In the early 1990s, “Masterpiece Theatre” ran a charming series of adaptations of the novels of P.G. Wodehouse. Hugh Laurie played the bumbling, benignly pompous Bertie Wooster, while Steven Fry was his unflappable butler Jeeves.

If you’re like me, and that series was your primary exposure to Hugh Laurie, your mind will be blown by “House M.D.”, a new medical drama running Tuesday nights on Fox. I’ve watched three episodes so far, and it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite shows.

Laurie (who also played the father in the “Stuart Little” movies) plays Dr. Gregory House, a bitter, gimpy and antisocial physician without a trace of a British accent. He is so far removed from Bertie Wooster that if it weren’t for the actor’s name in the credits, you would never put the two together in a million years.

The show is a sort of cross between “CSI” and “ER,” while House is a dramatic variation of the character Ted Danson played for comedic effect on “Becker.” House is a brilliant diagnostician, constantly popping Vicodin for his bad leg, who hates actually dealing with patients — so he schemes, sometimes to humorous effect, to avoid seeing them and gets his young associates to do his dirty work. The primary storyline in each episode involves a strange medical mystery — an arcane condition that gets mis-diagnosed the first time around (or even the second and third time around). Some of the doctors’ debates are illustrated with “CSI”-style special effects — white blood cells attacking an infection, or a kidney shutting down because of antibiotics.

I was afraid that the show would turn routine after the sensational pilot episode. But if anything, it’s gotten better — the character has become more nuanced, and the young associates (including characters played by Robert Sean Leonard and Omar Epps) are developing more personality.

“Make a note — I should never doubt myself,” said House after a theory of his turns out to be correct.
“I think you’ll remember,” shot back Leonard’s character, Wilson.

House is in a constant battle with the chief of staff, Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), over whether he’s seeing enough patients (or any at all).

I probably haven’t made this seem too appealing, but I find it fascinating — and, as I say, it’s getting better each week.