Mike & Molly
| Mike & Molly | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | |
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | "I See Love" by Keb' Mo' |
| Composer(s) | Dennis C. Brown Grant Geissman |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 127 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 18–22 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Chuck Lorre Productions Warner Bros. Television |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original release | September 20, 2010 – May 16, 2016 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The 13-episode sixth season began airing on January 6, 2016. On January 12, 2016, CBS announced that it would cancel Mike & Molly after the sixth season concluded, electing not to renew its licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Television, which ended after the season.[2][3] The series finale aired May 16, 2016.
Contents
Cast
- Billy Gardell as Officer Michael "Mike" Biggs, a Chicago police officer attempting to lose weight. He doesn't appear to be a deep thinker, but he's good-hearted and humorous. He often caves in to his mother's demands, much to Molly's dismay, but his relationship with Molly has made him much more independent.
- Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn, a fourth-grade teacher at Walter Payton Elementary School, also attempting to lose weight. She is sweet, happy, intelligent, and caring. She is the rational member of her family, but is known to have a quick temper and has built up much debt from lavish shopping and traveling. When she and Mike finally marry, she keeps Flynn as her last name, and they spend much of their time trying to get pregnant. She quits her teaching job in Season 4 to become a writer.
- Reno Wilson as Officer Carlton "Carl" McMillan, a Chicago police officer and Mike's partner and best friend. He tends towards self-pity, owing to his mother abandoning him. He lived with his grandmother for a long time until she made him move into his own apartment. He struggles in relationships with women and is depicted as lonely. He is a big fan of soul and gospel music and openly dislikes bluegrass. In Season 2 he had a steady relationship with Christina (Holly Robinson Peete), a single mother with a young son, but in Season 3 Christina broke up with Carl to try to work things out with James, her famous football player ex-husband and her son's father. He began a relationship with Victoria at the end of Season 4, but by the end of Season 5, it was over.
- Katy Mixon as Victoria Flynn, Molly's dimwitted, kindhearted, party-girl sister who is often high on marijuana and sleeping around with multiple men. She is employed as a funeral home beautician. At the end of Season 4 she began a relationship with Carl, but it ended badly in Season 5.
- Swoosie Kurtz as Joyce Moranto, mother of Molly and Victoria. Widowed when her daughters were young, she began dating Vincent Moranto in Season 1. She is very modern and attempts to stay youthful; she also drinks heavily and has a hair-trigger temper. As of the Season 3 episode "Thanksgiving Is Cancelled", she is married to Vincent.
- Nyambi Nyambi as Babatunde, aka Samuel, a sarcastic waiter at Abe's, the restaurant where Mike and Carl eat. He is also a close friend to Mike, Carl, and eventually Molly. He is from Senegal and often refers to the suffering in his home country, so he cannot easily sympathize with his restaurant patrons' "petty" problems. He and Carl became roommates in Season 3. In Season 5, Samuel's real name is revealed to be Babatunde when he becomes the new owner of Abe's Diner, renaming it Abe's Hot Beef.
- Louis Mustillo as Vincent "Vince" Moranto, Joyce's on/off boyfriend, then fiancé, now husband and Molly and Victoria's stepfather, and Mike's stepfather-in-law. A widower, he tends to be flirty, chauvinistic, and sarcastic. A high-school dropout, he's not the most intelligent, but he cares deeply for Joyce and has shown fatherly care toward Molly and Victoria—despite having met Molly after being set up on a blind date with her, and his constant comments about Victoria's breasts. He once married a much older, very unpleasant woman from whom he fled after borrowing $2,000; he didn't officially end this marriage until the truth came out and Joyce kicked him out of her house until Mike convinced the "wife" to sign divorce papers.
- Rondi Reed as Margaret "Peggy" Biggs, Mike's mother. She is very controlling and traditional, as well as grumpy and cranky. She often refers to her ex-husband Jack leaving her and running away to Florida with a prostitute. Peggy is also very fussy over her dog Jim (a Brussels Griffon mix), whom she treats more like a son than a pet. In Season 2, Peggy began working as a lunch lady at the elementary school where Molly teaches. In Season 3, she dates a police captain who is Mike's supervisor, but Peggy breaks things off during the season finale.
- Cleo King as Rosetta McMillan (regular, seasons 1–3; recurring, seasons 4–5; guest, season 6), Carl's grandmother. She is very traditional and has professed deep love for her grandson, but is outwardly annoyed by Carl's behavior and made him move out in Season 3, saying she still loves him and looks forward to him visiting but wants him to finally become a responsible adult on his own. She has a big heart and treats Mike, who calls her "Nana", like a second grandson. She often gives Mike and Carl advice (mostly regarding relationships with women). She once recalled that when Carl was young, he could quote the entire speech of Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as every episode of The Dukes of Hazzard.
- David Anthony Higgins as Harry (regular, seasons 3–5; recurring, season 2; guest, seasons 1 and 6), a friend of Mike and Molly's who attends the same Overeaters Anonymous meetings. He is nice but socially awkward and tends to say whatever he is thinking, even thoughts that make him seem pathetic. He was shown to have an almost obsessive crush on Victoria; when she finally kissed him in season 3, he realized that he is gay.
- Suzie Q as Jim, Peggy's dog, it is a Brussels Griffon mixed with a Chihuahua.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Nielsen ratings | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Rank | Viewers (million) |
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| 1 | 24 | September 20, 2010 | May 16, 2011 | 35 | 11.14[4] | |
| 2 | 23 | September 26, 2011 | May 14, 2012 | 31 | 11.51[5] | |
| 3 | 23 | September 24, 2012 | May 30, 2013 | 37 | 10.22[6] | |
| 4 | 22 | November 4, 2013 | May 19, 2014 | 33 | 9.58[7] | |
| 5 | 22 | December 8, 2014 | May 18, 2015 | 44 | 9.91[8] | |
| 6 | 13 | January 6, 2016 | May 16, 2016 | 51 | 8.46[9] | |
Production
The intertitle used in seasons one through three.
On May 13, 2010, CBS placed a series order on Mike and Molly.[11] On May 15, 2011, Mike and Molly was renewed for a second season.[12] On March 14, 2012, CBS renewed Mike & Molly for a third season,[13] which premiered on September 24, 2012. CBS pulled the third season finale, titled "Windy City", from its show of May 20, 2013. The episode featured a tornado descending on Chicago, and would have been broadcast the same day as the 2013 Moore tornado.[14] The episode was rescheduled for May 30, 2013.
On March 27, 2013, CBS announced that Mike & Molly would return for a fourth season during the 2013–2014 television season.[15] On May 17, 2013, Mark Roberts stepped down from showrunner duties to focus on other projects. Al Higgins replaced him for Season 4.[16] The series received a 22-episode order from CBS for its 4th season.[17] The show's fourth season premiere took place on November 4, 2013 at 9:00 pm ET/8:00 pm CT, in the time slot vacated by 2 Broke Girls when it moved to 8:30 pm ET/7:30 pm CT, replacing the canceled sitcom, We Are Men.[18] Following the breakout feature film success of McCarthy (Identity Thief, The Heat), Lorre intended for the show to more prominently feature her in season 4.[19] In promos leading up to the season 4 premiere, CBS billed the series as "the new Mike & Molly." Though the cast and setting remains essentially the same, the "new" refers to Molly quitting her teaching job and pursuing a career as a writer.[20]
On March 13, 2014, CBS announced the fifth season renewal of Mike & Molly.[21] CBS did not place the show in a timeslot when it unveiled its initial 2014-15 schedule. The fifth season began airing December 8, 2014.
On March 12, 2015, CBS announced the sixth season renewal of Mike & Molly.[22]
Casting
Casting announcements began in February 2010, with Katy Mixon and Reno Wilson being the first actors cast in the series. Mixon portrays the role of Victoria, Molly's sister, while Wilson portrays Carl, Mike's partner.[23] Billy Gardell was the next actor cast in the series, as the titular Mike.[24] Swoosie Kurtz then joined the series as Molly's mother, Joyce.[25] Following Kurtz, Nyambi Nyambi boarded the series as Samuel, a regular waiter at Abe's Hot Beef, where Mike and Carl frequent.[26] Melissa McCarthy completed the cast when she signed on to play the role of the eponymous Molly.[27]Reception
Ratings
| Season | Time slot (ET) | Episodes | Premiered | Ended | TV season | Rank | Viewers (in millions) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Viewers (in millions) |
Date | Viewers (in millions) |
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| 1 | Monday 9:30 pm (Episodes 1-19) Monday 9:00 pm (Episodes 20-24)[28] |
24 | September 20, 2010 | 12.23[29] | May 16, 2011 | 8.64[30] | 2010–11 | 35th | 11.14[31] |
| 2 | Monday 9:30 pm | 23 | September 26, 2011 | 13.86[32] | May 14, 2012 | 11.79[33] | 2011–12 | 31st | 11.51[34] |
| 3 | 23 | September 24, 2012 | 9.45[35] | May 30, 2013 | 8.01[36] | 2012–13 | 37th | 10.22[37] | |
| 4 | Monday 9:00 pm | 22 | November 4, 2013 | 9.22[38] | May 19, 2014 | 7.05[39] | 2013–14 | 33rd | 9.58[40] |
| 5 | Monday 8:30 pm | 22 | December 8, 2014 | 8.06[41] | May 18, 2015 | 7.75[42] | 2014–15 | 44th | 9.91[43] |
| 6 | Wednesday 8:30 pm (Episodes 1-6) Monday 8:00 pm (Episodes 7-13) |
13 | January 6, 2016 | 6.73[44] | May 16, 2016 | 8.45[45] | 2015–16 | 51st | 8.46[9] |
Critical reception
Mike & Molly has received moderately positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show holds a rating of 77% with an average rating of 6/10, based on 22 reviews. The consensus reads: "Mike & Molly is a conventional sitcom that's able to mine some big laughs, thanks to the immensely appealing central performers".[46] It achieved a score of 62 out of 100 on the review aggregator site Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[47] Critic Randee Dawn gave the show a negative review, stating the cast is likable, but the jokes are old and bland.[48]Controversies
There was a controversy in 2010 around a Marie Claire blog post written by Maura Kelly, in which she refers to the actors on the show as overweight.[49] Show creator Mark Roberts spoke out regarding Kelly's blog post, calling the comments "very high school".[50][51][52][53] He also stated, "This wasn't about the show, this wasn't about the writing, this wasn't about the acting. This was about someone's hateful response to how these two human beings look."[50] Billy Gardell also addressed the matter when he appeared on the daily talk show The Talk on November 1, 2010.[54][55]Marie Claire has stood behind the blog.[56] Kelly has since apologized for her comments, stating that she "sorely regret[s] that it upset people so much".[57][58]
In the season 3 episode "Molly's New Shoes", the Peggy character reacts to her fiance's plans to retire and move to Arizona with the line: "Arizona? Why should I go to Arizona? It's nothing but a furnace full of drunk Indians." This prompted calls by the Native American Journalists Association, among others, for an apology.[59]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Recipients and Nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite New TV Comedy | Nominated | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Melissa McCarthy | Won | |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Art Direction For A Multi-Camera Series | Nominated | ||
| Satellite Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy | Melissa McCarthy | Nominated | |
| 2012 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography For A Multi-Camera Series | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Art Direction For A Multi-Camera Series | Nominated | |||
| Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Series – Guest Starring Young Actor 18–21 | Ryan Malgarini | Won | |
| 1st PAAFTJ Television Awards[60] | Best Actress in a Comedy Series | Melissa McCarthy | Nominated | |
| 2013 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography For A Multi-Camera Series | Nominated | |
| 2014 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Comedic TV Actress | Melissa McCarthy | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Melissa McCarthy | Nominated | |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography For A Multi-Camera Series | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Comedic TV Actress | Melissa McCarthy | Nominated |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography For A Multi-Camera Series | Won | ||
| Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series | Nominated | |||
| 2016 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Network TV Comedy | Nominated | |
| Favorite Comedic TV Actress | Melissa McCarthy | Won | ||
Broadcast
The series airs in Canada on CTV, CTV Two,[61] City, and M3[62] from September 20, 2010. In the United Kingdom it airs on Comedy Central UK from October 4, 2010.[63] In Ireland | Comedy Central UK began showing it also on October 4, 2010.[63] February 9, 2011 was the premiere for Nine Network in Australia. New Zealand's TV2 started it from April 29, 2011. In South Africa M-Net started it from April 8, 2011.[64]Syndication
The off-network rights to Mike & Molly have been sold to FX, which began airing the series in 2014.[65]Home media
In the United States, the first season of Mike and Molly was released on both DVD and Blu-ray.[66] All subsequent seasons have only received a DVD release. On October 11, 2016, the sixth and final season was released, as well as a complete series collection.[67] In Australia, the first four seasons have been released on DVD, and in the United Kingdom, only seasons one and two have been released.| Title | Episodes | Release date | ||
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| The Complete First Season |
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| The Complete Second Season |
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| The Complete Third Season |
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TBA |
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| The Complete Fourth Season |
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TBA |
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| The Complete Fifth Season |
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TBA | TBA |
| The Complete Sixth & Final Season |
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TBA | TBA |
| The Complete Series |
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TBA | TBA |
References
Indian leaders have reacted negatively to a recent episode of the CBS comedy "Mike and Molly" that they said included racist statements. In the episode in question, Mike's mother, Peggy, who is played by Rondi Reed, reacted negatively to remarks that she should go to Arizona. 'Arizona? Why should I go to Arizona? It's nothing but a furnace full of drunk Indians,' the character says.
- "Mike And Molly Season 4 on DVD". dvdorchard.com.au. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
External links
Categories:
- 2010s American sitcoms
- 2010 American television series debuts
- 2016 American television series endings
- CBS network shows
- English-language television programs
- Fictional portrayals of the Chicago Police Department
- Television series by Warner Bros. Television
- Television shows set in Chicago
- Mike & Molly
- American romantic comedy television series
- Television duos
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