Will 'Two and a Half Men' kill off Charlie Sheen's character?

You may perhaps have heard that Charlie Sheen got fired from CBS' "Two and a Half Men" and will be replaced by Ashton Kutcher. Now, the producers may try to find the funny at a funeral — for Sheen's character, of course.

A two-part premiere will take place after the death of Charlie Harper (Sheen), according to the site Deadline.com, which offered no attribution for the details. Charlie's girlfriends will be seen traipsing through his house, which will be put on the market. The trail of prospective buyers will give various celebrities an opportunity for walk-ons, according to Deadline.

Exactly how Charlie will be dispatched is still an open question, but one popular early guess has him driving over a cliff.

A spokesman for Warner Bros., which makes the series, declined to comment. "All speculation," he said.

Meanwhile, Warners, CBS and Kutcher's publicist seem to be keeping tight wraps on their new star. The network will not include a panel for "Two and a Half Men" during its Wednesday sessions at the TV press tour in Beverly Hills. And the PR team seems intent on keeping Kutcher away from the media until after the premiere.

Trackers, will you tune in for the "Men" premiere?

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Photo: Jon Cryer, Ashton Kutcher and Angus T. Jones of the newly reconstituted "Two and a Half Men." Credit: Peter Kramer / Associated Press.

Charlie Sheen to star in new 'Anger Management' sitcom

 

 

 

It's official: Charlie Sheen has found a new sitcom. Now all he needs is a network to air it.

Four months after getting fired from CBS' "Two and a Half Men," Sheen will return to TV in "Anger Management," a sitcom adaptation of the 2003 movie. Sheen will play the character created in the movie by Jack Nicholson, a doctor with some odd therapeutic techniques.

According to the release, Sheen will retain "a significant ownership stake" in the show, whose producers will include former Disney chief and Revolution Studios founder Joe Roth.

"I chose 'Anger Management' because, while it might be a big stretch for me to play a guy with serious anger management issues, I think it is a great concept," Sheen said. "It also provides me with real ownership in the series, a certain amount of creative control and the chance to be back in business with one of my favorite movie producers of all time, Joe Roth."

Sheen had reportedly been negotiating for the project, but many of details are still forthcoming. The release sent out Monday morning does not say when filming will start or which network might air the project. The company behind the series, Debmar-Mercury, is best known as a syndicator of fare such as "The Wendy Williams Show."

Roth and Sheen previously worked on several movie projects together, including "Major League," one of Sheen's biggest hits.

"Who better than Charlie Sheen to tackle 'Anger Management,'" Roth said. "With Charlie's incredible talent and comedic gifts, he remains the leading man of TV sitcoms. I'm excited to collaborate with him once again."

Sheen was fired from "Two and a Half Men" in March after publicly vilifying his boss, executive producer Chuck Lorre. At the time, production had been shut down after the star had entered rehab. The producers eventually hired Ashton Kutcher to replace Sheen.

Trackers, what do you think of Sheen's new project?

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Photo: Charlie Sheen. Credit: Mario Anzuoni / Associated Press

Charlie Sheen gets his own Comedy Central roast: 'It's going to be epic'

Hollywood bad boy Charlie Sheen has gone from "winning" to roasting.

The controversial former star of "Two and a Half Men" will be the next target -- er, honoree -- of a Comedy Central roast.

The event will be taped in Los Angeles on Sept. 10 and air Sept. 19.

"Charlie has assured us that nothing will be off limits in this roast," said Kent Alterman, the network's head of programming and production.

Said Sheen in a statement: "You could say I've been providing kindling for this roast for a while. It's time to light it up. It's going to be epic."

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Photo: Charlie Sheen is mobbed by fans before his Violent Torpedo of Truth show in Toronto on April 15. Credit: Aaron Vincent Elkaim / Associated Press

 

Fall TV season: Charlie Sheen and Katie Couric: Not yet gone but already forgotten at CBS

Charlie Sheen and Katie Couric can still be seen on CBS, but network executives are already hard at work trying to scrub away all traces of their estranged stars.

At Wednesday's fall schedule presentation in New York, CBS ran several promo reels that carefully excised Sheen from "Two and a Half Men." That's no small feat, given that he has been the show's star since it premiered in 2003. The trailers instead focused pointedly on costars Jon Cryer and Angus Jones.

Speaking to advertisers, entertainment president Nina Tassler did not mention Sheen by name but said the network had been through a "learning experience" the last few months. Sheen was fired from the show earlier this year after publicly criticizing his bosses; last week, he was replaced by Ashton Kutcher.

Couric, anchor of "CBS Evening News," likewise got the bum's rush — and unlike Sheen she kept reporting for work. The network introduced Scott Pelley as the new anchor but had not a word of thanks for Couric, who is expected to sign a deal for a new talk show with ABC.

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Photos: Left: Charlie Sheen in April. Credit: Brian Kersey/Associated Press. Right: Katie Couric earlier this month. Credit: Charles Sykes/Associated Press.

Tweeter's Digest: What's 'Two and a Half Men' squared away? Ashton Kutcher

How quickly we forget about last week’s excitement — it's like Osama bin Laden meant  nothing to us. 

This week’s celebrity Twitter feeds skittered all over the place, from news of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver’s split and Neil Patrick Harris (@actuallyNPH) hosting the Tonys to the elimination of fan favorite James Durbin from “American Idol” and the surprise announcement that Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk) would take over for Charlie Sheen on “Two and a Half Men.” [For the record: An earlier version of this post had Harris hosting the Emmys and has been corrected.]

Kutcher himself hinted about it Thursday in an oblique tweet: "what's the square root of 6.25?" And while TV folks from “Lost” producer Damon Lindelof (@DamonLindelof) to child star Demi Lovato commented on Kutcher’s move, Sheen himself (who had been very vocal  just a month ago) issued no tweets on the topic.

— Joy Press

twitter.com/joypress

 

 

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Photo: Ashton Kutcher in January. Credit: Mauricio Lima/AFP/Getty Images.

With Ashton Kutcher aboard, 'Two and a Half Men' Leaves the Dark Side

Although it makes sense as a headline — "Ashton Kutcher Replaces Charlie Sheen on 'Two and a Half Men' " — the word “replace” doesn’t really work in a sentence that includes the names “Ashton Kutcher” and “Charlie Sheen.” Yes, they are both male, brunet and actors, and now, apparently, will have both starred in "Two and a Half Men," but the similarities end there.

Sheen, even before he famously imploded, brought to the screen a maelstrom of dark matter — cynical anger, lacertating humor and a hedonism that often seemed misogynist but was probably just misanthropic — he didn't think much of anybody. Shoulders tensed, teeth gritted, Sheen’s Charlie Harper was the personification of a frown, relaxing only when he threw caution not so much to as directly in the face of the wind. Take that, you [expletive deleted] wind!

Kutcher, years younger and yards taller, is a Sheen frown turned upside down. Still called "fresh-faced" in his 30s, Kutcher is like a Great Dane puppy, long-legged and lovable, bound to get into trouble, well, mischief, but not really capable of doing irreparable damage or hurting anyone’s feelings. Even if his new character has similar playboy and/or slacker self-obsessed tendencies, Kutcher can’t help but be essentially good-hearted, a shift that will not just change the tenor and intent of “Two and a Half Men,” it may just renounce it.

Wildly successful, “Two and a Half Men” had many critics, who found its humor coarse, crude and mean. According to conventional wisdom, the Harper character was modeled, albeit in a kinder, less felonious way, after Sheen. But as creator Chuck Lorre has made clear by firing Sheen,  “Two and a Half Men” was not Sheen’s show, it was Lorre’s show. Lorre’s version of what would happen if a narcissistic boy-man was forced to share his life with his wishy-washy brother (Jon Cryer) and his young son, Lorre’s (apparently very accurate) idea of what many Americans would consider “funny.”

'Dude, where's my sitcom?': Ashton Kutcher officially joins 'Two and a Half Men'

Memo to Charlie Sheen: Ashton Kutcher is winning.  CBS and Warner Bros. Television announced Friday that the actor will join the cast of the hit (and beleaguered) "Two and a Half Men."

The former star of the sitcom "That 70's Show" puts to rest a huge question mark for the network as it prepares to face advertisers in New York City with its slate of new fall programming. 

"We are so lucky to have someone as talented, joyful and just plain remarkable as Ashton joining our family," said Chuck Lorre, creator and executive producer of "Two and a Half Men." "If I was any happier, it'd be illegal."

Reports surfaced Thursday night that the actor was the likely replacement. Kutcher even kind of confirmed the reports via his Twitter account, tweeting: "What's the square root of 6.25" (The answer is 2.5).  But now comes his official statement:  "I can't wait to get to work with this ridiculously talented 2.5 team and I believe we can fill the stage with laughter that will echo in viewers' homes. I can't replace Charlie Sheen but I'm going to work my ass off to entertain the hell out of people!"

Production of the ninth season will begin this summer.

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Photo credit: Associated Press

Ashton Kutcher will replace Charlie Sheen on 'Two and a Half Men,' report says

Does Ashton Kutcher have enough tiger blood for "Two and a Half Men"? America may soon find out.

According to a report in the online edition of the Hollywood Reporter, the former star of "That '70s Show" is close to signing on to star in the CBS sitcom, which was thrown out of production after Charlie Sheen was fired earlier this year. Kutcher would co-star alongside Jon Cryer and Angus Jones in an unspecified retooling of the show from executive producer Chuck Lorre.

The report relied on two unnamed sources. "No comment on speculation," a spokesman for Warner Bros., the studio that makes the series, emailed when contacted by Show Tracker.

Kutcher appeared on eight seasons of Fox's "That '70s Show" and has had a movie career with mixed results. According to Twitterholic, his is the No. 7 most-followed Twitter account, with more than 6.6 million followers.

CBS will reveal its fall schedule Wednesday.

Trackers, what do you think of Kutcher on "Two and a Half Men"?

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Photo: Ashton Kutcher in July 2010

Credit: Robert Prezioso / Getty Images

 

 

 

'Warlock' Charlie Sheen's absence has put a hex on CBS ratings

Charlie Sheen likes to refer to himself as a warlock. So maybe it's not surprising that his absence might be casting a bad spell on CBS' ratings.

Since Sheen was fired from"Two and a Half Men" earlier this season, the network has been forced to rely on repeats of what it likes to call "TV's No. 1 comedy." At first, the prospect of repeats didn't sound so bad, because "Men" encores better than most shows.This season, original episodes averaged 16.2 million total viewers, with repeats logging a still-respectable 9.7 million, according to the Nielsen Co.

But the weeks of retreads are beginning to take a toll. Monday night, "Men" sank to 6.5 millon viewers, and dragged along with it the rest of the CBS lineup. "How I Met Your Mother," "Mad Love" and "Mike & Molly" all sank to or matched record lows in the critical category of adults ages 18 to 49. With CBS about to announce its fall schedule next week, the network more than ever needs a strong plan for Monday nights next season. 

If Sheen was really correct that his former bosses have "picked a fight with a warlock," the ratings might be proof that the troubled actor is still -- duh! -- winning.

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The clock is ticking for Charlie Sheen and "Two and a Half Men"

-- Scott Collins (twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT)

Photo: Charlie Sheen on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in March. Credit: Richard Cartwright / Associated Press.

 

 

Why is 'Dancing With the Stars' beating 'American Idol' in the ratings?

Why is "Dancing With the Stars" suddenly beating "American Idol" in the ratings?

Last week, for the second time in a row, ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” topped Fox’s “American Idol” as the nation’s No. 1 show.

“Dancing” scored 21.4 million total viewers for the May 2 performance episode, narrowly beating out the Wednesday and Thursday episodes of Fox’s “American Idol,” which has for years been TV’s most popular program.

And overall, “Dancing” is headed toward its most-watched season ever, despite the lack of a ripped-from-the-tabloids contestant, such as Bristol Palin or Kate Gosselin from previous seasons.

CBS still pulled out the top spot for the week ending May 8, but it was a somewhat closer race than earlier this season. CBS averaged 10 million viewers, trailed by ABC (9.1 million), Fox (8.4 million) and NBC (5.7 million).

So what's up? Believe it or not, it all may have something to do with — duh! — Charlie Sheen. CBS has been forced to air repeats of “Two and a Half Men” since production was halted and star Sheen was fired earlier this season. That has caused the network’s entire Monday schedule to droop.

That in turn may be helping “Dancing” hook more viewers on Mondays.

Of course, there's a big caveat. "Idol" is still way more popular than "Dancing" among young adults — the viewers advertisers really care about. The Wednesday "Idol" logged 8.6 million viewers ages 18 to 49, compared with just 5.9 million for the Monday "Dancing."

Among adults ages 18 to 49, Fox remained No. 1 with a 2.8 rating, followed by ABC (2.5), CBS (2.2) and NBC (2.0).

Still, isn't it amazing how Sheen can remain at the center of things, even when he's not on TV?

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Photo: Karina Smirnoff and Ralph Macchio on Monday's "Dancing With the Stars." Credit: Adam Taylor/ABC.

 

The clock is ticking for 'Two and a Half Men' and Charlie Sheen

Is "Two and a Half Men" going to come back next season? The answer seems to change hourly and depends on the news outlet giving the update.

The Hollywood Reporter published an exclusive report Thursday that detailed a supposed plan by executive producer Chuck Lorre to bring back TV's No. 1 comedy -- minus Charlie Sheen, who was fired by Warner Bros. after months of erratic behavior and admitted drug abuse. This Lorre plan would involve beefing up the role of costar Jon Cryer and casting a as-yet-unnamed new character. According to the Reporter, "industry speculation" has it that "the show will almost certainly return."

But wait! Gossip site TMZ isn't so sure. Citing unnamed sources for its own exclusive, the site says there's a "50/50" chance the CBS sitcom won't come back at all. In fact, there aren't offers on the table for a replacement actor, TMZ says. What is known for sure is that Sheen won't be coming back.

But even that assumption isn't totally safe. Agents have been buzzing that bringing Sheen back remains at least a remote possibility, although it's unlikely Lorre and the actor would be able to work together as they did in the past. 

So what does it all mean? Some sort of deal needs to be worked out in the next two weeks before CBS announces its new schedule to advertisers in New York. It's possible CBS could give the series a limited order of, say, 13 or 18 episodes rather than the full season of 24. And the comedy could go Sheen-less for the first few episodes and then ease in a new character later, which would buy even more time. Sources close to the situation hint of fluid circumstances that are changing by the minute.

But it's a safe bet the show will return in some form. Warner Bros. needs the extra episodes to fulfill its syndication commitments with local stations. And, of course, "Two and a Half Men" is a big hit. In the TV business, you just don't walk away from one of those. No matter what.

What do you think, Trackers? Should "Two and a Half Men" come back? And if it does, should Sheen come back too?

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Photo: Charlie Sheen in Toronto earlier this month. Credit: George Pimentel / Getty Images

Jeff Garlin of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' on Playmates, comedy and Charlie Sheen's 'really stupid' audience

Jeff Garlin has risen to fame playing Larry David's manager on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." But he's also become a fixture on Hollywood's comedy circuit, and on Wednesday night, the 48-year-old comic will co-host a benefit for the victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami at the Colony in Hollywood. The show was organized by Playboy Playmate Hiromi Oshima, with appearances by director Brett Ratner, rapper Too Short, skier Bode Miller and others.

Garlin spoke with Show Tracker about the upcoming season of "Curb" as well as his vast experience with Playmates. Excerpts:

Show Tracker: How’d you get this lucky gig?

Garlin: I know Hiromi, and she called and asked me. My wife is so amused that I know Playmates. I would love to be able to say, "I date them! All the time!" But that’s not the case. You run into them in show business. I filmed "Curb Your Enthusiasm" at the Playboy Mansion, and I’ve been invited to parties there, but I would never go.