Much like Seth MacFarlane and Fox’s partnership, Chuck Lorre can be considered the cornerstone of CBS’s comedy program, creating such successes as “The Big Bang Theory,” “Mike & Molly” and “Two and a Half Men.” However, unlike MacFarlane’s misstep of “Dads,” Lorre’s newest venture, “Mom,” has a little more ground to stand on.

Starring “The House Bunny’s” Anna Faris, “Mom” tells the story of a single mom Christy, who, in an effort to avoid becoming her alcoholic, drug-addicted mother, has become her alcoholic, drug-addicted mother.

The series picks up as Christy manages to turn her life around, getting a steady job as a waitress, getting along with the father of her son and even attending Alcoholics Anonymous. It is there when she runs into her mother, played by the always-comical Allison Janney, for the first time in years. Mother and daughter are just beginning a hesitant reconnection when it is revealed that Christy’s teenage daughter Violet, played by Sadie Calvano, is pregnant, thus proving history does repeat itself.

The rest of the cast is rounded out with Nate Corddry (younger brother of “Childrens Hospital“‘s Rob Corddry) and French Stewart as co-workers at the restaurant where Christy works, Matt Jones as Christy’s ex and the father of Blake Garrett Rosenthal’s Roscoe, and Spencer Daniels as Violet’s boyfriend.

Like most of Lorre’s sitcoms, “Mom” makes quick work of introducing the characters and cluing the audience into the goings on. Although the entire cast works well together, scenes with just Janney and Faris are the highlights.

That is not to say there is not room for improvement. I am a little disappointed the show decided to make Violet pregnant during the second episode. It would have been much more interesting to see Christy and her mother make more of an effort to reconcile first, rather than have the situation be forced. At the same time, first-year series are getting axed earlier and earlier, (one of CBS’s other new comedies, “We Are Men,” only aired two episodes before it was killed) it’s important for series to hit the ground running.

Although the premise could have made this a horrible misfire, “Mom” is able to stay afloat due to its stellar cast. It may be a little early to predict whether or not “Mom” will hang around for another season, but with a full-season order under its belt and CBS mainstay “How I Met Your Mother” ending its nine-season run in May, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if “Mom” beats out other CBS comedies “The Millers” and “The Crazy Ones” and Fox’s “Dads” for another year.

3.5/5