Which literary detective chiefly inspired Gregory House in House, M.D.?

Sherlock Holmes chiefly inspired Gregory House in House, M.D. Both characters use observation, deduction, and specialist knowledge to solve unusual problems, and both are portrayed as brilliant figures whose difficult personalities complicate their relationships.

The connection appears in character names, plot structures, and recurring details. House's surname echoes Holmes's home, 221B Baker Street, while his friend James Wilson occupies a role broadly comparable to Dr. John Watson. The show also uses diagnostic cases in a way that resembles detective mysteries, replacing crimes and clues with symptoms and test results.

House is not a literal adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes stories. He is a physician working in a fictional New Jersey hospital, whereas Holmes is a consulting detective created by Arthur Conan Doyle. The series also gives House a cane, an opioid dependence, and medical expertise that distinguish him from Holmes. These parallels explain the inspiration while leaving the television character original.