‘Better Things’ debuts on FX
A non-sitcom comedy about the burdens of single parenthood, “Better Things” (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA) could have been called “TMI.” Pamela Adlon (“Louie”) stars as Sam Fox, a working actress and voice-over talent raising three daughters while keeping track of her mother and striving to eke out some satisfaction for herself.
Daughter Max (Mikey Madison) is the impossible teen, dreamy, needy and “honest” to a fault. When she asks her mother to buy her pot or insists on talking about sex, Sam retreats and says that she’d rather that Max “hide that stuff” from her like a normal teen.
Middle daughter Frankie (Hannah Alligood) is impossibly socially conscious and even more insufferable in her own way. Duke (Olivia Edward) retains a whiff of childhood innocence and allows Sam her few moments of intimacy and affection.
Like “Louie,” this series (also produced by Louis C.K.) never shields us from its central character’s every thought, from Sam’s fantasizing about an earlier tryst to her near-clinical interest in internet pornography.
The show bounces rather naturally from domestic explosions to the demands of Sam’s working life. At its best, this shows off Adlon’s great comic timing. But it also invests the show with a lot of insiderdom. Should we feel less sympathy for an actress who rubs shoulders with Hollywood stars? We should. But will we?
Sam’s seen auditioning for a part and kidding around with a rival actress (Constance Zimmer, “Unreal”) until both women see that Julie Bowen (“Modern Family”) has clearly locked up the role. In another scene, she’s acting on a set with Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing”) in a rather steamy scene and trying to talk the writers into toning it down for her kids’ sake.
Later, we see her venting about her problems while trying to synch her voice to a kids’ cartoon. This may remind some of one of Adlon’s great roles. She was the voice of Bobby Hill on the prime-time cartoon “King of the Hill.” Part of me wishes that Sam and “Better Things” shared a little of Hank Hill’s repression and learned to “hide that stuff” from time to time.
‘STAR TREK’ BIRTHDAY
Members of the original “classic” cast (William Shatner, Leonard
Nimoy, DeForest Kelley and James Doohan) star in the 1986 sequel “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (8:30 p.m., Syfy), part of a daylong marathon of “Star Trek” movies. BBC America continues its ongoing marathon of episodes of “Star Trek.” The series debuted on NBC on Sept. 8, 1966, 50 years ago today.
TONIGHT’S HIGHLIGHTS
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Sherri Shepherd guest-stars on “Rosewood” (8 p.m., Fox, repeat, TV-14). › The Denver Broncos host the Carolina Panthers in NFL football (8:30 p.m., NBC, TV-PG), the first game of the regular season. Contact Kevin McDonough at kevin.tvguy@gmail.com.