of music as part of a solitary, analytical life.

The inspiration does not mean House is a direct retelling of a Holmes story. House investigates medical problems rather than crimes, and the show uses diagnostic evidence, tests and treatment decisions in place of police clues and criminal suspects.