‘Mom’ Star Has New CBS Sitcom in the Works

Mom star Jaime Pressly will soon return to TV! In late August, TVLine reported that Pressly would be starring in a new show for CBS titled The Porch. According to the outlet, the series is based on an original idea from the actor. 

Based on the official logline for the new series, The Porch follows a divorced woman named LJ, played by Pressly, “who returns home to the small North Carolina island she couldn’t wait to leave to bury a mom she couldn’t stand.” While LJ didn’t originally want to return to her old stomping ground, she does end up making a new life for herself there. LJ reportedly “finds herself staying far longer than she ever imagined, reconnecting with the ‘porch’ folks she never felt a part of and falling in love for the first time with the train wreck of a mother who is no longer alive.”

Pressly won’t just star in The Porch, she will also be one of the executive producers. Susan McMartin, who was the co-executive producer of Mom, will write the pilot and executive produce this new series. Pressly previously starred on Mom for several seasons after joining the series during Season 2. Earlier this year, it was announced that Mom was canceled. In February, CBS announced that they would not be moving forward with an additional season of the series in the wake of star Anna Faris’ exit.

Chuck Lorre, one of Mom‘s executive producers, released a statement in which he thanked the show’s fans for supporting the series during its run. He began, “For the past eight years, we’ve had the great honor to bring these wonderful characters to life, sharing their struggles and triumphs with millions of viewers every week.” The producer continued to express his gratitude over getting to share such meaningful messages during the course of the past eight seasons. Lorre added, “From the beginning, we set out to tell stories about recovery from alcoholism and addiction that are rarely portrayed in a network comedy series. Whether it was the emotional reactions of the live audience on tape night inside Stage 20, or discussions at the White House regarding the opioid crisis, or the personal stories we continue to receive on social media, we take great pride in knowing Mom has positively impacted so many lives. We are forever grateful to our brilliant cast and guest stars, wonderful writers, and amazing crew for going on this journey with us.”