Better Things (TV series)

Better Things

Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	September 8, 2016 (2016-09-08)
Founder	Pamela Adlon, Louis C.K.
Headquarters	United States
Products	Comedy drama television series

Better Things is a U.S. comedy drama TV series developed by Pamela Adlon and Louis C.K., which aired across five seasons from 2016 through 2022 on FX. The show features Adlon portraying a divorced actress who single-handedly raises her three daughters, played by Mikey Madison, Hannah Alligood, and Olivia Edward.

The series debuted on September 8, 2016, with a ten-episode inaugural season that garnered widespread critical praise. Subsequently, four more seasons were released in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2022, consistently receiving favorable critiques. Adlon's portrayal led to nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in both 2017 and 2018. In April 2017, Better Things was honored with a Peabody Award for its honest and feminist-informed depiction of working motherhood. The show concluded its run on April 25, 2022.

Main

• Pamela Adlon as Samantha "Sam" Fox, a single mother and working actress navigating life with her three daughters in Los Angeles.
• Mikey Madison as Maxine "Max" Fox, the eldest daughter who is temperamental yet fundamentally good-natured.
• Hannah Alligood as Francesca "Frankie" Fox, the determined middle child.
• Olivia Edward as Duke Alice Fox, the youngest daughter known for her kind disposition.
• Celia Imrie as Phyllis "Phil" Darby, Sam’s British mother residing next door who faces certain physical and mental health challenges.

Recurring

• Diedrich Bader as Rich, Sam’s closest friend who shares similar experiences with dating.
• Alysia Reiner as Sunny, Sam’s recently divorced best friend.
• Greg Cromer as Jeff, Sunny’s ex-husband who smokes marijuana.
• Rebecca Metz as Tressa, Sam’s efficient manager and confidante.
• Matthew Glave as Xander Hall, Sam’s ex-husband and the absent father of her children.
• Mather Zickel as one of Sam’s former boyfriends.
• Lucy Davis as Macy, a close friend of Sam (seasons 1–2).
• Patricia Scanlon as Joy, another friend of Sam (seasons 1–2).
• Emma Shannon as Pepper, Duke’s companion (seasons 1–5).
• Kevin Pollak as Marion, Sam’s brother (seasons 2–5).
• Jeremy K. Williams as Jason, a friend of Frankie’s (seasons 2–5).
• Alex Désert as Donte, an actor who collaborated with Sam on commercials and Monsters in the Moonlight (seasons 2–3).
• Henry Thomas as Robin, a single dad and Sam’s romantic partner (season 2).
• Judy Reyes as Lala, one of Sam’s friends (seasons 3–5).
• Cree Summer as Lenny, another friend of Sam (seasons 3–5).
• Matthew Broderick as Dr. David Miller, Sam’s therapist and love interest (season 3).
• Janina Gavankar as Nikki, assistant director for Monsters in the Moonlight (season 3).
• Marsha Thomason as Mer Kodis, a talent manager with romantic feelings toward Sam (season 3).
• Kris Marshall as Tibor, director of Monsters in the Moonlight (season 3).
• Doug Jones appearing as himself in Monsters in the Moonlight (season 3).
• Harrison Page as Walter, Phil’s boyfriend (season 3).
• Adam Kulbersh as Murray Fox, Sam’s deceased father appearing as a ghost (season 3; guest appearances seasons 1 & 5).
• Judy Gold as Chaya, one of Sam’s friends (seasons 4–5).
• Mario Cantone as Mal Martone, Sam’s new manager (seasons 4–5).
• Rosalind Chao as Caroline, wife of Marion (seasons 4–5).

Production and Development

On January 18, 2015, FX commissioned the pilot episode, penned by Louis C.K. and Pamela Adlon, with Louis C.K. also directing. The show draws loosely from Adlon's own experiences, making it semi-autobiographical. By August 7, 2015, the pilot was approved for a full first season comprising ten episodes.

The series takes its name from The Kinks' track "Better Things." FX confirmed a renewal for a second season on September 20, 2016; this season debuted on September 14, 2017. The third installment featured twelve episodes, all directed by Adlon herself, and premiered on February 28, 2019.

After the sexual misconduct allegations against Louis C.K. surfaced in November 2017, FX terminated their agreement with him and his production company Pig Newton; he did not participate in any later seasons. Pamela Adlon also parted ways with her manager Dave Becky, and Pig Newton along with 3 Arts ended their co-production roles following Season 2. For the third season, Adlon brought on board four new writers: Sarah Gubbins, Joe Hortua, Robin Ruzan, and Ira Parker.

In March 2019, FX announced the show's renewal for a fourth season of ten episodes, which premiered on March 5, 2020. The series was renewed for a fifth season in May 2020 and later declared as the concluding season in October 2021.

Podcast

During the show's final season, Adlon introduced a podcast titled Better Things with Pamela Adlon, offering listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the creative journey. This companion series featured guests including Diedrich Bader, Kevin Pollak, Olivia Edward, and Celia Imrie.

Season 1 (2016)

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Critical Response

The show boasts a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 88% score on Metacritic.

For its debut season, it received an average Metacritic score of 80/100 based on 32 reviews and achieved a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 58 critics, earning praise for its distinctive portrayal of single motherhood.

The sophomore season saw enhanced acclaim with a Metacritic score of 96/100 from 13 reviews and a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 96% from 27 critics. Reviewers commended its skillful balance of comedy and drama. Daniel D'Addario of Time described Adlon as nearly a pure auteur and regarded the series as one of television's finest. Metacritic ranked it as the seventh-best TV show of 2017.

In its third season, the series scored a Metacritic average of 94/100 across 19 reviews and achieved a flawless 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 37 critics, celebrated for its artistic exploration of motherhood. Critics such as Matt Zoller Seitz from Vulture and Caroline Framke of Variety applauded its creative autonomy and strong authorial presence.

Season four earned a Metacritic score of 90/100 from six reviews alongside another perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 100%, with critics describing it as "sharp and singular." Dan Fienberg from The Hollywood Reporter called it "one of the very best things on TV," while Ben Travers at IndieWire awarded it an "A" grade.

The fifth and final season sustained critical praise with a Metacritic rating of 93/100 based on 14 reviews and maintained a perfect Rotten Tomatoes rating from 23 critics. It was characterized as "bittersweet, consistently humorous, and full of insight." Jen Chaney of Vulture labeled it "one of the most generous, organic, and beautiful works of the past decade."

Accolades

Year	Award Event	Category	Nominee(s)	Outcome
2016	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Most Exciting New Series	Better Things	Template:Won
	Satellite Awards	Best Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical	Pamela Adlon	Template:Nom
	Peabody Award	Entertainment Programming	Better Things	Template:Won
2017	Gotham Independent Film Awards	Breakthrough Series – Long Form	Better Things	Template:Nom
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Pamela Adlon	Template:Nom
	TCA Awards	Individual Achievement in Comedy	Pamela Adlon	Template:Nom
	Writers Guild of America Awards	New Series	Pamela Adlon, Louis C.K., Cindy Chupack, Gina Fattore	Template:Nom
	Hollywood Music in Media Awards	Outstanding Music Supervision – Television	Nora Felder	Template:Nom
2018	Golden Globe Awards	Best Performance in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy	Pamela Adlon	Template:Nom
	TCA Awards	Individual Achievement in Comedy	Pamela Adlon	Template:Nom
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Pamela Adlon	Template:Nom
2019	TCA Awards	Individual Achievement in Comedy	Pamela Adlon	Template:Nom
2020	American Cinema Editors Awards	Best Edited Comedy Series for Commercial Television	Janet Weinberg	Template:Win
	Casting Society of America Awards	Television Series – Comedy Casting	Felicia Fasano and Samantha Rood	Template:Nom
	TCA Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Comedy	Better Things	Template:Nom
		Individual Achievement in Comedy	Pamela Adlon	Template:Nom
	Gracie Allen Awards	Comedy Category	Better Things	Template:Win
2021	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Comedy Series	Better Things	Template:Nom
		Best Actress in a Comedy Series	Pamela Adlon	Template:Nom
	Hollywood Music in Media Awards	Best Music Supervision – Television	Nora Felder and Heather Guibert	Template:Nom
2022	TCA Awards	Individual Achievement in Comedy	Pamela Adlon	Template:Nom
	Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards	Best Cable Series, Comedy	Better Things	Template:Nom
		Best Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Comedy	Pamela Adlon	Template:Nom
		Best Directing in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Comedy (for "We Are Not Alone")	Pamela Adlon	Template:Nom
2023	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Comedy Series	Better Things	Template:Nom