Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Quippy mom-and-daughter sitcom plays sex, drugs for laughs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Mom
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 11 parent reviews
Parents say the show is a mixed bag, with some viewers appreciating its humor and character development, while others find it poorly written and filled with inappropriate content. Many agree that it has heartwarming moments and valuable lessons about sobriety, but criticize the laugh track and character inconsistencies, particularly after the departure of a key character.
- mixed reviews
- character development
- inappropriate content
- humor and heart
- inconsistent writing
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 3 kid reviews
What's the Story?
Christy doesn't have to remember the mistakes of high school -- she's still living with them. She's a waitress instead of the psychologist she wanted to be. She has two kids, including a precocious teen. And she's only now starting to see eye to eye with her blithe floozy of a MOM (Allison Janney), who was too busy snorting cocaine and gallivanting with men to notice what her daughter was up to while she was growing up. Christy doesn't have it easy, particularly since she's newly sober. At least she has the support of her pals in Alcoholics Anonymous. But with daughter Violet smoking pot and sneaking her boyfriend in and out of her bedroom, her grade school son wishing wistfully for more mom time, and mother Bonnie causing behind-the-scenes complications with her difficult personal life, Christy's facing an uphill battle.
Is It Any Good?
There's the germ of a good comedy on Mom. Faris is as resolutely charming as ever, relatable whether she's crying theatrically over a restaurant table or trying to have a breakfast table heart-to-heart with her rebellious daughter. But the jokes are so broad and the laughter so loud, fake and laugh-track-y that it's a turnoff to the kind of viewer who prefers a subtler guffaw.
Nonetheless, Two and a Half Men is a giant hit for a reason: people like to laugh at pratfalls and hooker jokes. You'll find both here, and they're even occasionally funny. The best thing about Mom is its fabulous cast; the worst, the sitcommy writing and setups. But if Two and a Half Men-style comic stylings are your things, Mom could prove to be decent viewing, provided you're okay with giggling over cocaine addiction, teens who are an "easy lay," and cooking meth.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether the relationship between Christy and her mother is realistic. Do they talk like real people? Do they act like them? Are real people ever funny enough to be on a television show?
Watch this show bookended by another mom-and-daughter(s) show, such as Gilmore Girls or Roseanne. How are the relationships between different TV moms and their daughters the same as on Mom? How are they different?
Mom showrunner Chuck Lorre also produces Two and a Half Men. How is Mom similar to Two and a Half Men? How is it different? Compare dialogue, costumes, characters, plots.
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 23, 2013
- Cast : Allison Janney , Anna Faris , French Stewart
- Network : CBS
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Award : Emmy - Emmy Award Winner
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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