Mark V. Olsen Will Scheffer Big Love Premiere - P 2013
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesMere days after canceling Enlightened after two seasons, HBO has picked up one of its comedy pilots to series.
The premium cable network has given a six-episode series order to Getting On, a reformat of the BAFTA Award-winning comedy series of the same name, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The HBO adaptation hails from Big Love creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer and their Anima Sola Productions banner, who penned the pilot for BBC Worldwide Productions. Anima senior vp Lisa Bellomo will produce alongside BBC Worldwide Productions’ Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner. Original series producer Geoff Atkinson will also serve as an EP. The series order puts HBO back in business with Olsen and Scheffer two years after Big Love ended its five-season run on the network.
The comedy is set in a women’s geriatric wing at a beleaguered hospital and revolves around its rag-tag nurses, doctors and administrators as they struggle with the realities of caring for the elderly in an overwhelmed healthcare system.
Roseanne‘s Laurie Metcalf, Family Guy‘s Alex Borstein, Reno 911’s Niecy Nash and newcomer Joel Johnstone (who also has a role in season two of HBO’s Newsroom) star.
The original series, amid critical acclaim, ran for three seasons (and 15 total episodes), earning a BAFTA win for actress in a comedy for Jo Brand and a writing nom for writers-stars Brand, Vicki Pepperdine and Joanna Scanlan.
For HBO, this marks its latest half-hour order, joining half-hour Family Tree, which was picked up straight to series with an eight-episode order. The Christopher Guest series will bow in May.
The comedy addition for Getting On comes two days after HBO canceled Mike White and Laura Dern starrer Enlightened after two critically praised but low-rated seasons.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit
