Getting On (2013)

:

Season 1
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Nov 24, 2013
Season #: 3, 2, 1
Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 21
  3. Negative: 2 out of 21
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Where To Watch

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Critic Reviews

  1. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: David Wiegand
    Nov 22, 2013
    100
    There is a brilliant mix of poignancy and hilarity in Getting On, which is why it all works so well.
  2. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Verne Gay
    Nov 21, 2013
    100
    Its tender moments register without feeling forced while the comedy comes in the form of a constant IV drip.
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mary McNamara
    Nov 25, 2013
    90
    It's a dark and astonishing gem of a show, with a bravely skillful cast juggling the petty obsessions of the workplace with Much Bigger Issues.
  5. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Nov 22, 2013
    90
    There is some pathos in Getting On with regard to the elderly patients, but that's seamlessly interwoven in the darkly funny personal stories of the hospital staff.
  6. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Emily VanDerWerff
    Nov 22, 2013
    83
    Getting On captures the drudgery of work and life in this ward, but it also catches glimpses of the beauty, and it’s in those moments that it feels like a series that deserves better than it’s going to get.
  7. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Melissa Maerz
    Nov 20, 2013
    83
    Getting On is much funnier than its premise suggests. [22 Nov 2013, p.62]
  8. Sioux City Journal
    Reviewed by: Bruce Miller
    Nov 25, 2013
    80
    In a sea of formulaic comedies, this stands out as a lifeboat worth clinging to.
  9. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    Nov 22, 2013
    80
    Every so often a staff member, usually DiDi, is shown in a quiet moment with a patient, providing actual care. These small scenes end up being surprisingly moving because this fictional hospital unit, in all its ridiculousness, feels somehow true to life.
  10. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Nancy DeWolf Smith
    Nov 22, 2013
    80
    That these actors can make us care about their characters, or at least feel their pain so acutely, is what elevates Getting On above the miasma of its material.
  11. Slate
    Reviewed by: Willa Paskin
    Nov 22, 2013
    80
    It’s almost as impossible to believe, without seeing it, that such a show could be both very funny and occasionally uplifting without ever resorting to cheap sentimentality. But it is.
  12. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Hank Stuever
    Nov 22, 2013
    80
    Weirdly enough, Getting On (adapted from the original BBC series) is a witheringly efficient work of satire, easily confident about the humanity and absurdity it’s trying to portray.
  13. Denver Post
    Reviewed by: Joanne Ostrow
    Nov 20, 2013
    80
    [The characters] are sympathetic even when unlovable. The dialogue and physical gross-out moments are equally frank. And hilarious.
  14. People Weekly
    Reviewed by: Tom Gliatto
    Nov 25, 2013
    75
    Flawlessly done, but a tough sell. [2 Dec 2013, p.50]
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  15. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Nov 25, 2013
    75
    This bleak depiction of hospital work locates the show about two degrees south of “St. Elsewhere.” And yet, after I finished the first three episodes, I realized I was hooked; I wanted more.
  16. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Lori Rackl
    Nov 21, 2013
    75
    Get ready to laugh and cry with this touching new comedy about a dysfunctional team of nurses and doctors caring for aging patients in a hospital’s extended-care wing.
  17. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Reviewed by: Gail Pennington
    Nov 25, 2013
    63
    Getting On is for mature audiences only, with uncensored language and outrageous behavior all around. If you like comedy with more cringes than chuckles, Getting On could be for you.

Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Best TV Season of 2013
88
#88 Most Discussed TV Season of 2013
88
#88 Most Shared TV Season of 2013

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 43 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 43
  3. Negative: 5 out of 43
  1. Hollindaze
    Nov 26, 2013
    8
    I've only seen one episode, but it's the first time in awhile, that I was rolling around laughing at a half hour comedy. The absurd sillinessI've only seen one episode, but it's the first time in awhile, that I was rolling around laughing at a half hour comedy. The absurd silliness doesn't let up. It oddly manages to be touching at the same time.… Full Review »
  2. rini6
    Dec 1, 2013
    8
    I am a physician and I rotated in these facilities as a medical student and resident. The scene is intensely familiar and accuratelyI am a physician and I rotated in these facilities as a medical student and resident. The scene is intensely familiar and accurately portrayed. I found the humor more dark than humorous (although the argument over turds was precious.) Some scenes were profound and moving and yet nothing seemed at all forced sentimental. It was marvelously done and with perfect pitch. I am going to watch the rest of this.. no doubt.… Full Review »
  3. BogKid
    Nov 29, 2013
    6
    Pretty mixed emotions about this new HBO series. I have seen only the pilot and I can certainly conclude from that episode that "Getting On"Pretty mixed emotions about this new HBO series. I have seen only the pilot and I can certainly conclude from that episode that "Getting On" is very well written and generally excellently acted. The initial episode was biting in its portrayal of bureaucracy rampant. I will be following the development of this show with interest.

    Now for the mixed emotions. I am about four months from turning 80 and I do have to admit that the background of the show a near terminal ward in a major hospital strikes me just a little too close to home. I find that I can view the twilight of life with humor, keeping in perspective, so I'm just going to have to swallow these aspects of "Getting On" to be able to enjoy the overall intent of the show.    … Full Review »
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