In news that should surprise no one who’s been paying attention to HBO’s rapidly depleting comedy line-up, the network has decided to go ahead with a second season of its successful and offbeat medical comedy Getting On.
The show, an adaptation of a popular BBC series, proved a modest ratings success for HBO, particularly in light of the fact that the network barely promoted it. Instead, extremely positive word of mouth and strong reviews drew viewers to the first season. HBO’s order is for an additional six episodes, but that’s no cause for alarm considering that the first season also only ran six episodes.
Starring Laurie Metcalf, Alex Borstein, Niecy Nash and Mel Rodriguez, Getting On centers on the troubled staffers working in a female-geriatric wing of an embattled California hospital. Its blend of over-the-top humor and emotionally charged storylines made it a hit with audiences and critics alike.
Metcalf was recently attached to CBS’s The McCarthys during the time when Getting On‘s future seemed uncertain, but there’s no word yet on what the fate of that half-hour comedy will be. One would suspect that the actress’s commitments to Getting On will come first, so I’d imagine that CBS will hold off on The McCarthys until Getting On concludes, probably in a year or two.
With the renewal of Getting On, HBO’s comedy lineup seems very strong for next season. The network recently ordered The Brink, a political satire starring Jack Black and Tim Robbins about the major players in the middle of a geopolitical crisis, and Ballers, a show about the lives of former and current football players from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. HBO’s previous comedy series Family Tree and Hello Ladies have both been cancelled, but Hello Ladies will receive a wrap-up special at some point in the near future.
Tell us, have you seen Getting On and, if so, are you glad it will be coming back for an additional season? And what do you make of HBO’s upcoming comedy lineup as a whole? Sound off in the comments section.
