Allison Janney Back on Set to Film Mom Season 8 After Anna Faris Exit: 'We're Excited'

Allison Janney has returned to the Mom set without her former costar Anna Faris.

On Monday, Janney (Bonnie Plunkett) shared a behind-the-scenes video from her first day of filming season 8 of the CBS comedy, just after Faris announced her departure from the series earlier this month.

In the short clip, Janney gives a glimpse into how the cast and crew are staying safe amid the coronavirus pandemic with added precautions.

"Hi everyone, we are all back at Mom. It’s our first day with the new COVID protocol," Janney, 60, said while wearing a protective face mask. "Everyone’s here and it’s a whole new territory but we’re excited for season 8 to begin."

The actress also featured costars Mimi Kennedy, Beth Hall, and Jaime Pressly in the video, all wearing masks.

"We're back! Season 8 is a go! @mom_cbs," Janney, 60, captioned the clip.

Hall and Kennedy expressed their excitement for the upcoming season in the comment section of the video.

"So great to be back!😷😃," Hall wrote, while Kennedy left a string of heart emojis.

"You’re home!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!" Kristin Chenoweth added.

Last week, Faris shared that she would not be returning to Mom after starring as one of the main characters for seven seasons.

"The past seven years on Mom have been some of the most fulfilling and rewarding of my career. I’m so thankful to Chuck, the writers, and my amazing castmates for creating a truly wonderful work experience," Faris, 43, said in a statement. "While my journey as Christy has come to an end, allowing me to pursue new opportunities, I’ll be watching next season and rooting for my TV family.”

A source close to the show previously told PEOPLE that Faris' decision to leave the hit sitcom came as a shock to her Mom family.

"It was a surprise to hear that Anna was leaving," the source said. "None of us are happy about that."

"It was sudden and unwelcome, and it left the entire network scrambling," the source added. "This is not a good thing at all."

The source said "no one" wanted Faris to leave — especially given the show's ongoing success.

"Mom has been one of CBS' more profitable scripted shows, in a very challenging economic time," the source explained. "And now one of the leads is gone. It’s actually a nightmare. No one wanted this."

Faris and Janney are both in the middle of two-year contracts that they signed in spring 2019, Deadline reported.

It is unclear how the Chuck Lorre comedy will write off Christy, Faris' character.

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