DYSFUNCTIONAL STAFF OF A BELEAGUERED HOSPITAL, RETURNS FOR
ITS SECOND SEASON THIS NOVEMBER, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO
At the Billy Barnes Extended Care Unit of Mt. Palms Hospital in Long Beach, Cal., the staff attends to the needs of female patients who are often “getting on” in years, while dealing with the challenges of a health-care bureaucracy in need of an overhaul. Even as they attempt to serve their charges under less-than-ideal circumstances, the lives of this ragtag crew are complicated by conflicting agendas, both professional and personal.
From creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer (co-creators of the acclaimed HBO series “Big Love”), GETTING ON returns for its six-episode second season this November on HBO. Blending outrageous humor with unexpected moments of tenderness, the critically-acclaimed show follows the daily lives of nurses and doctors as they struggle with the darkly comic realities of caring for the elderly in an overwhelmed healthcare system, skewering the petty bureaucracies of modern medical practice in America.
Cast regulars on GETTING ON include: Laurie Metcalf (three Emmys® for “Roseanne”) as Dr. Jenna James, who once hoped to become a medical-research star, but has instead been sentenced to purgatory at the facility; Alex Borstein (“Family Guy”) as Nurse Dawn, whose personal shortcomings and obsession with finding a boyfriend undermine her need to excel in her job; Niecy Nash (“Reno 911!”) as Nurse DiDi, whose easy rapport with patients should be an example to her superiors, but isn’t; and Mel Rodriguez (“Community”) as Patsy De La Serda, a reform-minded supervising nurse of ambiguous sexuality.
Season two finds Dr. James on a research binge, measuring anal-genital distances of her geriatric population, as well as of lab rats, while promoting the ward’s hospice program to bring in extra cash. Nurse Didi wants a raise, which ultimately sweeps her up into Dr. James’ mad, mad research world. Nurse Dawn is spinning ever onward toward being the best not-so-good nurse in the history of television as she continues to try and bag co-worker Patsy. Meanwhile, Patsy has a new lean, green program to save money and make the ward more energy-efficient, which is driving everyone crazy.
Based on the BBC series of the same name, GETTING ON concluded its first season in Dec. 2013, inspiring critical raves. The Los Angeles Times called it an “astonishing gem of a show” with a “bravely skillful cast” and “hilarious to watch,” while the New York Post hailed the series as “fiercely smart.” The San Francisco Chronicle applauded GETTING ON as “terrific and very funny,” and the Wall Street Journal praised the show for having “a cast so strong you can’t take your eyes off them.” Season one guest stars included Molly Shannon, Daniel Stern, Harry Dean Stanton and June Squibb.
GETTING ON is executive produced by Mark V. Olsen & Will Scheffer under their Anima Sola Productions Banner, Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner of BBC Worldwide Productions, and Geoff Atkinson, Jo Brand, Joanna Scanlan and Vicki Pepperdine; co-executive producers, Lisa Bellomo and Courtney Conte; producer, Chrisann Verges.
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