10 US Remakes Of British TV Shows Which Were Actually Pretty Good
4. Getting On
Beginning in 2009, the BBC’s Getting On has been a quiet revelation in British comedy. A small and subtle comedy written and performed by Jo Brand, Joanna Scanlan and Vicki Pepperdine, it unflinchingly examines life in the healthcare system, depicting three nurses on a geriatric ward making the best that they can out of a hugely difficult job.
HBO’s adaptation smartly did pretty much exactly the same thing. Lasting for three seasons between 2013 and 2015, it was a similarly stripped back affair with a deft touch in black comedy and genuinely moving performances.
Laurie Metcalf and Alex Borstein star as the director of medicine and head nurse respectively, and their combative relationship makes up much of the show’s drama. Niecy Nash is also superb as Denise Ortley, the closest Getting On comes to having a maverick character who cares more about patient well being than the hospital’s stuffy rules.
Both versions of the concept take a brave and empathetic look at a tricky subject and pull it off with aplomb. An underrated, occasionally difficult but hugely rewarding gem.