To see how Mom rated year to year against its competition, cruise through TVRG's Ratings History database as it has television data from 1950 through the present!
2013-17 (Seasons 1-4)
2017-20 (Seasons 5-7)
Mom debuted as an afterthought on CBS' fall 2013 lineup, much like its fellow class of 2013 survivors, FOX/NBC's Brooklyn 99 and ABC's The Goldbergs. [Click here to read about the details of SEASON 1] It was housed on Mondays at 9:30 behind compatible 2 Broke Girls, and succeeded Mike & Molly in taking its known and beloved timeslot where it performed. In early fall, fellow freshman pilot We Are Men nosedived and CBS pulled the plug. 2 Broke Girls was shifted forward 30 minutes, and on the bench (and less compatible) Mike & Molly returned at 9:00. Mom struggled throughout its freshman season and stood with fellow freshman The Crazy Ones and aging Two and a Half Men in threat of cancellation. CBS ultimately axed The Crazy Ones and decided to develop Mom further.
After some mild tweaks, SEASON 2 debuted directly behind The Big Bang Theory, resulting in record high ratings. CBS' gift timeslot was short-lived as Mom was rotated that February to later timeslots, causing a noticeable drop by a half-point. Mom's landmark season which gained 11.2% against usual losses, as well as CBS losing (former) heavyweight Two and a Half Men earned the series SEASON 3. Mom settled at 9:00, sandwiched between pilot Life in Pieces and compatible 2 Broke Girls. This season experienced an expected sharp drop, but also cemented Mom's place as a necessity on the schedule. SEASON 4 again experienced drops, namely due to being housed with weaker company with freshman The Great Indoors and Life in Pieces. The Great Outdoors was housed in the post-TBBT timeslot, which was used back then to develop new series. Retention was weak, and it dragged Mom down with it.
After Mom matched and occasionally bested The Great Indoors, CBS moved it to Mondays and placed a TBBT repeat next to Mom, improving late season performances. Season 5 delivered a hearty gift to Mom as Young Sheldon (the prequel to The Big Bang Theory) debuted a hit and bumped Mom's performance. Mom only retained this season, which counted as gains against unilateral losses across broadcast television. Young Sheldon and Mom remained paired for two seasons until TBBT made its glorious farewell in May 2019. Following its exit, Young Sheldon shifted forward a half hour to lead the evening, leaving Mom to anchor the 9:00 hour. Drops were massive as TBBT boosted CBS Thursdays with Mom losing a third of its audience. However, it regularly placed 2nd in its timeslot, and is an essential show to maintaining CBS' block. How will mom rate in 2020-21? Let's hope it continues to remain a sturdy portion of the lineup.
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