Image Credit: Mitchell Haddad/CBSSpin City did it. So did 8 Simple Rules, Cheers, NewsRadio, and Hogan’s Family. Even The Office wants to try its luck without Michael Scott. So should Two and a Half Men move ahead sans Charlie Sheen? Though Chuck Lorre created Men with Sheen solely in mind, there are plenty of scribes in the network comedy business who think the executive producer would be crazy to give up now on TV’s No. 1 comedy.
“Even if they lose a quarter of their audience, it’ll still be a hit, so they’d be crazy not to try to replace him,” says one veteran showrunner with a hit comedy on cable. “In my experience, change is good creatively for a show. Look at Cheers or Law & Order. The challenge of reinventing a show is a positive thing.”
Adds an Emmy-winning scribe on an NBC series: “A lot of people have worked very hard on that show for a lot of years. They’ve earned the right to at least give it a go. If it doesn’t work, then call it quits. But at least give it a try.”
Even one source close to the long-running comedy is quietly hoping that Lorre will feel empowered to continue with a ninth season, just based on some of Sheen’s insensitive comments over the last two weeks. (Among the actor’s many criticisms of the showrunner that helped to make him a star, Sheen called Lorre a clown and “a stupid, stupid little man.”) Lorre, regrettably, has not defended himself to the media.
For now, insiders say it’s still too early to predict what Lorre and Warner Bros. TV will want to do, so provocative headlines about how Rob Lowe or John Stamos may be up to the task to replace Sheen are premature – if not so wrong. (Would Charlie’s harpy mother Evelyn want to spar with a guy she also happens to find immensely adorable?) But we already know CBS topper Les Moonves would like to see more episodes. Addressing a Morgan Stanley technology conference in San Francisco last week, the chairman said, “I hope it’s back.”
But will Moonves want to see the network’s pact for a ninth season of Men renegotiated now that Sheen is gone? Though the network reportedly pays $4 million per episode, CBS might be able to argue that the comedy has lost some luster now that its lead is history. Then again, has it — or will it? Interest in the comedy is as strong as ever: Last night’s rerun of Men, for example, attracted 10.1 million viewers and was the second-most-watched show for the night behind an original episode of House. The promise of a new season of Men without Sheen could attract a whole new level of rubberneckers during the 2011-12 season.
Most of the EW.com readers who took our poll — 43 percent — thought Men should go on without Sheen. Have an opinion yourself? To place your vote, click here.
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Isn’t 43% a minority? Hmmm 43% think it should go on, that means 57% don’t. #Winning
And 61 percent say the show should go on, either with a replacement or with the cast as is.
Thanks for being able to read and add.
Replace Charlie Sheen with Robert Downey Jr.
There were 3 choices in the poll, so 43% is a majority. So “Research” is #Winning
No, 43% would be a plurality. A majority is more than half (50% + 1 vote).
ahhh, the American educational system. you gotta love it.
So what if Charlie called Lorre a “little man.” Lorre called Charlie a “degenerate” in an intrerview with the Hollywood reporter last November. Plus Lorre made disparaging comments about Charlie in his vanity cards. That’s not how a boss should treat his star.
This show won’t survive without Charlie, as it was created for him. Alan is funny, but only as a foil to Charlie.
So…if Lorre is short in stature, Charlie is correct. However, height aside – Lorre is correct no matter how tall Mr. Warlock is.
“That’s not how a boss should treat his star.” And you think it’s ok for an employee to publicly badmouth his boss and expect to keep his job?
the star was insulted waaay before he started to insult his boss Lorre.
I didnt realize that had been going on, i wouldnt blame someone for getting upset over it.
the show wont last with out sheen, unless whomever replaces him is fantasticly popular – Like JOhnny Depp lol.
Not when you consider that 42% of us voted ‘I don’t give a #$%& about whether it continues or not’
Thank you!
A lot of viewers may enjoy watching 2.5 men but let’s face it, it’s NOT Grey’s Anatomy nor Glee, meaning for me that I don’t care if the episode on air is a new one or an old one. I watch when it’s on but I won’t break my TV nor voodoo CBS people when the show goes on a break. I don’t know if “Charlie Harper” was specifically written for Sheen but I’m sure they’re a lot of veteran actors related to the Brat Pack who would be glad to take over (Rob Lowe, Matthew Broderick, John Cusack, Matt Dillon, Kiefer Sutherland, and so on).Rob Lowe would be fine, but he needs some fat, he’s too fit!
Anywho, Mr Lorre, it’s time to show us how extremely creative you are. #winning ? Or #bi-winning?
“but let’s face it, it’s NOT Grey’s Anatomy nor Glee”
I’ve seen it all now. Is Grey’s Anatomy even on? Glee? I can’t wait until that trash is off the air. You disqualified your comment with your opening sentence.
No, it’s not clear the way it’s written, but there was 18% that said that the show should go on without a replacement for Sheen. If you add that to the 43%, a majority would want the show to go on without him.
@Lauren
Perhaps the script writers could replace Charlie with another rich blood-brother: Either Evelin’s secret son from an affair or from Charlie’s/Alan’s dead father’s previous ‘fling’. He could be written in by trying to buy a property and it all starts off there.
The Sheen issue is actually moot. Angus Young has grown up, so the show’s premise has expired. There’s no point in continuing — with or without Sheen.
Uh, Angus Young is in AC/DC, not Two and a Half Men.
@Darrow. 43% is a majority when there’s more than 2 options, and 43% has the most votes. Try and keep up…
43% is never a ‘majority’ when it comes to voting. Just because one option had more than 100% divided by the options (in this case, more than 33%) does not make it a majority. It would not be a majority if there was 10 choices and one choice ended up with 11%. Majority is specifically 51%
I don’t know what you learn at school or if you own a dictionary, but a majority means ‘a greater number’. It doesn’t matter if it’s 51%, 43% or even 11%. Lesson over.
um, no. greater number less than 51% is a plurality. are you really that uneducated?
41% Majority? DUMB BlTCH.
hehe i do like it when people just calls others dumb and thereby making themselves well… dumb. 1st of all Jenn, no reason to call someone stupid b’se they understand something differently. Tis common knowledge that majority & plurality in some sects of the english language can be used interchangeably (check out the Brits, who for all intents & purpose were really the pioneers of the english language), or how americans use dumb to mean uninformed/misinformed. I could have said stupid but i can’t be sure from the use of just one word.
Dumb skank.
I’m sorry but regardless of what’s happening in Charlie’s life, no one can replace him in this show. This show is Charlie Sheen.
Then the show is crap…oh, wait…
LOL! Nice one. Crap=Charlie. No Charlie=maybe a different show. Sorry everyone’s out of work. Like the majority of us…no, the plurality of us…a bunch of us…a minority of us… z z z z
I guarantee you that if they get someone else to replace Charlie as the main character the show won’t make it longer than one season. As I mentioned before, regardless of what’s going on in his life (which is up to him to live they way he wants regardless whether the rest of us agree with it or not) the show was written based on him and his lifestyle. I seriously can’t imagine anyone else being as successful in that role as he was. It’s unfortunate that this is happening because it was a great show and I feel badly for the other actors on the show but I don’t see it surviving without Charlie.
You, the funny thing here is that people said the same thing when Michael J. Fox left Spin City…and was replaced…by Charlie Sheen.
It would be poetic justice if Michael J. Fox was brought in …
He should at least do a cameo on the season premiere if they decide to go on. The Rob Lowe rumors are intriguing. I’d miss him on Parks and Rec, but he’d be a good choice as a replacement.
Ys and Spin City only lasted 2 seasons after Michael J. Fox left. Even thought Charlie did a great job replacing him and even won a Golden Globe for his part in that show, it’s hard for a show to survive when the main character is replaced.
I never watched the show for Charlie. Come on, it wasn’t even an acting stretch–just a schmoe playing himself. Oh, there’s an Emmy winner. Not!
yeah, what he said.
It’ll be hard for CBS to find someone else with Tiger blood and Adonis DNA!!
Or with alien warlock credentials.
The show is charlie sheen!
Agreed. Everyone else, including the other 1.5 men are supporting characters to Charlie. To replace him is blasphemy.
The show has very good writing. Any competent actors would look good saying those lines.
that’s true Deb, but really it’s just a toned down Charlie Sheen reality show.
without Sheen, I would watch it even more regularly, just to support the crew and castmates!
Yes, me too.
There are many excellent supporting cast members and crew. The show must go on but with a new spin.
Right! The rest of the cast can act circles around Warlock Boy, and have been carrying the show despite Charlie’s unnecessary presence. The show could go on just fine without him.
Isn’t Rob Lowe a full cast member of Parks & Rec now? Can he just pull out whenever he wants to?
Not sure the show makes sense with Charlie. Yeah, other shows have gone on when they lost their lead…but very few were successful at it. So if CBS gives it a go without Charlie, fine. But I doubt it will be very successful. Too many people will think they’ve already jumped the shark. Maybe CBS should just concentrate on their other hit comedies.
it will TANK. plain and simple. you know it. I know it. The American people know it.
Perhaps they could bring in Bob Dole.
I agree. It will tank without Charlie. I wish they would just work it out and bring him back. I have a feeling this isn’t the first time he’s had such a meltdown. We’re just seeing it this time. I wonder if that’s why his family hasn’t intervened. Maybe he does this all the time?!
I say put in Charlie’s brother Emilio Estevez. He’s a better actor anyway.
@Rick: Very true. Emilio is much more talented as both an actor and a director.
Mmmm.. Cheers, Valerie Harper’s show renamed The Hogans, MASH, whatever David Caruso left, Bewitched.
Sorry Charlie, for $2 million take your hookers, crack and get lost. Dead within a year.
Hard to say if “Cheers” would have worked without Ted Danson. “MASH” definitely would not have worked without Alan Alda. “2 & a Half Men” could probably work without Sheen, but as someone mentioned, the show’s biggest problem is the fact that Angus T. Young is no long “half” a man.
Angus Young is in AC/DC, Angus T Jones is in Two and a Half Men.
WHAT A HAINT!!!!!
I’ve only watched his show a handful of times, but it seems to me that the funniest characters weren’t the “men” at all…they were the housekeeper and the mother.
Don’t forget Rose!
Definitely agree…the show was orginally created for Sheen as the start, Cryer as the straight man, and Jones as the kid. However, the character of Charlie never really evolved and became much less funny after the first few seasons. Since then, the best episodes of the series have featured the supporting cast providing most of the humor.
The show succeeds quite well when Alan, Jake, Berta, Rose and Evelyn (Mom) have bigger roles in the story lines. We’ll miss Charlie’s one-trick pony act, but not for long if it’s played right.
I agree and I believe that Robert Downey Jr. would play the Charlie Harper role perfectly.
The show is overrated, as is Sheen. Find something else to do with your time, like maybe, reading a BOOK? Start by working on elevating your collective IQ, America, and take the rest from there.
I guess you’ve started your journey of elevating by being on this site?
Oh and Newsradio should not be used as an example. The fifth season with John Lovits was a bit of a fiasco and the show was never the same without Hartman. As for Cheers they did replace Shelly Long but she wasn’t really the star of the show. Danson was!
To be technical, Ted Danson and Shelly Long shared top billing in the Cheers opening credits. Kirstie Alley was just as important as Shelly Long was to the show but her credit would come up separate from Ted Danson’s name.
Actually, Ted and Shelley had “staggered billing” – the name on the right higher than the name on the left. (This is also true with the leads in “Bones.”)
Phil Hartman was loved by everyone who worked at “Newsradio,” so the entire show fell into a state of depression when he died so tragically. No replacement could have helped it regain its spirit, but I’ll give Lovitz (who was a friend of Hartman’s) credit for his effort.
He is the show.
The producer should man up and do some BUTT kissing!
Whoa – butt-kissing is manly? Since when??
He means in Hollywood
Haha, “man up and butt kissing” ? It seems to me that they’re pretty antagonistic expressions.
No butt kissing necessary. If the show ends today, the production company will still continue to make a fortune on the show’s syndication rights for the next 2 or 3 decades. Sheen, however, probably won’t make another dime off this particular show.
LOL….he get’s bank every time an episode is repeated. #winning
That may only be for reruns on the CBS network in prime time. Most actors do not get residuals from syndication.
I think he is a incredible actor,in the begining he really looked like he had it all together,but the recent news footage I have seen looks like he is a bit off to say the least,he is the best part of the show,it would be nice to see him take a year off and come back to the show clean and sober..regardless you got to love him!
No, I don’t “gotta love him.”
Where is his brother…his father…in all this? Clearly he has gone off the deep end and is spiraling out of control. If you think his little skanks, er I mean goddesses, stay because they care about what happens to him…think again. No decent woman would want to be with him after all the hookers and porn stars he’s slept with. Pity his kids!
He should change “winning” to whining because that’s all this is.
A bit off? That’s a serious understatement.
To be honest, if the show continued with Sheen, I’d stop watching. I know my little vote doesn’t mean much, but I’d hate to think that I was contributing to the finances that allowed him to continue his downward spiral and died. If you can live with that, fine. I just can’t. Such a waste of talent and I lament that loss.