Mike and Molly



A 2010 CBS sitcom starring Melissa McCarthy, Billy Gardell and Swoosie Kurtz. Mike and Molly meet at an Overeaters' Anonymous meeting and hit it off.

This show provides examples of the following:
"Victoria:Dead people are just like us. Except they're dead."
 * A Date with Rosie Palms: The reason Molly's mother made so much banana bread three years after her husband died.
 * Aerosol Flamethrower: Victoria plans to use a can of hairspray and a lighter on an ex-boyfriend in one episode. Mike manages to talk her down and take the can and lighter away from her.
 * Basement Dweller: Carl lives with his grandmother, who frequently henpecks him, and is portrayed as something of a loser because of this.
 * There's a bit of a Double Standard here at work as both Molly and her sister still live at home as well, but Molly at least is treated as responsible and practical.
 * Only for Molly. It's also played straight with Victoria, who, lets be honest, probably wouldn't make it on her own.
 * Black Best Friend: Mike's partner, Carl, is both black and Mike's best friend.
 * Bridezilla: Molly turns into one three weeks before the wedding.
 * Christmas Episode
 * Cloudcuckoolander: Victoria. Though mostly because she's a pothead.
 * Cool Car: One episode has Mike buy a 1957 Chevy Bel Air, only to have Informed Flaws no one could have missed pop up, and Molly forcing him to sell it and get back his money.
 * Deadpan Snarker: Samuel
 * Department of Redundancy Department:

"Molly: Bones don't jiggle, ma!"
 * Dirty Old Man: Vince.
 * Dysfunctional Family: Both Mike and Molly's families. And they both wonder why they have weight issues...
 * Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Yes, the two main characters are named Mike and Molly.
 * Fake Nationality: The character Samuel, a Senegalese immigrant, is played by Nyambi Nyambi, who is a Nigerian-American.
 * Halloween Episode
 * Heterosexual Life Partners: Mike and Carl.
 * Hidden Depths: Most of the time, Victoria is just a goofy stoner, but in the episdoe "Victoria Can't Drive", she spouts out some very surprising insight about her views on the afterlife,
 * Homemade Sweater From Hell: Mike buys a repugnant green sweater from his partner's cousin.
 * I Am Big Boned: Molly's mom calls her that.

"Molly: You're high? Victoria: You're not?"
 * Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Not completely consistent, but the large majority of episodes begin with a character's name, followed by an action relevant to the episode. (ie "Mike _____", "Carl's _____", etc.)
 * Love Makes You Crazy: Molly's sister Victoria is ... unlucky in love to say the least. Molly and Joyce had to physically stop her from going after her married boyfriend.
 * Mistaken for Gay: Carl and Mike are mistaken for this "at least three times a week".
 * Motor Mouth: Carl
 * My Beloved Smother: Mike's mom, who fakes a heart attack as soon as she finds out Mike is on a date with Molly.
 * Another episode has Mike getting very sick and being taken care of Molly at his place. His mother shows up and steals him back to her place and them stealing him back & forth. Eventually, she gets him last and alludes to possibly hiding him in his uncle's ice cabin to keep her away.
 * Name's the Same: Mike's partner has the first name of Another Chicago-area cop.
 * Pittsburgh: Billy Gardell, who portrays Mike, hasn't forgotten where he came from and makes regular appearances on Pittsburgh radio station WDVE's morning show.
 * Real Song Theme Tune: "I See Love" by Keb' Mo'.
 * Sassy Black Woman: Carl's grandma.
 * The Stoner: Victoria.


 * Straw Loser: No matter what kind of trouble Mike is having in his life, its loads better compared to Carl's life.
 * Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Averted, in fact it's the entire point of the series.
 * Unusual Euphemism: Every conversation between Molly's mother and Victoria ends up dissolving into this.
 * The Windy City