Getting On

All around, excellent. The writing and the amazing Laurie Metcalf, Alex Borstein, Mel Rodriguez and Niecy Nash combine their talents to make this this dark, often hilarious HBO comedy succeed. It takes place in a dysfunctional seniors ward at a big city hospital. The supporting cast is also great (look for Ann Guilbert and June Squibb as two of the many beleaguered patients). Molly Shannon and Jean Smart also make funny cameos.

I'm not sure why this series, which was adapted from an English program, only ran three seasons. Too bad. We wanted more.

I find myself identifying with the 'oldsters' in the show as much as anything. There are some genuine insights, both from the staff of the hospital dealing with the seniors and from the seniors themselves, looking out from the inside.

The show is well cast and the characters are becoming more developed as time passes; the seasons are short for this program and that limits the screen time the writers can devote to the characters, but even so they are becoming more real with each episode.

The writing is spare and deft. The jokes are subtle, rather than belabored; sometimes you have to think fast.

Dry and witty with the occasional belly laugh and some tender, wistful moments - I suppose it is a dark comedy, but semisweet rather than bitter. Give it a fair trial.

This show is a hit and it is clever and subtle enough for you to laugh and learn at the same time. The actors do a great job and the main doctor, Laurie Metcalf, is pure funny in a way that makes you unsure whether to laugh or go hmm. I love her comedic movement and timing. This show is a sleeper hit and outdoes other shows on HBO. Clever writing disguised as simple lines of conversation always gets me laughing because it doesn't dumb down the audience and makes us feel as if we are in on the inside joke. The cast is fine tuned and believable in their roles. I hop this show gets the credit it deserves. Adapted from a British comedy it is a touch above.

Amazing show. Realistic and nothing is more absurd, romantic, hilarious, painful and beautiful than reality. We dont have to go to hyperreality where everything is fake and robotic and generic in such a way that it creeps me out.Thats the reason shows like 'modern family, 'greys anatomy', 'House' and the list goes on and on , have way too many seasons, and gems like these get cancelled way too quick, same happened with 'party down' for example or 'hello ladies' Great shows, and amazing shows that just cant make it past a one season or two.

This simple yet intricate show is for the ones that are able to be human and feel. The ones that have a humane level of sense of humour and aren't passive idiots that want to be entertained in the most lazy way...spoonfed.

I keep watching the cancelled gems over and over. And because they are gems.. you can do that.

I'm watching this series again and i still don't understand why this series did not continue - so funny and all characters are played by choice actors. I'm hoping for a reboot. My favorite character is still June Squibb as the crazy bi-polar patient Varla.