FX
Pamela Adlon’s comedy Better Things is the story of a single mother, Sam (Adlon), raising her three daughters in Los Angeles while she struggles to make a living as an actor. The fourth season premieres Thursday, March 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX.
If you don’t have cable, you can watch Better Things 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
FX is included in 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 Better Things 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 episodes of Better Things 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).
Sling TV
Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” package comes with 47 channels, including FX. It costs $20 for the first month ($30 per month after that), which makes Sling the cheapest streaming service with FX 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 Better Things 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, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage for an additional $5 per month.
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 FX. 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 Better Things 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.
‘Better Things’ Season 4 Preview
Even after three seasons, Sam Fox (Adlon) is still trying to figure out this whole single parent thing, especially because her three daughters — Max (Mikey Madison), Frankie (Hannah Alligood) and Duke (Olivia Edward) — are so very different from one another. She is also continuing to look after her ex-pat British mother, Phil (Celia Imrie), whose faculties grow more questionable by the day.
In season four, the episode descriptions tease that Sam will try to embrace her “state of being” and also give her friends a “marital intervention.” She also gives Phil a DNA test, takes Duke to the ballet, and goes to a wedding in New Orleans. On paper, it sounds like fairly typical stuff for the Fox family, but fans of the show know it will be portrayed with the usual quirkiness, humor, and heart.
In an interview with The A.V. Club ahead of season four, Adlon says that every year she strives to make each season something new for her characters. It’s important to her not to waste time repeating herself.
“It has to be something completely different because I do think that that’s an important part of the show—I do feel like you’ve got to shed skin every year to get stronger and better. So for me, I don’t want to repeat myself. I don’t want to just keep doing the same show,” says Adlon.
She also says that she really sees the five women who are at the center of the show representing five different generations because they’re all at a different place in their lives. And so in that way, it’s a coming-of-age story, even for the older characters.
“[I]t’s a coming-of-age story because everybody is coming into all these different phases and ages of their lives,” says Adlon. “We shine a light on the kids as much as we shine a light on the grandmother and on our protagonist. And it’s endlessly fascinating for me because of how different I have felt about all the ages I’ve been in my life. I’m watching my own daughters be in the world and go through different things, and they’re so beyond what I ever was.”
Adlon also teases that Sam is definitely experiencing a big of her mid-life crisis in season four, complete with an outrageous car purchase.
“Well, she gets an El Camino [Laughs.], so I think quite a bit of things happen in that direction,” she says, but she adds that it’s also about the daughters growing up and choosing to spend time with their mom, which is a “very satisfying feeling” for her.
Better Things airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX.
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