On Wednesday afternoon, Fox confirmed what many in the industry long suspected would come to pass: “ House ” will air its last episode at the end of the 2011-2012 television season. House ” made its premiere in November 2004, and the medical procedural’s late-fall arrival was met with lower ratings initially. But audiences soon gravitated towards the series about the brilliant, antisocial and ruthlessly witty Dr. Gregory House ( Hugh Laurie ), and the drama soon became one of Fox’s strongest scripted performers. But over the past couple of seasons, “House” has become more expensive to produce — with higher license fees nearly resulting in its cancellation last year — as its ratings have fallen.The official announcement from “House” executive producers David Shore , Katie…