Hugh Laurie has taken the lead in putting together the special hour-long "House M.D." retrospective that will air on Fox May 21 — the same night as the highly-anticipated series finale. That's the word from Emmy-winning show creator and executive producer David Shore, who tells us the star has been "locked up in a room trying to put it together...It's very nostalgic, looking at the stuff. And saying goodbye to everybody, that's very nostalgic."

Shore says he is enjoying the fan and media anticipation — and also feeling an enormous amount of pressure — as "House" followers try to figure out what's going to happen in tonight's (5/14) "Holding On" episode, and especially in the very last episode, provocatively titled "Everybody Dies."

"It's cool to go out while people are this excited about it," he notes. And of that finale: "I think the fans will like it, but it is the type of thing that, no matter what you do, you're going to have some people disappointed. I think it's an ending that's consistent with what we've done and I'm very proud of it."

Has there ever been talk of a feature?

"There really hasn't been. The ending is the ending; it's designed as an ending," he says.

Considering that misanthropic doctor Greg House is one of the most acclaimed and indelible characters ever to traipse around the TV landscape, will a "House" artifact be housed in the Smithsonian?

Shore replies: "I would love to have something like that happen, and we've been discussing things like that."

The cane with the flames?

"I think you could have a collection of canes, as far as I'm concerned. It's the defining feature of that character."

Shore tells us that Laurie's mood has been good in these final days leading to the last show. He adds, however, "I always feel like the correct response is, 'We're all really sad.' There is an element of that, but also, I feel by saying that I'm being an incredible ingrate. From my personal point of view, and I think Hugh shares it, the success of this has been beyond our wildest dreams. To be looking for more would be ungrateful."

THE FUTURE LOOKS 'GRIMM': While "House" checks out, the May parade of season finales continues. "Grimm's" is coming up Friday (5/18). "Someone's life is going to be in the balance," teases Russell Hornsby, whose homicide detective character, Hank, does not, as yet, know that his partner, Nick (David Giuntoli) is a special being who can see and fight supernatural creatures.

"We're looking at quite a few cliffhangers. So far, Nick has kept his personal and professional relationships at bay, but now, there are questions as to how much he is going to tell Juliet and what will happen to their relationship," says Hornsby, speaking of Nick's girlfriend, played by Bitsie Tulloch. "Is Nick going to tell Hank the truth? Will their partnership last? Will Hank be around? Will he stay on the force?"

We're betting he does, given Hornsby's glow as he anticipates going back to work on the show for Season 2 at month's end. Hornsby and his wife just returned from a hiatus trip to Vietnam in time for him to be present in NYC at this week's upfront presentation for advertisers. He's ready.

"I was really happy with the fact we got picked up, then got the go-ahead for the back nine, then the second season, the fact that we have a cult following — all the success the show has had up to this point, really. Every actor hopes to get one of these kinds of shows," he says. "People are really intrigued by the characters and the storylines. There are likeable characters you don't often get to see in a procedural drama — quirky characters that make witty comments, some off color remarks, have some fun."

MAN OF MANY FACES: With around 100 celebrity impressions in his repertoire (from Larry the Cable Guy to Lady Gaga), Jeff Tracta headlines with his "An Impressionable Journey Through The Decades" show at the Palms Casino Resort's Pearl Theater in Las Vegas Thursday through Sunday (5/17-20). The mighty morphing man keeps upping the ante, so to speak, with the way he integrates multi-media technology into his act. He used 57 different music tracks to blend instruments and vocals for his recording of LMFAO's hit song "Party Rock" for a music video — in which he performed all the instruments using only his mouth. Tracta's also known for his Black Eyed Peas impression, "becoming" each member of the group — including Fergie — in his multi-media concerts.

Celebs who've enjoyed his impressions include Liza Minnelli, who liked Tracta enough to invite him to her birthday party, where he performed for her famous friends. Last year, the former "Bold and the Beautiful" actor was a special guest on the bill with pal Liza during her stand at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.