The Hospital Comedy Hidden Gem You Can Watch On Hulu
You might not think that the extended care unit of a hospital is a prime setting for a comedy, but that's exactly where creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer chose for their series originally based on a British show with the same premise. Thiis series ran for three seasons from 2013 to 2015 on HBO, and now that it's available on streaming platforms like Hulu and HBO Max, it's the perfect time to discover it for yourself.
The American version stars Laurie Metcalf ("The Big Bang Theory," "Roseanne"), Alex Borstein ("Family Guy," "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"), Niecy Nash ("Reno 911!," "Claws") and Mel Rodriguez ("The Last Man on Earth," "Little Miss Sunshine") as the hospital's nurses, getting into and out of wacky scenarios as they attempt to care for their patients while managing their own relationships with one another. While the laughs are plentiful, don't be surprised if the show packs an emotional gut punch or two into an episode.
Here are some reasons why this dark comedy is worth your time.
Getting On is funny and delivers emotional depth
"Getting On" earned a 92% overall rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics over its three seasons, with its first season having the lowest score of 76% but being the only one to be "certified fresh," because the second and third seasons earned 100% but didn't have enough reviews to qualify. It also earned a 94% overall rating from audiences, making it a winner among both professionals and the masses.
The show is set in an underfunded hospital, which later introduces a hospice ward. Disease, disabilities, and death are ever-present for the cast of characters. Some might think that a comedy in such a setting would be inherently insensitive, poking fun at those in pain or passing on, but according to reviews, that's not the case here. Yes, "Getting On" has tons of hilarious moments, but they come from a place of empathy, finding the humor in life (and occasionally death) for the hospital's patients and those who attempt to care for them.
As Emily Todd VanDerWerff writes for the A.V. Club in her review of the first season, "Watch Getting On long enough, though, and it reveals a streak of humane empathy for everyone trapped by either circumstance or choice in its intentionally claustrophobic setting."
Both the British and American versions of "Getting On" are currently available on Hulu and HBO Max, and the original British show is also available through Amazon Prime and Pluto TV.