Every HBO Comedy Ranked From Worst To Best

The British love to complain about US remakes of their content, and the success/failure rate is a little iffy, but when it works, it works well. Case in point: Getting On, a reimagining of Jo Brand’s poignant hospital sitcom that gave a great showcase for some comedic actresses for three seasons.

Its success comes from distancing itself significantly from the British original. The former is quiet, wry, and reserved; the US version leans a lot more heavily into the dark humour, though it retains the original version’s ability to take on heavy topics like family strife, deteriorating mental health, and obviously the lingering spectre of death.

The leads, including Laurie Metcalf and Alex Borstein, are all terrific, and walk an impressively thin line between the comedy, which can be broad or refined in turn, and the drama inherent in the show’s hospital setting.

It can be a tough watch, and for some viewers that juxtaposition between knockabout fun and genuine grief can be hard to engage with, but this is a commendable and worthwhile remake.