Freeform
Freeform hit Pretty Little Liars went off the air nearly three years ago and the network has been hoping to find a worthy successor ever since. Motherland: Fort Salem, which premieres Wednesday, March 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, might just be the one.
If you don’t have cable, you can watch Motherland: Fort Salem on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming subscription services:
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Hulu With Live TV
Freeform is included with Hulu With Live TV, which comes with 60-plus live TV channels and Hulu’s extensive on-demand library of TV shows and movies:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch a live stream of Motherland: Fort Salem on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” comes with both its extensive on-demand library (which has most new episodes and specials available after they air) and 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
AT&T TV Now
AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) offers six different channel bundles. They range from 45 to 125 live TV channels, and they all include Freeform. The “Plus” and “Max” bundles come with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for AT&T TV Now, you can watch a live stream of Motherland: Fort Salem on your computer via the AT&T TV Now website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other compatible streaming device via the AT&T TV app.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV Now — no matter what channel package you choose — comes with included cloud DVR.
Sling TV
Freeform is included in Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” package, which comes with 32 live TV channels. It costs $20 for the first month ($30 per month after that), which makes Sling the cheapest streaming service with Freeform if you plan on keeping it long term:
Or, as part of a special deal that Sling is currently offering, you can get a free Amazon Fire TV Stick if you prepay for two months:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Motherland: Fort Salem live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 10 hours of cloud DVR.
‘Motherland: Fort Salem’ Preview
This new witchy drama is set in an alternate reality America where witches brokered a deal with the U.S. government 300 years ago to fight for their country instead of being persecuted and killed during the Salem Witch Trials. Now, these young women who are trained in combat magic are fighting on the front lines in the face of terrorist threats.
The cast is populated with relative newcomers on the TV scene:
- Taylor Hickson portrays Raelle, a reluctant recruit with major authority issues whose mother recently died in the line of duty.
- Jessica Sutton is Tally, a kind, strong-willed and curious witch who enlisted despite her mother’s passionate disapproval.
- Ashley Nicole Williams plays Abigail, an unquestionably alpha, smart, driven and courageous witch who hails from the upper echelons of military witch society and is excited to be joining the ranks of the witches’ army.
- Amalia Holm rounds out the young witch recruits playing Scylla, a playful yet dark and mischievous recruit who is not what she appears to be.
- Demetria McKinney plays Anacostia, a tough but wryly humorous drill sergeant whose chief concern is keeping the young recruits alive through basic training.
- Lyne Renee recurs as General Sarah Alder, the highest-ranking officer in the Armed Forces and the only leader the witches have ever known.
At the 2020 Television Critics Association winter press tour, executive producer Eliot Lawrence told TV critics that the idea is both an “homage to witch history” and also “reinventing” and “reclaiming” the ways they were persecuted. They also wanted to examine what society might be like if it were a matriarchy instead of a patriarchy.
“We talked a lot in the writers’ room about what female sexuality looks like in the absence of patriarchy, because in this show the army is a matriarchal culture within the larger culture, and we came up with a lot of good stuff,” said Lawrence. “I mean, for these young women, their sexuality is not something that complicates their lives or labels them in a certain way. It’s something that informs their very power, and it’s something that they’re able to employ to astonishing effect.”
Sutton added that she loves how author Erica Jong, who wrote the book on which the show is based, and then Lawrence as the executive producer “reimagined” the idea of what a witch is.
“This idea that’s away from the typical cauldron, cackling crone symbol of a witch — or the temptress that fornicates with the devil,” said Sutton.
“It’s so powerful, like we’re all harnessing power that has kind of been taken away from us, in a way, by society,” added McKinney. “You know, sexuality, we use that for power. We’re fighting the wars. The fact that everything is so flipped as far as the gender roles and, I mean, the show is actually genderless. We’re actually quite androgynous in our roles and our duties in what we do, which gives everybody power overall. So it’s just it’s really, really cool to be part of something innovative.”
Motherland: Fort Salem” airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Freeform.
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