Mom (TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mom
Genre	Sitcom Comedy drama
Created by	Chuck Lorre Eddie Gorodetsky Gemma Baker
Starring	Anna Faris Allison Janney Sadie Calvano Nate Corddry Matt Jones French Stewart Spencer Daniels Blake Garrett Rosenthal Mimi Kennedy Jaime Pressly Beth Hall William Fichtner Kristen Johnston
Opening theme	"Overture" from Ruslan and Lyudmila by Mikhail Glinka
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	8
No. of episodes	170 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Chuck Lorre Eddie Gorodetsky Nick Bakay Gemma Baker Warren Bell
Cinematography	Steven V. Silver
Editor(s)	Peter Chakos (pilot) Pat Barnett Skip Collector Joe Bella
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	18–21 minutes
Production company(s)	Chuck Lorre Productions Warner Bros. Television Studios
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	September 23, 2013 (2013-09-23) – May 13, 2021 (2021-05-13)

Mom is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, Eddie Gorodetsky and Gemma Baker that aired on CBS from September 23, 2013, to May 13, 2021, lasting eight seasons. Set in Napa, California, it follows dysfunctional mother/daughter duo Bonnie and Christy Plunkett, who, after having been estranged for years, attempt to pull their lives and their relationship together by trying to stay sober and attending Alcoholics Anonymous. It stars Anna Faris and Allison Janney in the leading roles, with Mimi Kennedy, Jaime Pressly, Beth Hall, William Fichtner, Sadie Calvano, Blake Garrett Rosenthal, Matt Jones, French Stewart and Kristen Johnston in supporting roles.

Filmed before a live audience, the series was produced by Chuck Lorre Productions and Warner Bros. Television. It received acclaim from critics and audiences throughout its run, with major credit given to its writing and performances (with Janney's noted in particular). It has been applauded for addressing real-life issues and for maintaining a deft balance between the humorous and darker aspects of these issues.

Mom consistently received high ratings in its genre, with an average viewership of 11.79 million, making it the third-highest rated comedy on broadcast television in the US; the show is among the top five comedies with adults aged 25–54 and adults aged 18–49. It received various accolades, with Janney winning two straight Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014 and 2015, and being nominated in 2016 and for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2017, 2018, and 2021. It also garnered multiple nominations at the Critics' Choice Television Awards and the People's Choice Awards. On September 4, 2020, Faris announced she would exit from the series and shortly thereafter CBS announced that it would end after its eighth season. The series finale aired on May 13, 2021.

Synopsis

Title card used for seasons 1–4

Mom follows Christy Plunkett (Anna Faris), a single mother who decides to restart her life in Napa, California, working as a waitress and attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Christy's daughter, Violet (Sadie Calvano), who was born when Christy was 17, has also become a teen mother by her boyfriend, Luke (Spencer Daniels). Christy also has a young son, Roscoe (Blake Garrett Rosenthal) by her wealthy husband Baxter (Matt Jones), a deadbeat but likable pothead.

Christy eventually returns to school and pursues her dream of becoming a lawyer, while Bonnie develops a romantic relationship with a retired stuntman named Adam Janikowski (William Fichtner), whom she eventually marries. Through it all, Christy and Bonnie rely on their support system from AA, including the wise Marjorie (Mimi Kennedy), wealthy and materialistic Jill (Jaime Pressly), submissive and sometimes overly-emotional Wendy (Beth Hall), and loudmouthed but sweet Tammy (Kristen Johnston). Collectively, they help each other stay sober in the face of the conflicts they face.

Following the departure of Christy, who moves to Washington, the show delves more into the personal lives of her friends she left behind.

Cast and characters

Production

Development

Anna Faris was cast in January 2013.

Mom was one of the many projects that became a priority for CBS and Warner Bros when it was pitched in December 2012, in part due to Lorre's new four-year deal with Warner the previous September. It was green-lit by CBS for a series order pickup on May 9, 2013. It gave Lorre the distinction of having four sitcoms on one network starting in the 2013–14 season. The following week, the network announced it would place the show in the Monday night 9:30 pm (ET/PT) time slot following 2 Broke Girls. However, after the cancelation of We Are Men, 2 Broke Girls was moved into the show's 8:30 pm slot, with repeats of The Big Bang Theory occupying the 9 pm lead-in time slot to Mom until the season debut of Mike & Molly on November 4, 2013. Mom received a full first season order for 22 episodes on October 18, 2013.

On March 13, 2014, CBS announced the second season renewal of Mom. It moved from Mondays at 9:30 PM to Thursdays at 8:30 PM for the first 14 episodes, until it moved to Thursdays at 9:30 PM following The Odd Couple series premiere and the series finale of Two and a Half Men.

By season three, the focus became more about Christy and Bonnie and their group from AA, while the restaurant set, the kids, and Baxter's roles were reduced significantly.

In February 2021, CBS announced the series would end with the final episode of the eighth season, airing on May 13, 2021.

Casting

The series gave Faris, who had guest-starred in various television programs between her film projects and been sought for other television projects (including an unused pilot, Blue Skies, produced for NBC), her first full-time television role as the lead character, Christy, in January 2013. On January 28, 2013, Janney was next to come aboard as Christy's mother. Matt Jones and Spencer Daniels joined the cast in February 2013, with Jones as Christy's ex-husband Baxter, and Daniels as Luke, the boyfriend of Christy's daughter, Violet.

Broadcast

In Australia, Mom debuted on Nine Network on April 9, 2014. In Canada, Citytv aired it simultaneously. In Greece, Star Channel debuted it on October 25, 2014. In India, Comedy Central (India) broadcast the series through 2015. In Israel, it is broadcast on HOT Comedy Central. In the United Kingdom, ITV2 debuted the show on January 20, 2014; they have since dropped it, and it had not been available to UK viewers since the end of Season 4. From October 2022, all 8 seasons were made available to UK viewers for the first time on Amazon Prime Video.

Syndication

Mom went into syndication in late 2017. It airs on local affiliates, as well as on FXX (2017–2021), FX (2021–2023), TV Land (2017–2018, 2022–present), Paramount Network (2018–2022), Nick at Nite (2018–present), and CMT (2017, 2019–present).

See also

In Spanish: Mom (serie de televisión) para niños