Mike & Molly: Veteran Sitcom Writer Explains CBS Cancellation

Mike & Molly will end its run on CBS during the second half of this television season. With a 13-episode order for season six, fans will not see a seventh season.

Fans were shocked by the news of the comedy’s cancellation. The show is a fan favorite, but there are new details about the reasons behind Mike & Molly’s quick cancellation before the series even premieres season six on CBS.

Ken Levine, a veteran sitcom writer, went to his blog to share his thoughts on the cancellation of Mike & Molly recently, and he laid the facts of the situation out on the virtual television table.

He said:

MIKE & MOLLY has performed reasonably well wherever CBS has put it. And its star, Melissa McCarthy has become a legitimate movie star. You would think for that reason alone CBS would be thrilled. They’ve captured lightening in a bottle.  And yet, in fairness, it’s not like McCarthy’s rise to stardom has kicked MIKE & MOLLY to a new level of popularity. It hasn’t. Neither did THE OFFICE’S ratings suddenly skyrocket when Steve Carell got hot in films.

A big consideration is economics, especially in MIKE & MOLLY’S case. Everyone initially signs a six-year deal. The six years will be up this season. This is when having a movie star as your lead becomes not such a good thing. License fees (how much the network will pay for each episode) are usually determined in advance and then putting together your cast and production crew is like an NBA franchise building a team under the salary cap. Sometimes the costs are just too prohibitive.

And still another factor – MIKE & MOLLY is not owned by CBS. It’s a Warner Brothers show. CBS has nothing to gain longterm by MIKE & MOLLY’S success. So it’s now the ugly stepchild with a foot missing.

Fans of Mike & Molly and the cast were definitely surprised by CBS pulling the plug on this series. Would you want to see this show find new life on another network? Tell us what you think.