Getting On: Series 1, Episode 1 (2009)

 

This is a show I hadn’t heard of before Capaldi Fall, though in the time it’s taken me to get around to it, an American version has sprung up on HBO.  Penned in part by Joanna Scanlan (Terri from The Thick of It,) PC directs the first two seasons of this Brit-com and appears in several episodes.

 

Getting On takes place in the geriatric ward of a British hospital.  In episode 1, we meet the main characters and take a look into their bleak workplace.  Nurses Den and Kim chip away at frustrating, absurd, and/or unappetizing hospital issues, keeping the ward going and juggling disparate instructions from competing supervisors.  So far, it seems to fit most easily into the Ricky Gervais mold of comedy.  The unglamorous, somewhat depressing setting is reminiscent of The Office and Extras, and the largely one-liner-free dialogue has more than a bit of cringe humor.  The first episode never gets quite as uncomfortable as either of those shows, but on the whole it has a darker hue.  I suppose that’s unavoidable, given the backdrop of patients on their way out, but tonally, it’s certainly atypical for a sitcom.

 

PC’s direction reinforces the Gervais-esque feeling; the camera work is stark and unsympathetic, but as with the writing, it’s different enough not to be a copy.  While it has a somewhat mockumentary look, it doesn’t regularly employ a shaky cam and doesn’t expressly commit to that format. 

 

As far as directing goes, it certainly has a different feel than PC’s other behind-the-camera works.  However, this is the first project I’ve seen him direct that he hasn’t written, which is obviously a big part of it.  His writing style is playful and offbeat, so the direction in his double-duty projects naturally reflects that.  He matches the tone of the piece well, and some humorous moments are mined from the execution of a well-placed shot at just the right instant.

 

I should mention that, in addition to being one of the writers, Joanna Scanlan also co-stars as Den.  I don’t know the other main actresses/co-creators, although Vicki Pepperdine seemed familiar to me.  A quick survey of IMDb hasn’t turned up any revelations; maybe it’s just that she looks a bit like Emily Watson.

 

First thoughts:

 

Recommend?

 

In General – Not as of yet.  I’m still trying to decide what I think of a comedy this depressing.

 

PC-wise – Jury’s still out.  I’m sure I’ll have more to say on the subject once he appears onscreen.

 

Warnings

 

Swearing, frank discussion of human effluence, and general dark subject matter.