Mom(TV series)

For the British sitcom, seeMum (TV series).

Momis an American televisionsitcomcreated byChuck Lorre,Eddie Gorodetskyand Gemma Baker forCBS.The series was broadcast for eight seasons from September 23, 2013, to May 13, 2021.Set inNapa, California,it follows dysfunctional mother/daughter duo Bonnie and Christy Plunkett, who, after having been estranged for years while both struggled with addiction, attempt to pull their lives together by trying to stay sober. It starsAnna FarisandAllison Janney,withMimi Kennedy,Jaime Pressly,Beth Hall,William Fichtner,Sadie Calvano,Blake Garrett Rosenthal,Matt Jones,French StewartandKristen Johnstonin supporting roles.

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" fromRuslan and LyudmilabyMikhail Glinka
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No.of seasons	8
No.of episodes	170(list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Chuck Lorre Eddie Gorodetsky Nick Bakay Gemma Baker Warren Bell
Cinematography	Steven V. Silver
Editors	Peter Chakos (pilot) Pat Barnett Skip Collector Joe Bella
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	18–21 minutes
Production companies	Chuck Lorre Productions Warner Bros. Television Studios
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	September 23, 2013(2013-09-23)– May 13, 2021(2021-05-13)

The series was filmed in front of a live audience and produced byChuck Lorre ProductionsandWarner Bros. Television.It received acclaim from critics and audiences for the writing and performances (particularly Janney's), as well as for addressing real-life issues such as: alcoholism, drug addiction, teen pregnancy, addictive gambling, homelessness,relapse,cancer, death, erectile dysfunction, domestic violence, overdose, palsy, rape, obesity, stroke,ADHDand miscarriage; and for maintaining a deft balance between the humorous and darker aspects of these issues.

Momconsistently 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 straightPrimetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Seriesin 2014 and 2015, and being nominated in 2016 and forOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Seriesin 2017, 2018, and 2021. It also garnered multiple nominations at theCritics' Choice Television Awardsand thePeople'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

Momfollows Christy Plunkett (Anna Faris), a singlemotherwho, after battling alcoholism and drug abuse, decides to restart her life inNapa, California,working as a waitress and attendingAlcoholics Anonymousmeetings. Her mother, Bonnie Plunkett, (Allison Janney) is also a recovering addict.

Christy has two children. Her daughter, Violet (Sadie Calvano) was born when Christy was 17. She has also become a teen mother by her boyfriend, Luke (Spencer Daniels). Christy’s young son, Roscoe (Blake Garrett Rosenthal), is a product of her second marriage to Baxter, a deadbeat but likable pothead.

Christy eventually returns to school and pursues her dream of becoming a lawyer, while Bonnie meets and marries a retired stuntman named Adam Janikowski (William Fichtner). 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.

Episodes

Main article:List of Mom episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally aired		Rank	Viewers (in millions)
			First aired	Last aired
1	22		September 23, 2013(2013-09-23)	April 14, 2014(2014-04-14)	42	8.34
2	22		October 30, 2014(2014-10-30)	April 30, 2015(2015-04-30)	26	11.79
3	22		November 5, 2015(2015-11-05)	May 19, 2016(2016-05-19)	40	9.64
4	22		October 27, 2016(2016-10-27)	May 11, 2017(2017-05-11)	29	9.43
5	22		November 2, 2017(2017-11-02)	May 10, 2018(2018-05-10)	19	10.96
6	22		September 27, 2018(2018-09-27)	May 9, 2019(2019-05-09)	23	10.22
7	20		September 26, 2019(2019-09-26)	April 16, 2020(2020-04-16)	29	8.52
8	18		November 5, 2020(2020-11-05)	May 13, 2021(2021-05-13)	32	7.05

Cast and characters

Actor	Character	Seasons
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Allison Janney	Bonnie Plunkett	Main
Anna Faris	Christy Plunkett	Main
Matt Jones	Baxter	Main			Recurring	Guest
Sadie Calvano	Violet Plunkett	Main			Recurring		Guest
Blake Garrett Rosenthal	Roscoe Plunkett	Main			Recurring
French Stewart	Rudy	Main		Guest		Guest	Recurring		Guest
Nate Corddry	Gabriel	Main
Spencer Daniels	Luke	Main	Recurring		Guest
Mimi Kennedy	Marjorie Armstrong	Recurring	Main
Jaime Pressly	Jill Kendall		Recurring	Main
Beth Hall	Wendy Harris		Recurring	Main
William Fichtner	Adam Janikowski			Recurring	Main
Kristen Johnston	Tammy Diffendorf					Guest	Recurring	Main

Main characters

• Anna Farisas Christy Jolene Plunkett (seasons 1–7):an easily wounded single mother who is struggling to recover from her addictions to alcohol and gambling. At the series outset, Christy has been seven months sober. She is striving to be a good example to her son Roscoe, and regain the trust of her daughter Violet, who is revealed to be pregnant herself in the pilot episode. She is also trying to reconcile with her mother Bonnie, whom she still struggles to forgive after a tumultuous childhood and long estrangement. Christy later finds out that her biological father, Alvin, ran out on Bonnie after she was discharged from the hospital on Christmas Eve after giving birth to Christy. She locates Alvin and finds out that he is a married father with two sons and runs an auto repair shop. Christy eventually develops a bond with Alvin, whom she introduces to her family, and comes to see him as the father she needs in her life. Like her mother, Christy also became a teenage mother when she got pregnant at age 16 and had Violet at 17. Violet's father Butch was horriblyphysically abusiveto Christy, who tried to leave him on numerous occasions, only to get cold feet. Christy finally worked up the courage to leave him in order to protect Violet. A former stripper, Christy is mostly seen working as a waitress. She is briefly promoted to manager (after Claudia divorces Gabriel), but eventually goes back to being a waitress, where she is not very good at her job, but does bring home a lot of food for Bonnie and herself. Christy later decides that she wants to go back to school to become a lawyer, and she takes a second job as Steve Casper's assistant, eventually earning her bachelor's degree and then being accepted to law school. Near the end of season 6, Christy begins an internship with a law firm, while still working her waitress job. In season 7, Christy has unpleasant experiences at work, is not doing very well at law school (she was rejected for a mock trial team, and a professor she runs into while babysitting Marjorie's granddaughter presumes that Christy is a poor student because she's a single mother), has no social life to speak of, confirms she has little or no contact with either of her children, and out of desperation kisses another woman in the season finale. In the season 8 premiere, it is revealed that Christy has left Napa to attend Georgetown law school on a full scholarship; while Christy was mentioned during the 8th and final season, she never returned for a guest appearance and was not involved in the series finale in any way.
• Allison Janneyas Bonnie Plunkett: Christy's self-centered mother, a cynical recovering addict who is sure she's always right, but in the long run, learns humility. She tries to regain the love and trust of her daughter, whom she was unable to properly nurture as a child. Bonnie was given up for adoption at age four and was in the foster care system, being passed around from house to house where she eventually ran off with Alvin at age 15. She ended up pregnant and had Christy at age 17. Alvin abandoned both of them at the hospital on Christmas Eve. Bonnie said that she almost aborted the pregnancy, and then wanted to put Christy up for adoption. A pleasant Jewish couple was going to adopt her, but Bonnie couldn't go through with the adoption. From that point on, she tried her best to raise Christy. However, Christy wound up raising herself; Bonnie chose parties and drinking over staying home. With time and much therapy, Bonnie managed to find balance. She revealed Christy's past to her, including who and where her birth father was, as well as Bonnie's past "side career" as a drug dealer. She suffered a relapse in season 1 after losing her job and apartment, and had to move in with Christy, Violet, and Roscoe. After Christy reconnected with her biological father Alvin, Bonnie slowly realized that she still had feelings for him, and the two began to date at the beginning of season 2. This was cut short after Alvin suffered a heart attack and died, leaving his family shocked. After suffering from a back injury, Bonnie became hooked on pain medication prescribed to her, which led to another relapse. In season 3, she met her biological mother, and in season 4 she met her half-brother Ray after their mother died. She managed the apartment building where she and Christy lived. In season 6, she was diagnosed withADHDand began seeing a therapist to deal with it. Late in season 8, she and former foster sister Tammy Diffendorf set up a construction firm together to market Tammy's skills in repair and home construction.
• Sadie Calvanoas Violet Plunkett (main, seasons 1–3; recurring, season 4; guest, season 6): Christy's daughter and older half-sister of Roscoe. A senior in high school at the beginning of the series, Violet is hardworking, smart and sure of herself, though upset with her mother, who never had time to take care of her children and failed to fulfill a true motherly role despite now being sober for some time. After having her boyfriend Luke's baby, Violet made the decision to place her baby for adoption because she felt that this was the best way to break her family's repeated cycle of poor life choices and give her child a better chance than herself, her mother, or her grandmother ever had. Violet's father was physically abusive to Christy, and Christy has lied to Violet concerning his whereabouts, taking her to a random man's grave and telling Violet that her father is dead. During season 2, in a downward spiral of bad behavior, Violet cheats on Luke and he breaks up with her. She later gets engaged to Gregory Munchnik, a much older psychology professor at her university, but he breaks the engagement after she begins to party too hard, leaving her mother and grandmother wondering if she was just experiencing young life or developing a problem. Violet moves back in with Christy and Bonnie after her break up. When her mother and grandmother demand that she get a job, Violet moves to Lake Tahoe to become a blackjack dealer atHarrah's.Violet moves back to her mother and grandmother after wrecking her life in Lake Tahoe and gets back together and moves in with Luke after seeing that he has improved his life. In Calvano's last appearance on the show, Violet returns in season 6 as the host of a successful podcast called "The Mother of all Problems" where she outlines in great detail all of Christy's terrible past actions; it is revealed that Christy and Violet have not talked in over a year (though she remains in contact with Bonnie), and while Violet lets Christy on her podcast and gives her credit for turning her life around, she bluntly says that the past cannot be changed and she thinks it is healthier to have no relationship with Christy in the future. In season 7, Christy sadly confirms to Bonnie's new sponsee that she still does not have a relationship with Violet.
• Nate Corddryas Gabriel (main, seasons 1–2): the manager of the restaurant where Christy works. Married to a domineering woman who scares him somewhat, Gabriel and Christy are carrying on an affair which Christy later ends but which Gabriel himself frequently and desperately tries to renew: they briefly resume their affair in season 2 when Christy is promoted as his replacement. He is a hardworking, competent manager, but often put in his place by his subordinates, particularly Chef Rudy.
• Matt Jonesas Baxter (main, seasons 1–3; recurring, seasons 4–6): Christy's husband and the father of Roscoe. Sweet and charming, but very unstable, he is unable to maintain a serious relationship or steady work for much longer than a month. Loves easy life and frequently gets into fraudulent deals to make money. Despite his flaws, he is a loving father who usually comes through for his son. During season 2, under the influence of his wealthy new girlfriend Candace, Baxter mostly gives up his slacker ways and becomes a car salesman at a dealership owned by Candace's father. Despite admitting to Christy he needs to smoke pot to act happy, Baxter seems mostly content to be an ersatz "trophy husband". In season 5, Baxter pays for Christy's new car when she's dealing with money issues as his way of making some amends to Christy.
• French Stewartas Chef Rudy (main, seasons 1–2; recurring, seasons 3, 5–8): the head chef for the Rustic Fig restaurant, where Christy works as a waitress. A dominant and difficultself-made man,Rudy acts superior in his relationships with others. He sells drugs out of the freezer and is boastful and arrogant, often yelling at his subordinates without mincing words, and will not hesitate to humiliate anyone who opposes him. He is secretive about his past and distant from people, but briefly dates Bonnie and is revealed to be abisexualfetishist with expensive tastes and hobbies who steals food from the restaurant (which has resulted in him being fired as of season 8, leaving him to run his ownfood truck). Tammy is his most recent love interest but they are no longer involved by the time the series ends.
• Spencer Danielsas Luke (main, season 1; recurring season 2; guest, season 4): a young student who loves to enjoy life and adventure. He had been dating Violet for a little over a year and got her pregnant. Luke is considerably airheaded, smoking marijuana often, but always tries to prove to Christy that he is not as crazy as he appears: he seems to genuinely love Violet, staying beside her and supporting her throughout her pregnancy, and he is often more sensitive towards Christy than her own children are, perhaps because his parents are religious fundamentalists with whom he does not connect. In season 2, Violet, during her downward spiral, cheated on Luke and he broke up with Violet. By season 4, Luke has apparently cleaned himself up and got a high-paying job as aplaytesterwith a video game company, driving Violet to get back together with him. Violet reveals in season 6 that she and Luke have ended their relationship.
• Blake Garrett Rosenthal as Roscoe Plunkett (main, seasons 1–3; recurring, season 4): Christy's son by Baxter and half-brother of Violet. He experimented with marijuana at age twelve. He has not appeared since season 4, and it is stated he went to live with Baxter and his new wife Candace (which Christy confirms in season 7). However, in "Beef Baloney Dan and a Sarcastic No", it is heavily implied that Christy still has an on-going relationship with her son, as it is revealed that he still texts her.
• Mimi Kennedyas Marjorie Armstrong-Perugian (recurring, season 1; main, seasons 2–8):Christy's and Bonnie's AA sponsor who is something of acat lady.She had problems with alcohol and drugs in the past, was agroupie(it is insinuated in one episode and attested by herself in others that she slept withJimi Hendrix), was briefly involved with theBlack Panther Party,spent some time in prison for bank robbery, was homeless for a period of time, and is a mother to a son whom she had no relationship or contact with for years, until Christy convinced him to reconnect with Marjorie following her cancer diagnosis. She was diagnosed withbreast cancerin season 1, and after extensive treatment finally beats it at the end of season 2. Through Christy she meets Victor Perugian, Christy's former landlord, whom she eventually weds and then cares for after he suffers a stroke. When Victor dies, her vulnerable side is revealed, and the women do their best to help Marjorie cope with being widowed for the second time (her first husband having died before the start of the show, after three decades of marriage). Marjorie has dealt with financial and health issues in Seasons 7 and 8, including her having to take a food delivery job to earn money and having to have a stent put into her heart to prevent its failure.
• Jaime Presslyas Jill Kendall (recurring, season 2; main, seasons 3–8):A wealthy, divorcedsocialiteand alcoholic. Christy first met her at an AA meeting and, at Marjorie's urging, offered to sponsor her. Jill suffered several relapses before becoming sober. Her mother had struggled with depression and alcoholism before dying by suicide when Jill was a teenager. Jill carried this pain with her throughout her life, culminating in season 4, when she was overcome with grief on the anniversary of her mother's death. Jill is from North Carolina, and worked hard to lose the thickness of her Southern accent upon moving to California to be with her then-husband, James. After trying to become pregnant and miscarrying, Jill decides to adopt a foster child. She is eventually given a teenage girl named Emily, but Christy helps Emily's mother become sober at the start of season 5, leading to Emily leaving Jill. This caused Jill to overeat and gain weight (scripted to cover up Pressly's real-life pregnancy during season 5). After an extended stay at a health spa, she returns in the later half of season 5 and suffers another relapse. Despite being vain and obsessed with how her peers view her, she is shown to genuinely care about her friends and use her experiences to help them with their own problems. In season 6 she began a relationship with Andy, a police officer and former Marine who provided private home security services at Jill's home after it was broken into. At the end of season 7, Jill consults a fertility doctor to freeze her eggs but she gets a call from the doctor saying that she has no viable eggs, leaving her extremely devastated by that news: she becomes clingy and paranoid, eventually causing Andy to break up with her in season 8, although they get back together after being caught in a bank robbery. In the final episodes of the series, Jill becomes pregnant again and marries Andy.
• Beth Hallas Wendy Harris (recurring, season 2; main, seasons 3–8):A member of the AA group, often subdued and prone to constant crying. She is a member ofMensa,works as aregistered nurse(displaying a hidden sadistic streak when in uniform), was raised by alesbiancouple in Florida, is implied to be inwitness protectionor otherwise connected to a mob family, and is the subject of a recurring joke in the series where no one, including her friends, listens much to her or wants her around more than minimally possible. In "A Pirate, Three Frogs, and a Prince", Wendy was revealed to be both bisexual/pansexual/bicurious, and possibly attracted to Bonnie. Wendy frequently moderates the group's AA meetings; she delivers the final line of the series, standing at the meeting podium and asking, "Who else wants to share?"
• William Fichtneras Adam Janikowski (recurring, season 3; main, seasons 4–8):Bonnie's later love interest and eventual husband, an ex-stuntmanwho now uses a wheelchair. He and Bonnie met over the phone after Adam called her several times, though hers was a wrong number given to him by a woman he'd met in a bar. Adam reveals in his first date with Bonnie that his spinal injury did not occur in the line of work, but was the result of sliding off a cliff whilesnowboarding.He is supportive of Bonnie's recovery, though does not always fully understand it, prompting him to eventually join Al-Anon. In season 6, he uses his life savings to open a bar called AJ's Barrelworks, and he and Bonnie get married in that season's finale. In the series finale, it is revealed that Adam has lung cancer, although it has been caught early and is therefore treatable.
• Kristen Johnstonas Tammy Diffendorf (guest, season 5; recurring, season 6; main, seasons 7–8):anex-conwho was Bonnie's foster sister for a short time in their teens. They reconnect after Bonnie comes across Tammy while visiting a women's prison, where Tammy says she was tried and convicted of robbing a steakhouse on "Cops Eat Free Night", and Tammy joins the group's AA meetings upon being released from prison in season 6. After temporarily living in Bonnie and Christy's apartment, she moves in with Marjorie. When she returns to her old foster home where she lived with Bonnie, it is revealed that her father killed her mother and she went into thefoster caresystem after that; in the Season 8 premiere, Tammy talks briefly on the phone to her father when he calls from prison to wish her a happy birthday. Tammy is extremely handy at home improvements and similar light construction work, and has helped Bonnie with her apartment manager work while also doing remodeling at Adam's bar and the restaurant where Christy worked. As of the end of season 7, she is working toward being a full-fledged contractor, and is no longer on parole after making excellent progress readjusting to society post-prison: by the end of season 8, she and Bonnie have set up a construction firm of their own.

Recurring characters

• Reggie de Leon as Paul (seasons 1–3, 5–8): Chef Rudy's silent and often submissivesous-chef,who was fired alongside him. They now run the food truck together.
• Kevin Pollakas Alvin Lester Biletnikoff (seasons 1–2, 8): Christy's father and Bonnie's ex-boyfriend who abandoned them when Christy was born. When Christy finds Alvin, he is running his own auto body shop and states he has a wife and two sons who know nothing of her existence. Despite that, he comes to love Christy and does what he can to be in her life and help out, including fi xing up a used car to give her and attempting to reach out to her children as a grandfather. He and Bonnie initially treated each other with contempt and hatred over the various mistakes each of them has made in their past, but they rekindled their relationship after his wife left him and he survived a heart attack. In season 2, Alvin suffers a second, fatal heart attack while in bed with Bonnie.
• Octavia Spenceras Regina Tompkins (seasons 1–3): A fellow AA member and money manager who embezzled from her clients and faces a long prison sentence. While a close if questionable friend to Christy, Regina and Bonnie typically hold each other in contempt, but beneath the surface, they bear some affection for each other. In the middle of season 2, she is given early parole and becomes a born-again Christian, eventually moving in with Jill. Regina drifts apart from her friends after she decides she is no longer an alcoholic, essentially choosing wine over her friends, and struggles alone with the dissonance after moving into her own apartment and out of Jill's mansion.
• Courtney Henggeleras Claudia (seasons 1–3): Gabriel's wealthy and snobbish (later ex-) wife, who takes over the restaurant from him and briefly appoints Christy as manager.
• Mary Pat Gleasonas Mary (seasons 1–5, 7): A fellow AA member who is frequently interrupted by Bonnie when she shares her problems with the group, as her anecdotes tend to be bizarre and creepy even by the standards of addicts. Mary dies in season 7 at the AA meeting from an aneurysm (incidentally only a few months before Gleason's own death) and the main characters put together an elaborate reception to say goodbye to her.
• Don McManusas Steve Casper (seasons 1–4): A fellow AA member, Steve is a competent but creepy lawyer and occasionally aids Christy, who becomes his intern and trainee in season 2. He has a casual sex relationship with Bonnie in season 3. His final appearance was in the Season 4 finale, where he is stuck in Mexico because he stupidly fled there to avoid reprisals after losing a case involving a drug lord's son (stupidly since the drug lord is based in...Mexico).
• Ryan CartwrightandMelissa Tangas Jeff and Suzanne Taylor (seasons 1–2): the couple that adopts Violet's daughter.
• Sara Rueas Candace Hayes (seasons 2–4): Baxter's wealthy new wife, who reforms him. She delivers many subtle jabs at Christy's poverty in the form of backhanded compliments, and seems to be trying to force Christy aside to replace her as Roscoe's mother. The hostility becomes much more obvious in season 3, when Candace's wealthy father, Fred (Harry Hamlin), briefly dates Christy and Candace accuses Christy of only being with him for his money. Christy breaks up with Fred because he openly insults and mocks Candace for doing nothing but living off his wealth. When Candace (wrongly and smugly) smirks that Fred dumped her, Christy gives Candace a hug and shuts her up by saying "I know why you're a bitch."
• Jonny Coyneas Victor Perugian (seasons 2–4): Christy's Armenian former landlord who becomes attracted to Marjorie, marrying her in season 3. Victor later suffers two strokes (both offscreen). The first in Season 5 leaves him largely incapacitated, and the second in Season 6 is fatal.
• Amy Hillas Beverly Tarantino (seasons 2–5): A tenant in the apartment complex where Christy and Bonnie live (the complex itself was never given a name on the show). She dislikes Bonnie and is always trying to get her fired from the building manager position. However, she has been less harsh since she admitted to Bonnie that her own father was a hopeless alcoholic, and that she has projected some of her anger at him onto Bonnie due to her AA ties.
• Charlie Robinsonas Mr. Munson (seasons 2–7): A blind tenant in the apartment complex where Christy and Bonnie live. He is a Vietnam war veteran who is battling prostate cancer. He and Bonnie develop a friendship; Bonnie reads to him, helps him with his medications and offers rides to chemotherapy. When the new building owner tells Bonnie to evict any tenant who is significantly behind in rent (including Munson, who is behind after paying out of pocket for cancer medications not covered by the V.A.) Bonnie revolts, telling the owner she'll quit if the owner doesn't back down. Her stand saves Munson's apartment and helps to cement their friendship.
• David Krumholtzas Gregory Munchnik (seasons 2–3): Violet's older Jewish ex-fiancé, a psychology professor at the college she attends.
• Emily Osmentas Jodi Hubbard (season 3): A young drug addict whom Christy and Bonnie try to help get sober. She later dies from a drug overdose.
• Lauri Johnsonas Beatrice (seasons 3–8): A waitress at the Burgundy Bistro that serves as a recurring location for the cast.
• Missi Pyleas Natasha (seasons 4–5): Emily's biological mother, an alcoholic whom Christy knows from her stripping days. Christy helps Natasha get sober and regain custody of her daughter.
• Julia Lesteras Emily (seasons 4–5): Jill's teenage foster daughter and Natasha's biological daughter.
• Leonard Robertsas Ray Stabler (seasons 4–5): Bonnie's gay half-brother who was a successful lawyer and who developed a cocaine habit.
• Steven Weberas Patrick Janikowski (season 5), Adam's younger brother and Christy's short-term love interest. They break up after Christy turns down his proposal for her to move toSanta Cruzand live with him, and he marries another woman soon after.
• Yvette Nicole Brownas Nora Rogers (seasons 5–6): Christy's no-nonsense sponsor who works as a TV weather anchor and finds herself violating her established rules about not interacting with sponsees outside of AA with Christy. In the Season 6 finale, she tells a devastated Christy she is leaving California to take a job at a TV station in Minneapolis.
• Sam McMurrayas Ned (season 6), one of the Gamblers Anonymous members where Christy attends meetings; he becomes herde factosponsor.
• Susan Ruttanas Lucy (season 6), one of the Gamblers Anonymous members in Christy's group; she is good-hearted but constantly relapses and loses huge amounts of money.
• Will Sassoas Andy Pepper (seasons 6–8), Jill's on-and-off love interest and eventual husband, a police officer and former Marine. His last name wasn't given until the series finale, and came as a source of amusement because he is a Sergeant with the PD (making himSgt. Pepper) and he has a brother who is a physician (which makes the brotherDr. Pepper).
• Rainn Wilsonas Trevor Wells (seasons 6–8): Bonnie's therapist who helps her with herADHDand has a completely awful personal life, due to a divorce and financial setbacks. Bonnie ends up becoming friends with him and in his last appearance on the show she helps Trevor avoid a reunion with his terrible ex-wife and start a relationship with a woman he had a crush on in high school.
• Chiquita Fuller as Taylor (seasons 6–8): another waitress at the Burgundy Bistro.

Notable guests

• Jon Cryeras Alan Harper andLisa Joyneras his date (S01E01): customers at the Rustic Fig
• Justin Longas Adam Henchy (S01E03, S01E06, and S01E08): Christy's love interest
• Nick Zanoas David (S01E016 and S01E17): Christy's love interest, a handsome but hard-partying firefighter. While he and Christy are compatible sexually, he wants her to focus all attention on him, and she ultimately breaks up with him because she's neglecting her sobriety and friends & family.
• Ed Asneras Jack Bumgartner (S02E05): a tenant in the apartment building where Bonnie and Christy reside.
• Beverly D'Angeloas Lorraine Biletnikoff (S02E09, S02E11 and S02E12): Alvin's ex-wife, who hates Bonnie (and indirectly, Christy, as Bonnie's daughter). She refuses to help the Plunketts after Alvin dies without signing his updated will, but her sons end up defying her to give Christy and Bonnie a lot of money because "it was what Dad wanted."
• Colin Hanksas Andy Dreeson (S02E09): Christy's neighbor whoseidea of a fun nightis not exactly what she expected
• Toby Hussas Bill (S02E13): Bonnie's love interest after the death of Alvin. She tries too hard to make him into Alvin 2.0, but her changes end up enabling Bill to win over a pretty waitress at aHooters-type restaurant.
• Ellen Burstynas Shirley Stabler (S03E01): Bonnie's biological mother who put her in foster care when she was very young, and later decided not to regain custody because she was dating a man who did not want any kids in his house. She's left weeping when Bonnie tells that she both forgives her and will not have a relationship going forward. The character died in Season 4 after suffering from heart disease.
• June Squibbas Dottie (S03E01): a woman who Christy initially mistakes for Shirley, and later bonds with the Plunketts as a sort of modern family grandmother figure.
• Judy Greeras Michelle (S03E03): a woman who is drunk at a bar when Christy and Bonnie meet in a bar and wrongly think she's an alcoholic they can help. In reality, she got drunk over a lost promotion and an affair, and the intervention leads her to get a restraining order against both Plunketts.
• Linda Lavinas Phyllis Munchnik (S03E07 and S03E21): Gregory's mother and Violet's would-be Jewish mother-in-law, whom Christy ends up becoming friends with.
• Harry Hamlinas Fred Hayes (S03E08 and S03E09): Candace's wealthy father and Christy's brief love interest.
• Rosie O'Donnellas Jeanine (S03E10 and S04E02): an ex-girlfriend of Bonnie whom she and Christy lived with. She and Christy maintain an aunt-niece relationship.
• Joe Manganielloas Julian (S03E11): a handsome but very sad newcomer to Alcoholics Anonymous whom Christy takes under her wing and (narrowly) avoids sleeping with.
• Rhea Perlmanas Anya Perugian (S03E12): Marjorie's Armenian sister-in-law and Victor's sister, who is a bitter, unlikable woman who nearly derails Victor and Marjorie's wedding plans.
• Richard SchiffasRobert(S03E20): Bonnie'sCommunications Directorin a White House dreamthat she had
• Bradley Whitfordas Mitch (S04E09 and S06E13): Adam's friend who is a Hollywood director with a fondness for alcohol and trying to seduce Bonnie in ways that often get him punched or otherwise injured.
• Nicole Sullivanas Leanne (S04E09 and S06E13): Mitch's hard-drinking wife who was once involved with Adam.
• Chris Prattas Nick Banaszak (S04E11): Marjorie's nephew, a charming horse-riding instructor whom Christy hooks up with, despite Marjorie declaring him off-limits. He turns out to be goofy and Marjorie reveals, to Christy's horror, that he has mental problems and mostly lives in an institution.
• Wendie Malickas Danielle Janikowski (S04E15 and S04E16): Adam's ex-wife whose friendly relationship with him confounds Bonnie.
• Michael Angaranoas Cooper (S05E03 and S05E10): Christy's younger classmate at college and romantic interest
• Kristin Chenowethas Miranda (S05E14): Jill's inner strength advisor who met her at the latter's weight loss retreat
• Patti LuPoneas Rita Gennaro (S05E19): the demanding owner of the building that is managed by Bonnie. She's initially curt and makes harsh demands of Bonnie, but becomes nicer when Bonnie stands up to her and reveals her own sad story.
• Constance Zimmeras Natalie Stevens (S06E03): Christy's rigid professor at the law school who is also an alcoholic.
• Lois Smithas Claire Dickinson (S06E20): Bonnie and Tammy's former caretaker at the old foster home
• Kate Micuccias Patty (S07E01 and S07E10): A single mother who is a member of the AA meeting Bonnie attends while on her honeymoon with Adam. Bonnie agrees to become Patty's sponsor.
• Reginald Veljohnsonas Jim (S07E01): A member of the AA meeting Bonnie attends while on her honeymoon with Adam
• John Ratzenbergeras Stan (S07E01): A member of the AA meeting Bonnie attends while on her honeymoon with Adam. He has a tendency to ramble.
• Paget Brewsteras Veronica Stone (S07E03, S07E05 and S07E06): Christy's demanding and not that stable new Boss at a law firm. She yells at Christy a lot and makes ridiculous demands, but also serves as an oddly effective and intelligent mentor to her.
• Kathleen Turneras Cookie (S07E11 and S07E14): Tammy's long-lost aunt who comes back into her life; it's revealed that not only did Cookie lie about not knowing Tammy existed and let Tammy go into the foster system rather than take her in as a child, but also that the only reason she sought out Tammy now is to get her to agree to a life-saving kidney transplant.
• Peter Onoratias Wayne (S07E15): Marjorie's first post-widowing love interest from Canada.
• Courtney Thorne-Smithas Sam (S07E17): Adam'sAl-Anonsponsor. Bonnie suspects, correctly, that she is attracted to Adam.
• Kevin Dunnas Gary (S08E02): Marjorie's annoying newer love interest from Chicago.
• Steve Valentineas Rod Knaughton (S08E03, S08E11 and S08E12): An almost-famous rocker, now a recovering addict, whom Bonnie spent a few nights with in the 1980s.
• Tyne Dalyas Barbara (S08E09): Trevor's therapist. She bluntly tells him he cannot date Jill, and he reluctantly agrees with her.
• Bob Odenkirkas Hank (S08E12): A strip club owner who put up a huge billboard that features an R-rated, 20-year old picture of Christy, and refuses to take it down because it's great for business (the women end up just painting over it on their own).
• Dan Bucatinskyas Arthur (S08E15): Bonnie and Tammy's first client for their PlunkenDorf Construction business.
• Melanie Lynskeyas Shannon (S08E18): A new and reluctant member of Bonnie's AA group.
• Rondi Reedas Jolene (S08E18): Shannon's mother, a severe and abusive addict.

Production

Development

Anna Fariswas cast in January 2013.

Momwas 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 following2 Broke Girls.However, after the cancellation ofWe Are Men,2 Broke Girlswas moved into the show's 8:30 pm slot, with repeats ofThe Big Bang Theoryoccupying the 9 pm lead-in time slot toMomuntil the season debut ofMike & Mollyon November 4, 2013.Momreceived a full first season order for 22 episodes on October 18, 2013.

On March 13, 2014, CBS announced the second season renewal ofMom.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 followingThe Odd Coupleseries premiere and theseries finaleofTwo 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

InAustralia,Momdebuted onNine Networkon April 9, 2014.InCanada,Citytvaired it simultaneously.InGreece,Star Channeldebuted it on October 25, 2014.InIndia,Comedy Central (India)broadcast the series through 2015. InIsrael,it is broadcast onHOT Comedy Central.In theUnited Kingdom,ITV2debuted 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

Momwent into syndication in late 2017. It airs on local affiliates, as well as onFXX(2017–2021),FX(2021–2023),TV Land(2017–2018, 2022–present),Paramount Network(2018–2022),Nick at Nite(2018–2024), andCMT(2017, 2019–present).Laffshould aired this soon in 2025.

Reception

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per season ofMom

Season	Timeslot (ET)	Episodes	First aired		Last aired		TV season	Viewership rank	Avg.viewers (millions)
			Date	Viewers (millions)	Date	Viewers (millions)
1	Monday 9:30pm	22	September 23, 2013	7.99	April 14, 2014	6.86	2013–14	42	8.34
2	Thursday 8:30pm(1–14) Thursday 9:30pm(15–18) Thursday 9:00pm(19–22)	22	October 30, 2014	11.13	April 30, 2015	8.78	2014–15	26	11.79
3	Thursday 9:00pm	22	November 5, 2015	7.28	May 19, 2016	8.14	2015–16	40	9.64
4		22	October 27, 2016	7.02	May 11, 2017	8.12	2016–17	29	9.43
5		22	November 2, 2017	8.46	May 10, 2018	7.97	2017–18	19	10.96
6		22	September 27, 2018	7.94	May 9, 2019	8.08	2018–19	23	10.22
7		20	September 26, 2019	6.25	April 16, 2020(2020-04-16)	7.14	2019–20	29	8.52
8		18	November 5, 2020	4.82	May 13, 2021	6.17	2020–21	32	7.05

Critical response

Allison Janneyreceived acclaim for her performance as Bonnie Plunkett throughout the show's run and receivedPrimetime Emmy Awardnominations for seasons 1–5, winning forseason 1andseason 2.

Critical response ofMom

Season	Rotten Tomatoes	Metacritic
1	70% (40 reviews)	65 (25 reviews)
2	88% (8 reviews)	81 (4 reviews)
3	100% (11 reviews)	82 (4 reviews)

Momhas been met with widespread critical acclaim, with praise for its writing and performances, especially byAllison JanneyandAnna Faris.It received aMetacriticscore of 65 out of 100 for its first season, based on 25 reviews.OnRotten Tomatoes,the first season has an approval rating of 70%, based on 40 reviews, and an average rating of 5.71/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Anna Faris and Allison Janney share an undeniable comedic chemistry, and if the jokes are sometimes too crass,Momrepresents a sincere (and often witty) attempt to address addiction issues. "Boston Heraldcritic Mark A. Perigard gave a positive review, writing: "This is dark material, yet Faris balances it with a genuine winsomeness, able to wring laughs out of the most innocuous lines."New York Magazinecritic Matt Zoller Seitz praised the cast and called it "just about perfect".

The second season received even more critical acclaim, with aMetacriticscore of 81 out of 100.OnRotten Tomatoes,it holds an approval rating of 88%, based on 8 reviews, and an average rating of 8.5/10.

The third season was also met with critical acclaim, with aMetacriticscore of 82 out of 100.OnRotten Tomatoes,it holds an approval rating of 100%, based on 11 reviews, and an average rating of 8.33/11. The site's critical consensus reads: "Momcontinues to nurture the multi-cam sitcom genre with mature storytelling and wonderful performances by Anna Faris and Allison Janney, who both handle reflective drama with the same deft touch as they do comedic timing ".

Accolades

Accolades
Year	Award	Category	Recipients and nominees	Result
2014	People's Choice Award	Favorite New TV Comedy		Nominated
		Favorite Actress in a New TV Series	Anna Faris	Nominated
		Favorite Actress in a New TV Series	Allison Janney	Nominated
	Critics' Choice Television Award	Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series		Won
		Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series	Mimi Kennedy	Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Award	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Allison Janney	Won
2015	People's Choice Award	Favorite Network TV Comedy		Nominated
	72nd Golden Globe Awards	Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film	Allison Janney	Nominated
	Prism Awards	Performance in a Comedy Series	Anna Faris	Nominated
			Allison Janney	Won
		Comedy Series Episode or Multi-Episode Storyline		Nominated
	Critics' Choice Television Award	Best Comedy Series		Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Allison Janney	Won
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series		Won
2016	People's Choice Award	Favorite Network TV Comedy		Nominated
		Favorite Comedic TV Actress	Anna Faris	Nominated
	Critics' Choice Television Award	Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Allison Janney	Nominated
		Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series	Ellen Burstyn	Nominated
	Art Directors Guild Awards	Excellence in Production Design in a Multi-Camera Series	John Shaffner	Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Allison Janney	Nominated
		Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series	Steven V. Silver	Nominated
		Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series	Ben Bosse and Joe Bella	Nominated
	Critics' Choice Television Award	Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Allison Janney	Nominated
2017	People's Choice Award	Favorite Comedic TV Actress	Anna Faris	Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Allison Janney	Nominated
		Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series	Joe Bella	Nominated
2018	Primetime Emmy Awards			Nominated
		Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Allison Janney	Nominated
	Critics' Choice Television Award	Best Actress in a Comedy Series		Nominated
2019	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series	Joe Bella	Nominated
	Critics' Choice Television Award	Best Comedy Series		Nominated
2020	Critics' Choice Television Award	Best Comedy Series		Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	William Fichtner	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Jaime Pressly	Nominated
2021	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Allison Janney	Nominated
		Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series	James Widdoes	Nominated
		Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series	Joe Bella	Nominated

External links

• MomatIMDb
• Vanity Cards Archive forMom