Pamela Adlon: The Auteur, Everywoman, and Proxy Mom Stops by to Chat — TV Podcast

Reporting on the entertainment industry is surreal; it requires mucking around and making business out of what the average person only sees as fun; it asks that you sit down and dig into the minds of all kinds of creatives, from on-screen talent to post-production geniuses, writers, directors, editors, and everyone in-between.

What readers don’t always realize is that journalists have favorites, not necessarily when it comes to individuals, but when it comes to talking to people who have certain jobs. Me, I find it easiest to talk to writers. They know the method behind the madness (if there is one) because they were there to create both. Others prefer actors, knowing that a production often lives and dies on the quality of its performers and their ability to embody characters worth investing in. Still others love the craftspeople, who toil tirelessly behind-the-scenes to build a rich tapestry of a universe where otherwise it might just be a bunch of strangers standing around telling lies.

Maybe that’s why it’s such a gift whenever we get to speak to Pamela Adlon. The cosmic mother of FX’s perfect jewel of a TV show “Better Things” is so much more than simply the creator and showrunner, writer and executive producer, director and ding-dang star of the series, she is its very soul.

“Better Things” and Adlon have always been special, but never have their particular charms been as vital as they have this year. With Season 4 bowing on March 5 and ending on April 30, the series delivered its warmth and humanity to a world that needed them more desperately than ever. When FX announced the show’s pick-up for a fifth season in late May, it came as a huge relief to fans and critics alike.

Adlon, auteur, everywoman, and emergency mom for everyone in proximity, “stopped by” to chat on IndieWire’s TV podcast “Millions of Screens” about the fourth season of the show, including the spectacular season finale, as well as every other topic under the sun. Or, more accurately, in the rain.

To find out more about what film rabbit holes Adlon has traversed during her months in lockdown, make sure to check out this week’s episode of “Millions of Screens” with TV Awards Editor Libby Hill, TV Deputy Editor Ben Travers, Creative Producer Leo Garcia, and, of course, special guest Pamela Adlon. As is the new normal, this week’s episode was recorded from the comfort of their respective Los Angeles-area apartments, and we’re again offering viewers a delightful video-version of the podcast, as embedded above. Look out for a special side-conversation about Adlon’s role in a Quentin Tarantino-spoof film titled “Plump Fiction,” Libby accidentally revealing how she celebrates happy hour — which ended up segueing beautifully into a cogent look into Season 4’s episode “High Man. Bye Man,” and more “Sgt. Bilko” info than you can shake a stick at.

Plus, share in the crew’s delight with over the “Better Things” renewal, in addition to the shocking Season 2 Adult Swim pick-up of former Netflix property “Tuca & Bertie” — news so unexpected that it feels like an absolute gift. Also, enjoy a brief conversation about Quibi’s latest doomed endeavor.

“Millions of Screens” is available on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. You can subscribe here or via RSS. Share your feedback with the crew on Twitter or sound off in the comments. Review the show on iTunes and be sure to let us know if you’d like to hear the gang address specific issues in upcoming editions of “Millions of Screens.” Check out the rest of IndieWire’s podcasts on iTunes right here.

This episode of “Millions of Screens” was produced by Leonardo Adrian Garcia.