When shows end, it's always pretty emotional for fans but also the cast and crew that poured their hearts into each individual series. It's even harder when a TV show has been on the air for a long time, as happened when Mike & Molly was canceled by CBS last season. Series lead Billy Gardell explained what happened on the set while the team was filming the last episode of the sitcom, which ran for six seasons on CBS. Here's what he had to say.
Oh my God, we cried all week. The last week was the last everything, the last table read, the last run through, everything. We're such a group that loves each other. We all still talk once a week. These are people I'm going to know all my life. The show was such a life-changing thing. We all went to each other's kids' birthdays, Melissa's film premieres and she would come back the exact same humble person. They all even flew out to see me play Las Vegas
It's nice to hear the Mike & Molly cast was so close-knit. Not every show is like that. Some sets are rife with drama the entire time they are on the air. Sometimes the leads of popular TV shows dislike one another, as reportedly happened on The Good Wife. However, the Mike & Molly cast wasn't like that. They were attending events for other projects just to support one another for chrissakes. Many of us wouldn't do that for our co-workers, but the Mike & Molly cast did.
Although the Mike & Molly cast was told in advance that the series was being canceled, it was still a tough thing, especially considering how CBS had handled the show leading up to its cancelation. Mike & Molly was kept off of the schedule in the fall a couple of times and then shuffled around to fill in space after other shows on the network got canceled. It wasn't an ideal situation, but the show kept chugging along into its sixth season. Billy Gardell told the Herald Tribune that it was ultimately CBS that decided it had shuffled the show around enough and decided to throw in the towel, although the cast never learned why. Said Gardell:
You know, man, the network decided that [was canceled]. We might never really know why but six years on the show and it's in syndication.
Mike & Molly was never a stellar performer on CBS, but it was a solid performer for the Eye Network. However, because the contracts for most of the actors ran out at midseason last year, CBS was forced to make a decision earlier than normal about whether or not they wanted more episodes of the comedy. Because many of the actors involved with the series were already busy with other projects and because CBS was unsure if they could sign everyone back on if they waited until May to make a decision, the network ultimately ended up just canceling the comedy.
Obviously, CBS still has a bunch of other high-profile TV shows. This season the network signed on Bull and MacGyver, which kept CBS veterans Michael Weatherly and George Eads in the family. Still, the lineup is surely missing the family-friendly comedy that brought Melissa McCarthy and co. into our homes every week. Doubtless, the cast still misses the series a little, too.
Billy Gardell is next set to guest star in an episode of New Girl. Find out when the rest of your favorite shows are returning with our fall TV premiere schedule.
