One and a Half Men and a Kutcher, or, Oh dear God no why WHY

[Magus]

Words fail to express:

Originally Posted by Christian Science Monitor

The announcement Friday that Ashton Kutcher will join the cast of the hit comedy “Two and a Half Men” ends speculation that CBS and Warner Bros. might let the TV show die, after its principal actor, Charlie Sheen, was fired in March.

But it is unlikely, many observers say, that Mr. Kutcher take over Mr. Sheen’s character on the show. Rather, Kutcher’s presence will give the writers a chance to go in new directions.

“Sheen’s character was getting a little thin,” says Robert Thompson, founder of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University in New York. “As good as Charlie Sheen was, his TV alter ego, Charlie Harper, had begun to wear out. You can only do so many stories with a drinking, drugged-out womanizer.”

The change in the central character raises the question: Will “Two and a Half Men” be as successful going forward? Over eight seasons, the show has enjoyed strong ratings and has been a “tent pole” commodity, meaning it has helped attract other talent and series to the CBS lineup.

A look at TV history suggests that “Two and a Half Men” could go either way. “8 Simple Rules” did not recover well from the sudden death of John Ritter in 2003. But after wide speculation that “Cheers” would fade with the exit of Shelley Long in 1987, the show did even better when Kirstie Alley came on the show. Similarly, when David Caruso left “NYPD Blue” in 1994, critics were worried the show would suffer. It didn’t.

Sheen himself helped extend the hit show “Spin City” when he replaced its Golden Globe-winning star, Michael J. Fox, in 2000.

“The ultimately interesting point in all this is debated in television and theater classes across America all the time,” says Fordham University communications professor Paul Levinson, author of “New New Media.” “Is it the overall characters or the overall story that is most compelling to audiences?”

Commenting on “Two and a Half Men,” he adds, “If Ashton Kutcher succeeds in the absence of Sheen, it will weigh in on the side that characters are less important than the overall story. If he doesn’t succeed, it will be evidence that overall, characters are more important.”

But others argue that a TV show has so many dynamics – writing, characters, star power, chemistry, guest stars, and duration – that it is extremely difficult to sort out the variables.

Already, however, a number of analysts say that “Two and a Half Men” will do better with Kutcher because of the writing and supporting cast.

“Everyone is underestimating how much American audiences love this entire cast coming into our living rooms,” says Gwendolyn Foster, professor of film studies at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. “They would have been incalculably stupid to throw away one of the most popular ensemble casts ever.”

However popular Sheen was, she adds, Kutcher has all the demographic attractions a TV executive could want. “He is popular with old people, young people, middle-aged people, blue state, red state ... it doesn’t matter,” she says. “He has that amazing combination of good looks that women adore and that men don’t find threatening.”

It is not known what CBS will pay Kutcher, although Sheen was the highest-paid actor on TV, earning just under $2 million per episode.

This year, many have become concerned that the real-life Sheen had become too close to his on-screen persona. The termination letter from CBS to Sheen’s lawyer read in part: “For months before the suspension of production, Mr. Sheen’s erratic behavior escalated while his condition deteriorated. His declining condition undermined the production in numerous and significant ways.”

The announcement about Kutcher comes just in time for next week’s all-important “upfronts” in New York, in which networks roll out their new ideas, casts, and shows for the fall so that marketers can buy commercial air time before the television season begins.

Kutcher first gained recognition as Michael Kelso on the hit TV comedy "That 70's Show," which aired for eight seasons. He went on to star in a variety of movies, including “What Happens in Vegas” with Cameron Diaz and the recent “No Strings Attached” with Natalie Portman.

“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,” Kutcher said in a statement.

Kutcher will join Jon Cryer, Angus T. Jones, Holland Taylor, Marin Hinkle, and Conchata Ferrell this summer to work on the ninth season of the show.

Let me just repeat one of the assertions of this story:

Originally Posted by Professor Gwendolyn Foster

However popular Sheen was, she adds, Kutcher has all the demographic attractions a TV executive could want. “He is popular with old people, young people, middle-aged people, blue state, red state ... it doesn’t matter,” she says. “He has that amazing combination of good looks that women adore and that men don’t find threatening.”

Ahem. Methinks it is not that Ashton Kutcher is popular with all these vast and numerous groups...methinks the cherubic Ashton is popular with the dear professor as her fantasy boy toy.

At least we can all look forward to the eventual cancellation of this show and the therefore absolute rock bottom Kutcher's career will have reached, for when one cannot even work on a sub-par sitcom, one has nothing left but camera commercials. And when one has nothing left but camera commercials, one has nothing left.

Let me repeat one more quote here, just to solidify in your minds the depravity that is Ashton Kutcher:

Originally Posted by Talentless Hack Ashton Kutcher

“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,” Kutcher said in a statement.

2.5. He calls the show 2.5. Oh dear God why does this thing exist, this person, argh

[Flarecobra]

I detect various degrees of bias.

[RobinStarwing]

Originally Posted by Flarecobra

I detect various degrees of bias.

Me too but even I'm wary of this change. Kutcher is no Sheen (Thank the Goddess!) but if people don't like him in it, the show will tank and fail.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Good thing I never watched the show at all!

[Overcast]

They keyline I believe, is how the replacement is worked in. When they say that Sheen had become too much like his character they say that like it is a bad thing. His character was a jerk, made to be jerk, always hedonistic asshole. If Kutcher's past work are any indicator even if he isn't playing an idiot he will be playing a playful guy, a genuinely nice guy. Now Sheen was the polarity to the anal retentive nature of the off end. I don't really know HOW they plan to work Kutcher in, and how his on screen chemistry will work in the dynamic.

[Specterbane]

Charlie will be killed off al-la soap opera parody style, straight man will take on jerk-brother-esc role as a way to deal with his grief, and Kutcher will be the new guy renting a room to pay for former straight man's alimony.

This is my 100% true, clearly super informed, not at all fictitiously facetious prediction that should be taken as the obvious and clear truth of the matter that is to come as the name changes from 'Two and a Half Men' to '2.5 Men'.

[Amake]

“Sheen’s character was getting a little thin”

I cannot roll my eyes hard enough.

I've actually watched quite a few episodes of the show, which I'm not proud of. I blame certain friends who work hard and actively seek out the most braindead entertainment they can when they come home to relax, and me having somewhat of a compulsion to watch a movie or TV show episode to the end once it's started. But anyway I can say with authority that the show was the absolute of bottom of the shit barrel unfunny, repetitive, incredibly sexist waste of time ever shown on prime time television.

So we should ask, when Ashton Kutcher meets "2.5", who is really getting sullied?

[Overcast]

Nothing, it is a sitcom, everyone knows sitcoms are the lowest form of television entertainment. Surprised you didn't come expecting this level of awful.

[Krylo]

Also, Kutcher was in "Dude, Where's My Car."

[Aerozord]

when I watched a few episodes my thought was, wow what a talented comedic cast they have... shame they have no clue how to properly apply them and the entire things is just lacking

Originally Posted by Overcast

Nothing, it is a sitcom, everyone knows sitcoms are the lowest form of television entertainment. Surprised you didn't come expecting this level of awful.

no thats reality TV, and sitcoms can be awesome. My current favorite sitcom is Bob's Burgers