How is the cast reacting to Anna leaving the show?
Allison Janney and ‘Mom’ Co-Stars Address Anna Faris’ Exit: ‘It’s a Huge Loss’ (Exclusive)
How will the show dynamic change without Christy Plunkett?
“It’s an enormous loss. The show was very much built around her and Allison. For her to step out was a big move to cope with. But we have an extraordinary ensemble led by Allison in a show about women in recovery. Let’s continue to tell the stories of a wonderful group of people we’d come to know and care about. When the (season) debuts, Christy has gone on to greater things. Her career and path through life is going great. Recovery from addiction – not always but very often – brings with it an extraordinary life. And that’s the story we’re telling with Anna’s character, that her life has leapt up to another level, which has her leaving Napa Valley to go to Washington and finish her education.” – Chuck Lorre.
Will MOM address the Covid-19 Pandemic?
The short answer? No.
“The question of whether or not to deal with COVID is something that we grappled with quite a bit. However, because our show has never before reflected current events in our storytelling, we ultimately decided not to address it. For us, it feels like we made the right decision and hopefully our audience will enjoy a little escape when they watch our show.” -Gemma Baker
“Going into this season, we thought for sure that all of the COVID restrictions would change the type of episodes we could produce. But now that we have five shows under our belt, we’re pretty confident that the viewers at home will not feel the restrictions one bit. That’s because our stories have always been small and intimate. So while how we shoot the show has completely changed, what we’re shooting has not.” – Gemma Baker.
“That was a choice that we made early on, that the shows will reflect life as we knew it, as we’ve known it, and hopefully as we’ll know it again. If we do shows that are reflective of what’s happening right now, it’s unlikely that they’ll have any value down the road. I’ve always been a big fan of shows that have shelf life, that have the ability to entertain the audience now, next year, or, God willing, years from now. I don’t know if it’s the right call, but it’s the call we made because I didn’t want to do episodes that a year from now no one wants to watch and may not want to watch now. Maybe you want to go home and watch a television show and have a little relief from social distancing and masks and the inability to hug your friends and loved ones. Maybe we can offer a respite from that.” – Chuck Lorre
Why do we need comedies like MOM more than ever right now?
“Laughter is a shared human experience. Laughter is a genuinely wonderful thing to have as part of our lives, especially when the world is upside down. It’s a gift.” – Chuck Lorre.
Season 8 of Mom Premieres Tonight at 9/8c on CBS.