Alex Carson
From 2010 to 2016, Mike & Molly was one of America’s favorite sitcoms. The show followed the exploits of a married couple that met while attending an Overeaters Anonymous meeting. As compared to previous marriage-based sitcoms, like King of Queens, both of Mike & Molly’s titular characters were equally overweight. The show lasted for six seasons, but it arguably could’ve lasted longer if it weren’t for the popularity of one of it’s main stars. Join Facts Verse as we explore the reason why Mike & Molly got cancelled.
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Was Mike & Molly Cancelled Because of Weight Loss?
When Mike & Molly came to an end in 2016, fans were devastated! Over six seasons, the cast of characters on the hit sitcom had become like secondary family members for much of the audience, and saying goodbye is never an easy thing. Thankfully, the show ended up having a fairly fan-pleasing series finale. For years, there have been varying theories about why the hit sitcom ended up being cancelled by CBS. Though the show was never the network’s biggest performer, it was a reliable staple that had a surplus of diehard fans. Still, the show ended up being cancelled.
Around the time of Mike & Molly’s cancellation, there was an article that spread some decidedly false rumors about why the show was coming to an end. The article claimed that Melissa McCarthy had recently started taking garcinia supplements in order to lose weight or her role in the then-upcoming female-led reboot of Ghostbusters. The article suggest that Melissa had begun taking the supplements after being recommended them by a coworker on the set of Mike & Molly. The most baffling thing that the article suggested was that the reason Mike & Molly had been cancelled after only six seasons was because of Melissa’s subsequent weight loss. As would be revealed in the ensuing months, this wasn’t the case. However, it made good headlines!
It seems that the aforementioned article that spread those false rumors was actually just a deceptive advertisement for garcinia. According to Melissa McCarthy herself, she had never taken garcinia, and had never been recommended it by any of her coworkers on Mike & Molly. It seems that the only part of the article that was remotely true was the fact that Melissa had indeed begun to lose some weight in preparation for her Ghostbusters role. However, her means for doing so were just carb control and calorie counting.
Mike & Molly Was a Revolutionary Sitcom
The rumor of Mike & Molly being cancelled because Melissa McCarthy had lost too much weight ended up having a surprising amount of traction. The weight of the titular characters was certainly a large part of the show’s appeal. Mike & Molly was seen by many as a reaction to shows such as King of Queens, which showcased an obese husband alongside a much more conventionally attractive wife. Mike & Molly showed that large people could find love together, and it would make sense if Melissa’s weight loss was seen as detrimental to the show’s image. However, it seems that Melissa’s dieting played no part in the sitcom’s cancellation.
Though Melissa McCarthy losing weight to look better on the big screen for her role in the then-upcoming Ghostbusters reboot wasn’t the reason Mike & Molly was cancelled, the Ghostbusters reboot might’ve had something to do with the cancellation indirectly. You see, when Mike & Molly first came on the air in 2010, Melissa McCarthy wasn’t nearly as big of a star as she would soon become. Melissa’s breakout role on the big screen came via 2011’s Bridesmaids.
Bridesmaids was a 2011 comedy that made waves with it’s raunchy and female-centric humor. Though the movie was scripted by and starring SNL’s Kristen Wiig, it’s breakout star was Melissa McCarthy. Melissa only played a supporting role, but she did such a good job that she was nominated in the category of Best Supporting Actress at that year’s Academy Awards ceremony. Given that comedies rarely ever get recognized by the Academy Awards, this was quite the feat! Sadly, Melissa didn’t end up taking the award home. Instead, the award went to actress Octavia Spencer for her work in the hit drama The Help. Still, the attention Melissa received from Bridesmaids turned her into a movie star.
Though Bridesmaids proved Melissa McCarthy’s breakout role, the actress had been working steadily in show business for over a decade beforehand. Prior to Mike & Molly, Melissa was best known for portraying the character of Sookie St. James on the dramedy Gilmore Girls. Today, Melissa is considered one of the most prestigious stars in all of Hollywood!
The Real Reason Mike & Molly Was Cancelled
The cancellation of Mike & Molly was announced towards the end of 2015. The sixth and final season of the series then premiered in January of 2016. The last season of Mike & Molly was shorter than any of the prior five seasons. Instead of 22 episodes, the season only consisted of 13. The reason that Mike & Molly ended up having to come to an end after six seasons didn’t have anything to do with Melissa McCarthy’s weight loss. However, it did have something to do with the fact that the actress had become very popular.
As is typical with sitcoms, the stars of Mike & Molly were only signed on for six seasons. In many cases, when a show is as popular as Mike & Molly, contracts with major players will be renegotiated so that the series can continue. However, in the case of Mike & Molly, renegotiation of the contracts proved unfeasible. Given that Melissa McCarthy wasn’t a huge star around the time that Mike & Molly first went into production, the actress could be secured for a reasonable sum. As the actress became more popular due to her increased presence in films, the terms of her initial Mike & Molly contract stayed the same. However, by the time that the contract was up, Melissa was a much more valuable star. Renegotiating the actress’s contract would’ve eaten up the entirety of the show’s budget and then some.
If Melissa McCarthy had wanted to continue working on Mike & Molly, she arguably could’ve found a way to do it. However, the actress’s increased value wasn’t the only thing keeping her from wanting to return to the sitcom. After six seasons of performing on the show, Melissa also felt that the time was right for her to take advantage of her recently found fame and start taking more roles on the big screen.
Melissa Is Still Working in Film Today!
As Mike & Molly aired it’s series finale in May of 2016, Melissa McCarthy fans could look forward to the release of the aforementioned Ghostbusters reboot less than two months later. Sadly, the film wasn’t as big of a hit as most people expected. The film didn’t perform well enough to inspire any direct sequels, and the Ghostbusters series was instead rebooted a second time without any involvement from Melissa McCarthy. If Melissa had truly turned her back on Mike & Molly because she was expecting to become a bigger film star than ever before, the release of the Ghostbusters reboot in 2016 must’ve been a hard blow.
Though the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot wasn’t a major hit, the film didn’t have all that negative of an impact on Melissa McCarthy’s film career. However, the actress hasn’t had any cinematic hits since the cancellation of Mike & Molly that have matched the ones that she had while the show was still on the air. In 2018, Melissa appeared in the box-office flop The Happytime Murders. The film’s cast of characters was made up partly of humans and partly of puppets. In the vein of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the story followed Melissa McCarthy teaming up with a puppet to solve a mystery.
Many thought that the poor reception of The Happytime Murders was going to destroy Melissa McCarthy’s career for good, but this thankfully didn’t end up being the case! The very same year that much-maligned movie was released, Melissa appeared in a drama by the name of Can You Forgive Me? The film marked the first time that Melissa had taken on a significant dramatic performance, and her work was widely praised. Melissa’s performance in the film resulted in the actress being nominated for a second Academy Award. This time, it was in the category of Best Actress. Once again, Melissa ended up losing. However, the nomination was still a notable achievement for the star.
Mike & Molly Had a Fan-Pleasing Series Finale
Mike & Molly’s series finale wasn’t all that original, but it certainly seems to have pleased the majority of fans. Over the course of series, the two titular characters would often flirt with the concept of bringing a child into their household. In the final few episodes, the character decided that they’re going to adopt. Much of the final episode is spent with Mike, Molly, their respective families, and the television audience wondering whether or not the adoption agency will deem the show’s titular characters to be ready to become parents. By the end of the show, Mike and Molly are given the news that they have been approved to become adoptive parents.
Just as soon as Mike and Molly are about to bring their adopted child into their world, it’s revealed that Molly is actually pregnant with a biological child of her own! This means that Mike and Molly got two children by the end of the series. The final episode also made sure to give fan-pleasing moments to all the supporting characters. Those who are anxious to see more of Melissa McCarthy can look forward to the release of 2023’s The Little Mermaid. In the live-action Disney remake, Melissa will play the villainous Ursula.
Outro:
Though it was rumored that Mike & Molly was cancelled because Melissa McCarthy had lost too much weight, the actual reason that the series was cancelled revolved around contracts. Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that it was rumored Mike & Molly was cancelled because one of it’s stars had lost too much weight, and that the show’s final season was only 13 episodes long? Comment down below!
