CBS and TBS have worked out a unique deal in which the first season of CBS’s “Mom” will air on TBS in the month before its second debuts on CBS.
TBS will air season one of “Mom” weeknights at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT), from Aug. 25 through Sept. 19, immediately following episodes of “The Big Bang Theory.” Both shows are the work of executive producer Chuck Lorre.
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The deal has benefits for the broadcaster and cable network: TBS gets to run a new series years before it would traditionally be available for syndication, and CBS gets to draw attention — and perhaps new fans — ahead of the second season of “Mom,” which premieres Monday, Sept. 29, on CBS.
Netflix and Amazon Prime have reached deals to stream shows that recently ran on broadcast and cable — one of the timeliest deals calls for CBS’s “Under the Dome” and “Extant” to stream on Amazon just days after they air on CBS. But it’s rare for a network to allow one of its shows to air so quickly on a cable network, particularly one it doesn’t own. TBS is owned by Turner Broadcasting.
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“It’s my hope that this incredible platform will allow people who might not have seen the show on CBS a chance to get acquainted with it,” Lorre said in a statement. “And perhaps that acquaintance can turn into an ongoing relationship. Unlike other shows I’ve worked on, ‘Mom’ has a certain darkness about it. But just like with ‘Two and a Half Men,’ ‘Mike & Molly’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ the goal is always laughter.”
The series stars Anna Faris as a Napa Valley waitress and single mom whose efforts to stay sober are tested by her mother, a recovering addict played by Allison Janney, and a wide circle of colorful characters. Janney is nominated for an Emmy this year for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, and was named Best Supporting Actress by the Critics Choice Television Awards.