House | |
---|---|
Season 4 | |
No. of episodes | 16 |
Release | |
Original network | Fox |
Original release | September 25, 2007 May 19, 2008 | –
Season chronology | |
The fourth season of House, also known as House, M.D., premiered on September 25, 2007[1] and ended May 19, 2008.[1] Having previously fired Chase, and with Foreman and Cameron quitting, House starts a competition between 40 applicants for the vacant positions.[2] He eventually narrows them down to seven, firing one each episode.[2] In the episode "Games", he fires Amber Volakis (Anne Dudek),[3] hiring Dr. Chris Taub (Peter Jacobson), Dr. Lawrence Kutner (Kal Penn) and Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley (Olivia Wilde) as his new team.[4] Dr. Foreman rejoins the team after his dismissal from another hospital.[5] Meanwhile, Amber begins a relationship with Wilson.[3]
When production of the season was interrupted by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, the number of episodes was reduced to 16 instead of the planned 24.[6] Executive producer Katie Jacobs explained that it was hard for the writers to finish the story arcs started during the season with eight fewer episodes.[6] Season four also introduced seven actors to the cast; in addition to Jacobson, Penn, and Wilde, who became regulars, Andy Comeau portrayed Travis Brennan, an epidemiologist;[7][8] Edi Gathegi played Jeffrey Cole, a geneticist;[9] Carmen Argenziano appeared as Henry Dobson, a former medical school admissions officer;[10] and Anne Dudek portrayed Amber Volakis, an interventional radiologist.[11] Each of the four departed the show after elimination, except for Volakis, who remained recurring until the finale, having started a relationship with Wilson.[12]