Allison Janney Reveals the Real Reason Mom Is Ending “Sooner Than We Thought It Would”

Allison Janney said she was convinced CBS would renew Mom, and that she assumes there’s a very specific reason why it’s ending in May after eight seasons.

Allison Janney didn’t realize she’d already be bidding farewell to Mom.

The 61-year-old Oscar winner guested on The Late Late Show on Wednesday, March 17, yubi where host James Corden asked how she’s feeling about her CBS comedy series signing off this May after eight seasons. Last month, the network announced the show’s upcoming end, which follows star Anna Faris‘ character, Christy, having been written out after the seventh season.

“I’m sad,” admitted Allison, who plays Christy’s mother, Bonnie. “I wish 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. We thought, Surely, they’re going to want more Mom. And they decided not.”

As for what prompted the network to cancel the popular sitcom that was co-created by prolific TV producer Chuck Lorre, Allison explained that a lot presumably went into the decision. That said, she assumed it came down to one key factor.

“There are so many reasons behind that, most of them probably money,” she shared about why the show is going dark. “I know that Chuck Lorre is writing the final episode, and we’re right now filming the third-to-last episode. I’m having a lot of moments where I’m just standing on set, taking it in and looking at all the faces I’ve looked at for eight years.”

The actress, whose previous series The West Wing signed off in 2006 after seven seasons, said that a major reason she loved starring on Mom was hearing from viewers who appreciated its focus on sobriety. On the series, Christy and Bonnie are recovering addicts.

CBS

“It’s going to be very hard to just have it, all of a sudden, it’s gone,” Allison continued. “And no matter how much I prepare myself for it, I know I’m just going to be tears, buckets of tears. Because it’s been so incredible, all the amazing letters I get from people who are in the program, or people who got sober with us.”

She added, “It’s been a great show to be part of. And it’s so rare when you do something like that, and it affects people in a positive way out in the world. It makes me sad, but onward.”

Luckily, viewers were able to enjoy the laughs for eight great years, and after the finale airs on May 6, we can all just go back and watch the episodes again.