Mom is losing one of its moms ahead of the upcoming eighth season. The long-running Chuck Lorre CBS sitcom has been anchored by Anna Faris and Allison Janney since its premiere in 2013 and through the more than 150 episodes that have aired so far, but Faris is officially leaving. She has explained her reasons why.
Anna Faris explained why she is leaving Mom (via THR), saying:
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. 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.
Anna Faris apparently isn't leaving because of any bad blood, but to pursue new opportunities. She didn't detail what kind of new opportunities that she intends to pursue, although she has been hosting the Unqualified podcast since 2015. The loss of Faris as Christy on Mom will fundamentally change the show, especially since the show reportedly won't recast the character, and her absence will be addressed when Mom returns. Allison Janney is presumably still on board as Christy's mom.
According to Anna Faris, she intends to keep on watching Mom even if she's not starring on it. Hopefully fond memories of her time on set will result in the occasional guest appearance for however much longer Mom runs without her, assuming Mom doesn't address Christy's absence by killing her off in another Mom tragedy. Christy was still pursuing law school at the end of Season 7; perhaps her career or education could simply explain why Bonnie is suddenly without Christy.
Interestingly, Anna Faris' departure comes in the middle of Mom's two-season renewal following Season 6, which was an order usually reserved for mega CBS sitcom hits like The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon. Season 6 could have been the end, as Faris' and Allison Janney's contracts expired ahead of Season 7. Negotiations seemingly worked out, and both actresses reportedly signed on for both Season 7 and Season 8 with a pay increase.
When Anna Faris informed CBS and the Mom team of her decision to depart isn't clear at the moment, but the show is still on summer hiatus and no premiere date has been set, which could mean that there will be plenty of time to plan how to do justice to Christy's absence, even if Faris isn't around. Production on Season 8 reportedly begins on September 14. The latest any season of Mom has premiered over the first seven years is November; CBS is already hoping to bring NCIS and other major shows back by November. Could Mom be one of them?
Anna Faris leaves behind a strong ensemble surrounding Allison Janney, so it should be interesting to see how the show works without Christy and whether it will last into a Season 9. Warner Bros. TV, which produces Mom, released a statement revealing that Faris was "the first and only choice" to play Christy and they are "so proud of the stories" they were able to tell during her time on the show, wishing her the best and thanking her.
If you want to relieve Anna Faris' journey as Christy on Mom, you can find all seven seasons so far streaming on Hulu, and the seventh season streaming on CBS All Access. For more viewing options now and in the not-too-distant future, check out our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule!
