Bad news for Mike & Molly fans. It looks like uncertain status of the CBS sitcom finally has an answer- and it’s not a good one. Co-star Roni Reed, who plays the character of Mike’s mother Peggy just let the cat out of the bag in a facebook post. In her statement she said:
Before you hear it elsewhere (and some already have) this is the Final and 6th Season of Mike & Molly on CBS. It is also a shortened season (13 episodes) after the announced full renewal of 22 episodes back in March by the network. We are done taping as of January 27th 2016 and I am not sure exactly when/if the episodes will all be aired.
Well there’s that. It seems like Roni Reed is feeling particularly salty about the cancellation, which I can certainly understand. Afterall, CBS did announce that the sitcom would be renewed so it’s pretty crazy that they would renege on that a few months later. Mike & Molly presumably has a rather large fan base; it’s been on for quite a long time and stars one of the most famous and hilarious comedians of our time, Melissa McCarthy.
Mike & Molly first aired in 2010 and has done rather well in regards to its reception. Indeed, Melissa McCarthy won a Primetime Emmy in 2010 for best leading actress in a comedy, and would go on to be nominated for the next few years, as well. Mike & Molly has also maintained a fairly decent Rotten Tomatoes score which isn’t always easy to maintain after the first few seasons. In fact, it’s currently at 63%, although earlier seasons ranked higher.
So what does this cancellation mean? I think it's implicated a few things- particularly related to Melissa McCarthy’s career. McCarthy has been on a rampage of successful comedy films which I can only assume will increase now that her schedule is more flexible. Her catapult to movie star status, including an Academy Award Nomination, came from her work in Bridesmaids alongside Kristen Wiig. McCarthy has only continued to collaborate with Bridesmaids director Paul Feig in his next few projects, which will include her starring role in the upcoming Ghostbusters reboot.
Mike & Molly’s cancellation might also mean exciting things for the Gilmore Girls reboot which that be coming to Netflix. Gilmore Girls was one of Melissa McCarthy’s first major acting roles- she played main character Sookie St. James for the entirety of Gilmore Girls’ run. Indeed, her involvement in the reboot has been the most speculated due to her schedule, so maybe this is exactly what she needed in order to get back to her roots.
Regardless, it’s a sad day for Mike & Molly fans for sure. However, they can rest assured that Melissa McCarthy isn’t going anywhere any time soon. We just might have to look somewhere besides CBS to find her.
