Days are numbered for ‘Mike & Molly’; CBS keeps ‘Person of Interest’ in play

  • By Scott Collins Los Angeles Times
  • Tuesday, January 12, 2016 1:25pm
  • Life

Now it’s official: CBS really is saying goodbye to “Mike &Molly.”

After weeks of cast tweets and speculation, new CBS Entertainment President Glenn Geller confirmed Tuesday that the sitcom that helped propel Melissa McCarthy to stardom will call it quits after 13 final episodes air this season.

“Listen, these decisions are really challenging,” Geller told reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena. Geller is a veteran CBS executive who is marking his first press tour in his new role, after longtime programming chief Nina Tassler exited last year.

“But I can confirm this will be the last season for ‘Mike &Molly,’ ” he added.

Geller, generally guarded in his comments, provided little background on the decision, nor did he specifically address whether the series will draw to a close with special finale storylines or simply end. But he did say that “I think fans will be satisfied” with what producers have planned.

“Mike &Molly,” which stars McCarthy and Billy Gardell as a Chicago couple struggling with family and weight issues, began its sixth season last week.

Meanwhile, another CBS show in limbo — the J.J. Abrams-produced drama “Person of Interest” — is coming back soon, although Geller didn’t say exactly when.

“We hope to get them on this spring,” Geller said, adding that the show will be a “real treat for viewers.”

Thirteen episodes of “Person of Interest” have been ordered for this fifth season, and producers have said they are approaching the season as if it might be the last. Geller said, however, that no decision had been made and hinted that the network wanted to see how the new episodes performed before making a call.

Meanwhile, Geller brushed aside questions about diversity at CBS, which has been criticized for a prime-time lineup heavy on white protagonists.

“I’m diverse. I fall into the LGBTQ category,” said Geller, who began his remarks with a reference to his husband. “I’m just a gay guy from Indianapolis who doesn’t play basketball,” he added to laughter from the crowd.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.