I've tried to steer clear of covering actor Charlie Sheen's recent brushes with the law, because this isn't a celebrity-gossip site, and unless incidents like that directly affect TV comedy shows, I'm not interested in reporting them. Well, it looks like that direct effect might be coming: The LA Times reports that Sheen's court appearances related to his felony menacing charge could very well derail production on the incredibly popular Two and a Half Men, for which Sheen is the highest-paid star in scripted TV.
At the very least, production has been shifted for the rest of this season to accommodate Sheen's needs. But the real test will come if Sheen has to participate in a lengthy trial, or, even worse, if he ends up having to serve jail time. Two and a Half Men is a huge franchise for CBS, and there's little chance it would survive without Sheen (it'd have to be retitled One and a Half Men, for starters). To lose the show would be a huge blow to the network's powerhouse sitcom lineup.
Of course, Two and a Half Men has been on for seven seasons, and is consistently mediocre. From a quality standpoint, it wouldn't be much of a tragedy for it to end. But I doubt anyone involved would like to see it go out like this.
Photo courtesy of CBS
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