Why did CBS really cancel Mom?

It was recently announced that CBS had canceled one of its most popular sitcoms, Mom, just one season after lead actress Anna Faris departed the series. What is the real reason Mom CBS got canceled? Low ratings? The right time to end it? Or maybe something more?

According to a recent article from TVLine, star Allison Janney revealed her own personal theory as to why Mom CBS might have been axed. The currently airing Season 8 is now set to the be show’s swan song, as writers are already planning out the soon-to-be series finale.

During a recent interview on The Late Late Show, Janney admitted she was sad to hear the news and wished that “we’d had 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 thought, ‘Surely they’re going to want more Mom,’ and they decided not.”

Ultimately, Janney believes that the real reason behind the network’s decision might have been due to financial reasons.

What motivated the cancellation of Mom CBS?

“There are so many reasons behind it — most of them probably money,” she said. “But I know that Chuck Lorre is writing the final episode, and we’re right now filming the third-to-last episode,” said the actress during her recent interview.

It’s interesting that the show’s cancellation was so sudden. I assumed that the ending had been decided upon by the creators, so it’s a little surprising to hear how shocked Janney was by the seemingly impromptu decision.

As for Janney’s theory that the cancellation decision was due to financial reasons, you would think that the series would be substantially cheaper without Farris involved anymore. Assuming that Janney and Farris were the top earners, wouldn’t the sitcom be costing the network less?

It’s even more egregious because Mom is in a very similar boat to the former CBS series Two and a Half Men. Both shows were critically-acclaimed and drummed up several Emmy Awards throughout their respective runs. Both series were also Chuck Lorre productions.

Two and a Half Men continued for several seasons despite losing its lead actor, while Mom was canceled just one season after Farris left. It’s also strange to consider that Two and a Half Men continued much longer despite encountering numerous controversies throughout its run.

Given the track record, you would think CBS would have a little more confidence in Mom, at least enough to give it a final season (one the writers knew would be the last ahead of time). It’s hard not to wonder if CBS, a network rather notorious for its poor treatment of women and lack of inclusivity, has just failed another female-fronted series.

On the other hand, the television landscape has changed drastically since Two and a Half Men was on the air. At the end of the day, it might just be a case of CBS not liking Mom‘s ratings enough to keep going.

Are you upset that Mom CBS was canceled? Why or why not? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.