CBS confirmed today that it has ordered two additional episodes of Rules of Engagement to prepare for the possibility that Two and Half Men will have to go on an extended hiatus because of Charlie Sheen’s stint in rehab.
The network may also be close to ordering additional episodes of Mike & Molly, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
It’s unlikely that How I Met Your Mother will have to produce additional episodes. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Cliff Lipson/CBSFor fans of Two and a Half Men, the news that Charlie Sheen would voluntarily enter a rehabilitation center was no doubt bittersweet: The 45-year-old actor could get the help that he needs even though his absence immediately casts doubt on the future of TV’s most-watched comedy. It’s unclear how long he’ll be gone; his publicist didn’t provide any additional information, and neither CBS nor the comedy’s production company, Warner Bros. TV, indicated when the show would return from hiatus. (It’s currently on a scheduled break and was expected to resume on Tuesday.)
Fortunately, CBS not only appears to have options for the rest of the season but also shouldn’t take too much of a ratings hit while its prized asset is gone. After all, the network hasn’t earned its No. 1 status based on Men alone. With ratings powerhouses like NCIS, Survivor, and The Big Bang Theory, ”there is definitely some depth” to its schedule, concedes one competitor. And CBS has been down this road before with Sheen: Men shut down in February 2010 and missed two episodes so the actor could voluntarily enter rehab. The decision came two months after he was arrested for fighting with his wife at their Aspen, Colo., home over the holidays.
Here’s what CBS could have in mind: READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Albert L. Ortega/PR Photos
Charlie Sheen has entered rehab, his rep tells EW. “Charlie Sheen has voluntarily entered an undisclosed rehabilitation center today. He is most grateful to all who have expressed their concern. Mr. Sheen asks that his privacy be respected at this time and that no additional information will be provided,” the rep says in a statement.
CBS also released a statement saying Two and a Half Men will go on production hiatus, following the news. “We are profoundly concerned for his health and well-being, and support his decision,” the network says in a statement.
The actor was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital Thursday with “severe abdominal pains.” READ FULL STORY »
Michael Bezjian/WireImage.com
UPDATE (1/28): Charlie Sheen enters rehab; Two and a Half Men going on production hiatus
Whenever Charlie Sheen makes the kind of shocking headlines like he did on Thursday, the attention always turns to the home of — and the producers behind – Two and A Half Men and what role, if any, they should play in his recovery. The answer is a significant one, even though attempts made by CBS and Warner Bros. TV have apparently fallen on deaf ears.
Here’s what we know: Representatives from both companies have recently approached Sheen with offers to temporarily halt production so the actor/father can seek the help that he needs. (Sheen, who was rushed to the hospital Thursday after complaining of severe stomach pains, went home later that evening.) Clearly, both companies are looking to protect their investment: Averaging 14.7 million viewers, Men is the most-watched comedy on TV and commands well north of $200,000 per 30-second spot in advertising rates. As for WBTV, the production company not only has a deal in place with CBS to deliver Men episodes through 2012, it recently closed a rich new syndication pact to deliver Men reruns to Tribune and Sinclair TV stations through 2021. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagicUPDATED: A representative for Charlie Sheen confirmed that the Two and A Half Men star – who apparently has a history of suffering from what’s called a hiatal hernia – was rushed to the hospital Thursday in Los Angeles. “He has had a history of having this type of hernia, and the person who made the 911 call said he had severe stomach pains and said it was from a hernia condition,” said his spokesman, adding, “I have no firsthand knowledge of any of this.”
TMZ reports that he is expected to stay in the hospital overnight. The CBS comedy that is produced by Warner Bros. TV is currently in the midst of a scheduled hiatus so Sheen’s hospitalization — at least for now — should not affect production. The cast and crew are set to return on Feb. 1.
Earlier this month, a series of reports hit the Internet about Sheen and how he reportedly went on a bender in Las Vegas with porn stars over a weekend. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Paul Drinkwater/NBCThis post started as “Ricky Gervais’ Funniest Golden Globes Jokes” but, really, when it comes to Gervais, his lines that rip the Hollywood elite tend to get more people buzzing than the ones that are merely funny. Here are the biggest zingers from the Golden Globes host:
– “Welcome to a night of partying and heavy drinking. Or as Charlie Sheen calls it: breakfast.”
– “I’d like to quash this ridiculous rumor going around that the only reason The Tourist was nominated was so the HFPA could hang out with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. That is rubbish. That is not the only reason. They also accepted bribes.” (That line is what presumably prompted the HFPA president to shoot back, “Ricky, next time you want me to help you qualify your movies, go to another guy.”)
– “Nothing for Sex and the City 2. I was sure the award for best special effects would go to the team that airbrushed that poster.”
More jokes and VIDEO of Gervais’ monologue after the jump…
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagicCBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler told the nation’s TV critics this morning that “we have a high level of concern” about Charlie Sheen and the reported personal problems that he may or may not be wrestling with off-camera, but expressed confidence in his professionalism on the network’s hit show, Two and a Half Men. “I personally thought a lot about this,” said Tassler, choosing her words carefully. “We have a high level of concern. How can we not? Let me speak personally first. On a very basic human level, I am concerned of course. This man is a father, he has children, he has a family.” READ FULL STORY »
CBS announced its midseason lineup on Tuesday, including debut dates for the Criminal Minds spinoff and the new comedy Mad Love plus new nights for Blue Bloods and The Defenders. Blue Bloods, the season’s No. 2 freshman series among viewers and Friday’s top program in viewers and adults 25-54, will move to Wednesdays at 10 for four consecutive weeks beginning Jan. 19 and return to its regular Friday time period on Feb. 11.
The Defenders, currently airing Wednesdays, relocates to Fridays at 8 starting Feb. 4. Rules of Engagement will also move from Mondays to Thursdays at 8:30 beginning Feb. 24.
Here’s the full midseason lineup:
Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 19
8 p.m. Live to Dance
9 p.m. Criminal Minds
10 p.m. Blue Bloods
Fridays, beginning Feb. 4
8 p.m. The Defenders
9 p.m. CSI: NY
Fridays, beginning Feb. 11
8 p.m. The Defenders
9 p.m. CSI: NY
10 p.m. Blue Bloods
Wednesday, beginning Feb. 16
8 p.m. Survivor: Redemption Island
9 p.m. Criminal Minds
10 p.m. Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior
Monday, beginning Feb. 21
8 p.m. How I Met Your Mother
8:30 p.m. Mad Love
9 p.m. Two and A Half Men
9:30 p.m. Mike & Molly
10 p.m. Hawaii Five-0
Thursday, beginning Feb. 24
8 p.m. The Big Bang Theory
8:30 p.m. Rules of Engagement
9 p.m. CSI
10 p.m. The Mentalist
Friday, beginning April 1
8 pm. Chaos
9 p.m. CSI: NY
10 p.m. Blue Bloods
Show descriptions: Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior stars Forest Whitaker, Janeane Garofalo and Kirsten Vangsness. Mad Love stars Jason Biggs, Sarah Chalke, Tyler Labine, and Judy Greer and is about four New Yorkers, two of whom are falling in love while the other two hate each other. And Chaos, which features Freddy Rodriguez, Eric Close, Tim Blake, and Kurtwood Smith, is a comedic drama about a group of rogue CIA spies in the Clandestine Administration and Oversight Services.
Image Credit: Eric McCandless/ABC; Justin Lubin/Fox; Richard Cartwright/CBS; Eric McCandless/ABCWe’ve already seen the death of six new shows (Lone Star, My Generation, The Whole Truth, Undercovers, Outlaw and Running Wilde, though Fox hasn’t officially canceled the latter) as well as the departure of some old ones (So long, Medium! Looks like you’re out the door, too, Life Unexpected!) So it probably shouldn’t come as any surprise that HUT levels among CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC (that’s “homes using television”) are down 3 percent this year (from 39.7 million to 38.5 million).
Does that mean there weren’t enough good shows to watch on the Big Four this fall? Glee, Modern Family and The Good Wife fans would probably disagree, but it’s never good when so many freshman series tank before the holidays. Here’s how all the shows ranked in total viewers from Sept. 20 to Nov. 28:
1. NCIS (CBS) 21.3 million
2. Dancing with the Stars (ABC) 21.2 million
3. NFL Sunday (NBC) 20.2 million
4. Dancing with the Stars results (ABC) 18.5 million
5. NCIS: LA (CBS) 17.4 million
6. The Mentalist (CBS) 17.3 million
7. Criminal Minds (CBS) 16.2 million
8. CSI (CBS) 15.9 million
9. Two and A Half Men (CBS) 15.5 million
10. NFL Sunday pre-kickoff (NBC) 15.2 million
11. The Big Bang Theory (CBS) 15 million
12. Modern Family (ABC) 14.7 million
13. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) 14.6 million
14. Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) 14 million
15. 60 Minutes (CBS) 13.9 million
16. The Good Wife (CBS) 13.7 million
17. Survivor: Nicaragua (CBS) 13.3 million
18. Blue Bloods (CBS) 13.25 million
19. Desperate Housewives (ABC) 13.22 million
20. Castle (ABC) 13 million READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Sonja Fleming/CBS; Patrick Ecclesine/Fox; Bob D'Amico/ABC; Justin Lubin/NBCHere’s where my 2010 Emmy handicapping starts to get interesting. And by interesting I mean challenging. And by challenging I mean tough. And by tough I mean damn near impossible. All 12 of the nominees in the best lead and supporting actor comedy races can easily make a case for winning come Aug. 29. But only two will. So it’s with great fear and trepidation that I present you with part 3 of my pre-Emmy analysis. READ FULL STORY »
It sounds like it oughta be an easy math problem: Add the babe formerly known as Six to a show called Two and a Half Men, and whad’ya get?
Complications, it turns out. READ FULL STORY »
James Hibberd
@James_Hibberd
Lynette Rice
@EWLynette
