CBS Mondays @ 9:30pm ET
From hit-maker Chuck Lorre comes his next big comedy, an irreverent and outrageous take on true family love and dysfunction. Newly sober single mom Christy struggles to raise two children in a world full of temptations and pitfalls. Testing her sobriety is her formerly estranged mother, now back in Christy's life and eager to share passive-aggressive insights into her daughter's many mistakes.
Chuck Lorre is one of the most prolific and successful producers working in television today -- he's the man behind such high-rated hits as "The Big Bang Theory" and "Two And A Half Men". Now he's brought another sitcom to CBS: "Mom", the tale of an alcoholic mother/daughter duo played by Allison Janney ("The West Wing") and Anna Faris ("Scary Movie"). If you enjoy either of Lorre's shows, then go ahead and give "Mom" a chance. If, however, you find yourself cringing at the thought of talented actresses humiliating themselves by slumming it on a low-rent, unfunny sitcom underscored by a grating laugh track, then steer clear.
The only thing that distinguishes "Mom" from Lorre's crop of other lowest-common-denominator "comedies" is that it's not about lovable nerds or womanizing cads -- it's about women struggling with life-destroying addictions. Hilarious, right? The writers manage to come up with such knee-slapping nuggets as "While other mothers were cooking dinner, you were cooking meth!" or "I've watched you lick cocaine crumbs out of a shag carpet." Now that's comedy gold right there.
It's not impossible for good writers to find comedy in seemingly serious situations. But apparently the people working on "Mom" are not good writers, because the attempts at humor here come across as ignorant at best and offensive at worst. The writers of Showtime's "The Big C" managed to make a story about a woman battling cancer surprisingly humorous. The writers of CBS' "Mom" manage to make a story about women battling addiction shockingly tone deaf and insensitive. Even if you're a fan of Lorre's other work, you may still find yourself wincing at this train wreck. Hopefully it will be cancelled soon so its too-talented stars can move on to material worthy of them.
Did "Mom" having you laughing or cringing? Tweet us @StageBuddy to share your thoughts!
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlVG3EY35os[/youtube]
