CBS’ praised Mom — the network’s longest-running comedy series on the air — will end its run after the current eighth season. Mom‘s series finale has been set for May 6 in its Thursday 9 p.m. time period.
This is the last season of Mom’s two-year pickup the Chuck Lorre-produced multi-camera comedy received in 2019. Also coming up at the end of this season was the current contract for star Allison Janney, who became the series’ sole lead after the exit of Anna Faris last summer.
Eight seasons in, Mom remains a solid ratings performer and an anchor of CBS’ Thursday comedy block. Currently Mom is CBS’ No. 4 comedy behind The Neighborhood and Lorre’s Young Sheldon and Bob Hearts Abishola. (The Neigbrhood and Bob Hearts Abishola were renewed earlier today; a pickup for Young Sheldon is expected.)
“For the past eight years, we’ve had the great honor to bring these wonderful characters to life, sharing their struggles and triumphs with millions of viewers every week,” said executive producers Lorre, Gemma Baker and Nick Bakay. “From the beginning, we set out to tell stories about recovery from alcoholism and addiction that are rarely portrayed in a network comedy series. Whether it was the emotional reactions of the live audience on tape night inside Stage 20, or discussions at the White House regarding the opioid crisis, or the personal stories we continue to receive on social media, we take great pride in knowing Mom has positively impacted so many lives. We are forever grateful to our brilliant cast and guest stars, wonderful writers, and amazing crew for going on this journey with us.”
Mom also is a rare sitcom that tackles important issues. It started with Faris and Janney as daughter-mother duo Christy and Bonnie Plunkett, who, after having been estranged for years while both were struggling with addiction, attempt to pull their lives and their relationship together by trying to stay sober.
“Since its premiere, Mom has touched people’s lives by sensitively tackling weighty yet relatable topics, with a perfect, deft touch,” said Kelly Kahl, President, CBS Entertainment. “Mom redefined what a comedy can be, and we are proud to have been the network home to this wonderful series. We are deeply grateful to Chuck Lorre and his tremendously creative production team, helmed by Gemma Baker and Nick Bakay, and the amazingly talented cast, led by the phenomenal Allison Janney.”
Mom also has been a solid asset for Warner Bros Television with off-network and streaming deals.
“Chuck, Gemma, Eddie and Nick have created a beautiful series with storylines depicting the real-life struggles and successes of those in recovery,” the studio said in a statement. “We are deeply proud of the Mom cast, crew and writers for the impact their work has had, and will continue to have, on viewers around the world, and we thank our partners at CBS for enabling these stories to be told.”
Starring Janney and featuring an ensemble cast including Jaime Pressly, Mimi Kennedy, Beth Hall, Kristen Johnston and William Fichtner, the CBS series began with Christy (Faris), a newly sober single mom raising two children, reuniting with her critical, estranged mother, Bonnie (Janney). Throughout the seasons, it grew to focus on the evolution of their mother-daughter relationship and the friendships and struggles of a group of women in recovery. It has attracted such recurring and guest stars as Yvette Nicole Brown, Ellen Burstyn, Kristin Chenoweth, Beverly D’Angelo, Patti LuPone, Joe Manganiello, Emily Osment, Kevin Pollack, Richard Schiff, June Squibb, Octavia Spencer, French Stewart (originally a series regular), Kathleen Turner, Steven Weber, Bradley Whitford and Rainn Wilson among many others.
The series garnered two Emmy wins and five nominations as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Janney. Most recently, Mom was nominated for three Critics Choice Awards including Best Comedy Series, Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Ficthner) and Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Pressly). During Season 3, the show joined forces with then-Surgeon General of the U.S., Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, on a public service announcement regarding addiction. In 2016, Lorre, Janney and guest star Osment were invited to the White House by Champions of Change to be recognized for advancing addiction prevention, treatment and recovery.
Mom premiered on Monday, September 23, 2013 on CBS. Created by Lorre, Eddie Gorodetsky and Baker, the series is executive produced by Lorre, Baker, Bakay and Warren Bell and produced by Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros Television.