"GETTING ON," FROM THE CREATORS OF "BIG LOVE," TAKES AN OFFBEAT LOOK AT THE DYSFUNCTIONAL STAFF OF A BELEAGUERED HOSPITAL; COMEDY SERIES DEBUTS NOV. 24, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

At the Billy Barnes Extended Care Unit of Mt. Palms Hospital in Long Beach, Cal., the staff attends to the needs of female patients who are often "getting on" in years, while dealing with the challenges of a health-care bureaucracy in need of an overhaul. Even as they attempt to serve their charges under less-than-ideal circumstances, the lives of this ragtag crew are complicated by conflicting agendas, both professional and personal.

This new comedy series GETTING ON, based on the BBC series of the same name, begins its six-episode season SUNDAY, NOV. 24 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Created for American television by Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer (co-creators of the acclaimed HBO series "Big Love"), the show follows the daily lives of overworked nurses and doctors as they struggle with the darkly comic realities of tending compassionately to their aging charges in a rundown, red-tape-filled hospital extended-care wing, blending outrageous humor with unexpected moments of tenderness.

Cast regulars on GETTING ON include: Laurie Metcalf (three Emmys(R) for "Roseanne") as Dr. Jenna James, who once hoped to become a medical-research star, but has instead been sentenced to purgatory at the facility; Alex Borstein ("Family Guy") as Nurse Dawn, whose personal shortcomings and obsession with finding a boyfriend undermine her need to excel in her job; Niecy Nash ("Reno 911!") as Nurse DiDi, whose easy rapport with patients should be an example to her superiors, but isn't; and Mel Rodriguez ("Community") as Patsy De La Serda, a reform-minded supervising nurse of ambiguous sexuality. Guest stars include Molly Shannon, Daniel Stern, Harry Dean Stanton, June Squibb and Irma P. Hall.

November's episode:

Episode #1: "Born on the Fourth of July"

Debut: SUNDAY, NOV. 24 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT)

Other HBO playdates: Nov. 24 (midnight), 25 (11:30 p.m.), 27 (midnight), 28 (8:00 p.m.) and 29 (10:30 p.m.), and Dec. 1 (6:15 p.m.), 6 (10:00 p.m.) and 11 (11:00 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Nov. 25 (10:30 p.m.) and 30 (9:00 p.m.), and Dec. 1 (8:10 a.m.)

It's July 4th at the Billy Barnes Extended Care Unit of Mt. Palms Hospital. On her first day of work, nurse DiDi Ortley (Niecy Nash) discovers feces on a lounge chair, and is torn between the conflicting orders of veteran nurse Dawn Forchette (Alex Borstein), who wants to file an "incident report" before removing it; temporary medical director Dr. Jenna James (Laurie Metcalf), who is in need of a stool sample for her medical study; and supervising nurse Beverly Raymes (Telma Hopkins), who has had endemic issues with floor cleanliness and wants the seat sterilized. In a heated argument with Nurse Raymes, Dr. James has a public meltdown and ends up permanently assigned to this dead-end job. Meanwhile, the staff tries to determine the identity of an Asian woman who was found wandering on a highway, and debate what to do with a deceased patient's birthday cake.

Teleplay by Mark V. Olsen & Will Scheffer; directed by Miguel Arteta.

For more on the series, visit facebook.com/HBO and twitter.com/HBO #GettingOn.

GETTING ON is executive produced by Mark V. Olsen & Will Scheffer under their Anima Sola Productions Banner, Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner of BBC Worldwide Productions, and Geoff Atkinson, Jo Brand, Joanna Scanlan and Vicki Pepperdine; co-executive producers, Lisa Bellomo and Courtney Conte; producer, Chrisann Verges.