Image Credit: Isaac Brekken/Getty ImagesCBS Corp. CEO Les Moonves broke his silence on Charlie Sheen going rogue and the implosion of his top-rated comedy Two and a Half Men.
Addressing a Morgan Stanley Technology conference in San Francisco and reported by THR, Moonves said in response to a question that Sheen is “on the air quite a bit these days. I wish he would have worked this hard to promote himself for an Emmy.”
CBS confirmed Moonves’ comments, which sought put a positive spin on the show halting production and recent dramatic events. The executive noted that in the short term the show not producing more original episodes “is actually a gainer for us.” He explained that since the Men repeats perform quite well, producing eight fewer episodes this season saves the network “quite a bit of money.”
Of course, if Men doesn’t return next season, or if Sheen is replaced by another actor, that could be a ratings loss for the network, though some point out that if CBS can inject a solid comedy into the Men slot, that the network might end up with a fairly even financial trade given the high cost of producing Men.
“I’m not saying long-term I want this to go on,” Moonves added. “I hope it’s back. We’ll see.”
Read more:
Charlie Sheen to fans: ‘Don’t be worried. Celebrate this movement.’
Chuck Lorre vanity card: ‘I am so outta here!’
Charlie Sheen says he’d apologize to Moonves, puts down John Stamos as ‘Men’ replacement
Two and a Half Men’ crew will get paid
Sheen lawyer: Pay him for dumped episodes!
Charlie Sheen says he will sue CBS, apologizes (sort of) to Chuck Lorre
Charlie Sheen on ‘Today’: ‘It’s $3 mil an episode, take it or leave it’
Charlie Sheen passes drug test
Just die already (this show).
I can;t stand Charlie and the show is very juvenile but Moonves’ comment is ridiculous. Producing fewer shows means less advertising $ and less reruns to sell.
If you can’t stand the show, why are you even reading this article? Are you such a loser that you read articles about shows you hate? Do something constructive with your time and go post on a news story about a tv show you DO like.
@ Brett,
If you can’t stand the comment, why are even reading it? Do something constructive with your time and go post on a comment you DO like.
@Brett, you don’t have to read the article in order to leave a comment.
I agree with Bret.
And what sane person comes to a site, ignores the article and posts a comment?
Will, your reply to Bret is so witty I don’t even know what to say to that. However did you come up with such a good reply? Dude, you really must have that tiger blood in you…
You know, somebody CAN have an opinion on the whole Charlie Sheen fiasco, EVEN if he isn’t a fan of the show.
Bret, you’re dense.
Nobody is saying you shouldn’t have an opinion. But why even bother to follow a news story about a guy you don’t really care for, in a show you don’t even watch and to top it off, comment on it?
The only way CBS is losing money at the moment is if advertisers are pulling out, which to my knowledge, they aren’t. The fees for advertising during the show are already set. Also I believe tv shows are sold into syndication by the season, not by the episode. So Moonves, for now, is correct that they’re not losing money by not finishing the season. That could change though.
I agree. This show should die. They few times I’ve watched it was so juvenile as to be laughable. Its audience should be ashamed for watching. And why in the world would you support (by watching) Charlie Sheen who is such a sorry excuse for a man.
Please explain why I should be ashamed of watching (and liking) this show. Without an explanation you may aswell have just written “oehfn purepihvah ciuaf a”
Because the show’s humor is dumbed down, stale and just not funny at all. That’s why.
“not producing more original episodes “is actually a gainer for us.”
And now you know why network TV sucks so bad.
No, now you know why the American viewing public is so pathetic. If they draw huge ratings with a repeat of this god-awful show, it shows that most viewers are little more than cattle, looking for any cud to chew.
America loves crap.
I like chewing cud
Yup…Sheen’s gonna be pissed at that.
I hope the show returns with Charlie. They all just need to sit and make up and get on with the show. Much ado about nothing.
2 1/2 men is hilarious.. Charlie is hilarious… Leave the man alone and get back to work! NEW episodes.
I agree. I hope they bring it back whether or not CS decides or is allowed to come back. Alan and Berta are so funny!
Ok. Charlie and Rose got married and left for England. Alan is still in the house as Charlie has put him on an allowance to keep up the place. Evelyn comes over more often to check up on the loser and her grandson. Berta gets even more out of hand without her boss around. Judith kicks Herb out and with no place to go, moves in with Alan, who seen him as a cash cow. Problem solved. Who needs Sheen?
All great ideas except for Rose. I would miss Rose’s special kind of crazy.
Rose can come back once in awhile to check on her own property and bemoan what a pain Charlie is, since he’s now sitting on his behind doing nothing. Just like in real life.
How about Sheen is replaced by a good looking believable guy like Stamos and the show gets less juvenile.
EW… John Stamos. That isn’t even funny.
Better yet, replace Sheen with Joe Franco. His ego is just about as big as Charlie’s.
Replace Sheen with Rob Lowe!
replace Sheen with Judd Nelson
or
James Spader and Molly Ringwald
One problem, we watch the show for Charlie’s antics, not for Alan getting screwed. We would want to see the Charlie & Rose show.
Not all of us
I’m sorry, I was referring to those sane people who don’t have the hobby of celeb bashing. Maybe I should have explained a little better.
Do you honestly watch the show for Alan? Jake? Judith?!
Just look at what the fans write! The scenarios without Mr. Sheen are endless. We want the show back and truly the show can go on without Mr. Sheen. Alan is hilarious, Jake, Rose, Evelyn are all first rate actors and can carry this show. COME ON! Just do it. Charlie can go on and do his movies and ask for the ridiculous amount of money he wants. COME ON CBS get your act together!!!! I bet it will kill in the ratings too!
Is that a motorcycle I hear revving? Being ridden by a man wearing a leather jacket?
What did Michael Jackson try to say?
Charlie Sheen questions Obama about 9/11
despite AIPAC controlled media censorship.
Mel Gibson does not play dumb about 9/11 either.
Good for CBS for pulling the plug on this horrifically unfunny show with the unbelievably delusional, egomaniacal Charlie Sheen. He is not worth the air he breathes, let alone $1.8 million/episode. Watch him on The Today Show yesterday & you’ll see how insane he is. Truly. It’s an embarrassment that this stupid, stupid show does so well in the ratings. Speaks very poorly of Americans. Good riddance to Sheen & the show!
No, you’re insane. The show is still the top show — even last night — slaughtering the competition and it was a repeat. If you don’t like the show, why are you even posting on news articles about shows you hate? Get a life, loser.
Fanboi much?
You have added such an intelligent comment to the conversation. Your mother must be proud.
Please Brett dont be as immature and stupid as the show you watch
Brett it didn’t slaughter the competition.
“CBS confirmed Moonves’ comments, which sought put a positive spin on the show halting production and recent dramatic events. The executive noted that in the short term the show not producing more original episodes “is actually a gainer for us.” Who wrote this crap? How did the grammatical errors go unnoticed?
I think the media is being quite unfair to Sheen right now. His obvious jokes are taken very seriously, his awesome one-liners are taken out of context and labeled bizarre, and his choice to engage in a form of rehab that is personalized for him is derided as something less than genuine. I think the media has an interest in piling on against Sheen, calling his interviews erratic, etc., because it helps draw viewers to the interviews. However, he sounds quite rationale in his interviews – even boring sometimes – but you have to be able to tell what is hyperbole, what is a joke and what’s just not that big a deal. I highly doubt most people have watched or listened to the interviews in their entirety. Instead, people are taking their cues from the media headlines with biased judgments that, again, are mostly intended to draw viewership.
I don’t support Sheen’s drug use – I’m glad he’s testing clean and certainly hope that continues – but I hope he’s able to gain some benefit from this media blitz, because his ability to capture the media’s attention is the only weapon he really has. Groveling would only make things worse… let’s be clear: he was not fired for drugs and sex, he was fired because he ranted against his boss – who had been making fun of him publicly for years. While I don’t sympathize with many of Sheen’s choices, I do sympathize with that.
Good luck on sobriety and employment, Charlie. Not everyone misunderstands you.
I don’t misunderstand Charlie Sheen. I don’t agree with everything he does but he is a funny bugger. I love 2 & 1/2 Men and hope it returns. I’m on Team Sheen.
I like Charlie Sheen and as far as his antics, he’s a grown man and he can do whatever he wants. But seriously, the show isn’t that funny. It’s really juvenile and I can always predict the punchlines before they are spoken. The show needs to either evolve or move on. This could be the best thing to happen to CS and the rest of the cast.
Yes, Brett, but do callgirls who have to barricade themselves in bathrooms to hide from his drug-fueled rages think he is funny?
Everyone is always jealous of the guy with the big paycheck. If you don’t like the show, don’t watch it. Simple.
Very true. Have heard interviews with many other highly paid, sucessful, stars stating the same thing. Know many highly paid “normal people” (i.e. not famous) who get the same thing.
“I hate [insert name here]” generally translates to “I want to be [insert name here]” (except for on those occasions where that person slept with their sister or something).
All those hating on anyone (not just limited to Sheen) do yourselves a favour and believe in yourself without needing to belittle or disrespect others to make yourself feel better about your pathetic lives.
I’m not particularly jealous of him, but I don’t like the show. However, I have liked Charlie Sheen’s acting in other things in the past.
The thing is, the guy is coming unraveled & it’s hard to look away from it. He’s unraveling worse than Lindsay Lohan did. He’s more on par with Britney Spears’ downfall.
Most people are watching and wondering how this is going to end—I don’t think it’s going to be good. Charlie Sheen isn’t Robert Downey Jr.
He’s not fired yet. He has a 2-year contract. Production was halted for the remainder of this season. Next season was to begin shooting in August. Maybe they can work stuff out by then..?..!
What’ll happen to the end of this season though? They can’t skip from the middle of one season to the begining of the next.
To be honest, the show is going south. This season hasn’t been as good as previous seasons.
Meow quwwwiippppchuu Charlie isn’t as entertaining.
This really needs to stop. Friends, family, enemies, whoever -Stop watching this train wreck of a situation. Have this man committed to a mental health treatment facility. If this continues to escalate to the point that he hurts himself or anyone else, this will no longer be prime “entertainment.” Not a fan of Charlie Sheen. Not a fan of his show. But that’s not the point.
Someone should GET YOU HELP. You are posting on a site detailing a show that you hate. Don’t you have anything positive to do with your time? Dope.
You seem to have nothing to do but respond to people who disagree with you. Not liking the show but still getting caught up in all this, and having the freedom to express an opinion about it–the American Way, baby.
Don’t listen to the trolls posting here that they want it to go away. Millions of people make Two & 1/2 Men the top show on tv. It even beat out all competition last night — WITH all of Charlie Sheen’s press — AND with it being a repeat. That said, if Sheen and Lorre put aside their differences and concealed their hate for 8 years, 1 more year isn’t going to kill them. Letting the show die now in the middle of all this controversy ruins syndication because all people will remember is this scandal. But, if they put their differences aside, people will forget about all this nonsense and then, the show can go out a winner. Do it for the viewers who want more episodes.
Why? Why do you want more episodes? How can anyone even stand to watch one episode of this horrible show? How can so many senior citizens enjoy this frat house moronic pablum? Are you watching every week to see if Sheen implodes on air? Of course the show scored big ratings last night, people want to see the car crash… they want to examine the body for themselves!
Why? Why do you read articles about shows you hate? How can you even stand to read news about horrible tv shows? You must be a glutton for punishment.
Hey Brett…news flash, people are reading the article because everyone is interested in the Charlie Sheen show…not Two 1/2 Men. Also, Charlie, Lorre and everyone posting on this site is entitled to their own opinions whether they agree with yours or not. Get over yourself.
MEN will be back … with Charlie.
There’s too much money NOT to come back.
Consider the branch tossed bro’!
Team Sheen! Team Sheen! Bring on Two and A Half Men, get new episodes on ASAP and all of this stupidity will go away! Charlie Sheen said he would go back to work and if CBS started filming new episodes, Sheen would be too busy working to be ranting all over the radio. CBS: GET BACK TO WORK!
Charlie, is that you?
Once again, Jeff has graced the comments section with his two cents and four words of wisdom. I’m all for freedom and everyone has just as much a right to stupidity as Jeff.
Brett, you are as crazy as Charlie Sheen. I’ve never read such crazy posts at EW as yours. Get some help!
Bring back Sheen
I hope he doesn’t go back, he is such a big headded actor that I think he needs to unbloat himself. With that being said, GET HELP DUDE, your display of on air rants makes you look major bad. HELP IS NEEDED.
Name me an actor who isn’t big headed?
Who does he look bad to? He doesn’t look bad to me, he looks like a guy who is sucessful, loves life, has some crazy ass one liners but doesn’t roll over and take the crap. A fighter, a winner and one hell of a funny guy.
If you disagree you are free to ignore all news about Charlie and not watch his shows/movies… we don’t force it on you afterall.
“A fighter, a winner and one hell of a funny guy”… hmm, let’s see you admire him for shooting his fiance? or for choking his 2nd wife? For threatening to kill his 3rd wife at knifepoint? or for terrifying a hooker while he trashed a hotel room? Which of these past actions makes Mr. Sheen a “winner” in your eyes?
As Charlie Sheen said, we only have their word for that. And he is a winner because he DIDNT kill any of them, has overcome his addictions and is off the drugs.
Typically, you read out of context and brough other information which is not related to my comment in to question.
I’m not saying I agree with everything he has done (for starters I am very anti-drugs, I have seen too many of my friends lose their lives to drugs or worse, lose their minds). I’m also not saying I believe everything he says or that these women are saying. You are aware people can, and have, lied about what people in the public eye have done?
You also forgot to name an actor who isn’t big headed. While you’re at it, name an American Celeb who isn’t arrogant.
Everyone is replacable, you are not really Moses. Get over your wacked out self.
Wrong. You cannot replace Charlie in Two and a half men. The show is about Charlie. Ironically, his lifestyle (the thing the show focuses on) is what’s caused the show to stop…
Was Moses not replacable then?
Methinks Brett and Rich are indeed the same “Sheen” lovers.
methinks Davey, Kim, Tom, Will and Rolo are all the same person. Poor, pitiful wretches who have nothing else better to do than go on message boards for shows they hate to spout their bile, spreading the negativity like an infection.
Methinks? Who the hell talks like that these days?
Think what you like although believe it or not, there is more than 1 person who is behind Charlie Sheen in this world, two of whom are here.