(Photo: Michael Yarish/ 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Fans of the Mom TV series are understandably upset that CBS has cancelled the Thursday night sitcom and they aren’t alone. Star Allison Janney (above, left) has expressed her disappointment that there won’t be a ninth season.
The Mom TV series stars Janney, Mimi Kennedy, Jaime Pressly, Beth Hall, William Fichtner, and Kristen Johnston. In season eight, recovering addict Bonnie (Janney) must learn to adjust to life without her daughter and former-roommate, Christy (Anna Faris), around. With a chaotic past behind her and a newly empty nest, Bonnie focuses on her marriage to her husband, Adam (Fichtner), and on what she wants to be now that she’s finally grown up. Now more than ever, Bonnie depends on the support of her friends, including wise Marjorie (Kennedy), wealthy and sometimes misguided Jill (Pressly), overly emotional Wendy (Hall), and her foster sister, Tammy (Johnston), who was recently released from prison. Through it all, these women help each other overcome their mistakes and stay sober in the face of whatever life throws their way.
The eighth season of Mom currently averages a 0.62 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 5.07 million viewers. Compared to season seven, that’s down by 21% in the demo and down by 19% in viewership. Despite the declines, Mom is the second-highest-rated show on CBS’ Thursday night schedule.
In a remote interview with James Corden on The Late Late Show, Janney was clearly upset when asked about the cancellation and said she had been fully expecting Mom to be renewed for a ninth year. “I’m sad. I wish we’d have at least another year, for the writers to have that much time to ramp up to the ending. We sort of found out sooner than we thought we would hear. We had thought, ‘Surely they’re going to want more Mom,’ and they decided not.”
The reason for the show ending is likely financial. “There are so many reasons behind it — most of them probably money. But, I know that [series co-creator] Chuck Lorre is writing the final episode, and we’re right now filming the third-to-last episode.”
How is she preparing for the end? Janney said, “I’m having a lot of moments where I’m just standing on set and taking it in, and looking at all the faces I’ve looked at for eight years, You know, it’s really lovely to be part of a [long-running] show because as an actor you don’t get a chance to do that very often. I’ve been so lucky — seven years on West Wing and eight years on Mom — and I have a real community of people that I love and it’s going to be very hard to just have, all of sudden, it’s gone.”
Janney continued, “And no matter how much I prepare myself for it, I know I’m going to be just in tears, buckets of tears, because it’s just been so incredible. The amazing letters I get from people who are in the program or people who got sober with us. It’s been such a great show to be a part of, and it’s so rare when you do something like that and it affects people in a positive way out in the world. It makes me sad, but onward.”
What do you think? Are you a fan of the Mom TV series? Are you sad that the show’s been cancelled? How would you like to see the series wrap up?
I’m very sad to hear that this show is being cancelled. Everyday drama with a twist of humour! It will be sadly missed.
I love Mom and it is a mistake to cancel it but I am getting used to that since you cancel great shows and leave the others on….Criminal Minds was the best and you cancelled it. maybe just maybe you could try moving these shows around in different time slots to see if that works better before canceling the show all together. The young kids don’t watch TV anymore anyway, so I certainly wouldn’t count on those demographics…they are on their phone too much or FB !
I think it’s the biggest mistake ever, to cancel it, when it’s one of the best comedy shows on TV at the moment. Not much else to choose from to make me laugh, that’s for sure. Really sad and disappointed to see it end.
Terrible it’s a fun show with great actresses and actors I hope another network picks it up
This is absolutely awful. My husband and I LOVE this show!! How can they cancel this awesome comedy when there are so many violent shows on TV They need to rethink this one!!! Pleassssse do not cancel
Totally agree with you
So upset they have canceled this A+ show!!! They have played around with the air times so people don’t know if it is on or a rerun. This is the best comedy on this season as it has been for the 8 seasons before….Hoping another network with good taste gobbles it up. It made my week!!!
Exactly. Hope so too.
Mad about this cancellation! 🙁
SOrry to see it end. It really opened the eys of a lot of people suffering adictions of one kind or another. Made people think in a easy atmosphere way. SO SORRY TO SEE YOU GO!!!
I wonder if Anna Faris’ Christy will appear on the final episode as a surprise to fans? Probably not because she quit the series but who knows?
It’s interesting that Janney states “money” as the reason for the cancellation, yet doesn’t expand on that. Probably because her salary demands are a big part of the “money” issue.
So salty!
I am very upset because the sitcom MOM always had a lesson to be learned—-not just “fluff” like so many other programs. Plus it addressed the topic of addiction and we are overloaded with people facing lots of addictions. This program brought the addiction “out of the closet” with real behavior problems and many possible solutions for many, many people facing these same problems. In addition—the cast of actors were superb with their ability to portray real life as it relates to the addict, the family, and the friends of the addict———-showing viewers the merry-go-round of this disease as well… Read more »
I love the show please don’t cancel it….The characters the content the writing so good
Such a great ensemble cast. Every single character cracks me up. It’s by far the best sitcom on CBS. I only began watching it regularly around season 5. I wish I had started sooner. As great as she was, I haven’t missed Farris one bit. The cancelation is a total shock to me.
I am extremely upset. MOM had ALOT more life in it. Its a huge mistake to cancel it. Best show on CBS. And in the top 5 amongst all networks. We need AT LEAST at the Very LEAST a farewell season to say good by to MOM. Who do I need to speak to? Can we get a petition going?
I hope the show will not be cancelled. The characters are funny and appealing, but always realistic, too. Story lines are humorous but also have a message to think about.