Better Things is an American comedy-drama television series created by Pamela Adlon and Louis C.K. for FX, which was premiered on September 8, 2016. The series is produced by Pig Newton, 3 Arts Entertainment (2016-17) Slam Book and FXP.
The series gave a 10-episode order on August 7, 2015. The series premiered on September 8, 2016. On September 20, 2016, FX renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on September 14, 2017. In October 2017, FX renewed the series for a third season which was premiered on February 28, 2019. FX renewed the series for a fourth season on March 26, 2019.[1]
Premise[]
The series follows an actress raises her three daughters while juggling the pressures of working in Hollywood and being a single parent.
Cast[]
- Pamela Adlon as Sam Fox
- Mikey Madison as Max Fox
- Hannah Alligood as Frankie Fox
- Olivia Edward as Duke Fox
- Celia Imrie as Phil Darby
Episodes[]
| Season | No. of episodes | Originally aired | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||
| 1 | 10 | September 8, 2016 | November 10, 2016 |
| 2 | 10 | September 14, 2017 | November 16, 2017 |
| 3 | 12 | February 28, 2019 | May 16, 2019 |
| 4 | 10 | March 5, 2020 | April 30, 2020 |
| 5 | 10 | February 28, 2022 | April 25, 2022 |
Production[]
Development[]
The pilot was ordered by FX on January 18, 2015. It was written by Louis C.K. and Pamela Adlon, and directed by Louis C.K. The story is semi-autobiographically based on Adlon's life. The pilot was picked up for a 10-episode first season on August 7, 2015.
The title of the show comes from The Kinks song, "Better Things".
On November 10, 2017, it was announced by Pig Newton and 3 Arts Entertainment that Louis C.K. had been dropped from the series as showrunner. The companies did not elaborate on their reasoning for firing him, but it is likely because he had been accused of and admitted to inappropriate sexual conduct with five different women. It is uncertain how this will affect showrunner in the series, if at all.
In May 2018, it was announced that Joe Hortua and Robin Ruzan will replace C.K. while Sara Gubbins and Ira Parker will reprise their writers with Adlon. On March 26, 2018, it was renewed for a fourth season to air in 2020.
In March 2019, the series was renewed for a 10-episode fourth season that premiered on March 5, 2020.
In May 2020, the series was renewed for a fifth season, which was announced to be its last in October 2021
Casting[]
The series casted with Adlon including Mikey Madison, Hannah Alligood and Olivia Edward. On March 24, 2016, Alysia Reiner is reoccurring as the cast. On April 22, 2016, Celia Irmie was add into the regular series.
Podcast[]
Adlon launched a podcast titled Better Things with Pamela Adlon during the show's final season. The goal was to give insight to the creative process behind the show. Constructed as a companion to the final season, it featured guests like Diedrich Bader, Kevin Pollak, Olivia Edward, and Celia Imrie.
Reception[]
Critical response[]
Better Things has received positive reviews from television critics. The first season has a Metacritic score of 80 out of 100 based 31 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Rotten Tomatoes gave the first season a 94% "Certified Fresh" score with an average rating of 8.08 out of 10 based on 54 critic reviews, with the critical consensus "Pamela Adlon's Better Things abstains from traditional sitcom sendups and forges a path all its own – in this bawdy, often hilarious and bittersweet ode to the daily highs and lows of being a single mother."
The second season has received highly positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, it has a score of 96 out of 100 based on 13 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 95% approval rating with an average rating of 9.2 out of 10 based on 22 reviews, with the critical consensus "Better Things' second season plays even more adroitly to its strengths, weaving confidently between stinging humor, caustic observation, and poignant drama." In his review for Time, Daniel D'Addario wrote, "This is a huge leap forward for a show that was already quite strong. Adlon comes as close to a pure auteur as TV gets. That her story is one imbued with both sadness and light makes Better Things one of television's very best shows—in any genre." Better Things is ranked as the seventh best TV series of 2017, according to Metacritic's list which tallies "best of" lists from various major TV critics and publications.
The third season has a Metacritic score of 94 out of 100 based on 19 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 9.3 out of 10 based on 35 reviews with the critical consensus, "Pamela Adlon fully asserts her authorial voice over Better Things in a triumphant third season that examines the exhaustion of motherhood with exhilarating artistry." Matt Zoller Seitz of Vulture wrote, "Better Things is the best the show has ever been." Caroline Framke of Variety wrote, "Better Things feels a bit freer to be its most audacious self this season. Making the show under extraordinary pressure has, in the end, allowed Adlon to throw up her hands, say anything she wants, get it all out there and succeed entirely on her own terms."
The fourth season has a Metacritic score of 90 out of 100 based on 6 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8.5 out of 10 based on 21 reviews with the critical consensus, "Sharp and singular, Better Things just keeps getting better." Dan Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter called the series "still one of the very best things on TV". Ben Travers of IndieWire gave it an "A" grade and summarized that season 4 is "an experience like nothing else on television."
The fifth season has a Metacritic score of 94 out of 100 based on 12 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 9.1 out of 10 based on 12 reviews with the critical consensus, "Bittersweet, funny as ever, and brimming with wisdom, Better Things's final sendoff is as good as it gets." Jen Chaney of Vulture called it "one of the most generous, organic, and beautiful works of the past decade."
Gallery[]
_poster.jpg "Better Things (S1) poster.jpg (884 KB)")
_poster.jpg "Better Things (S2) poster.jpg (789 KB)")
_poster.jpg "Better Things (S3) poster.jpg (250 KB)")
References[]
External links[]
- Better Things on Wikipedia
- Better Things on Television Fandom
- Better Things on IMDb