# CBS pulls plug on Two and a Half Men
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 25, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534 "2011-02-25T02:45:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/41 "2011-02-25T14:58:32Z")
> [@Dr.Righteous](#):
>
> The bit that gets me is his comment about “the octagon”. I can only think he imagines himself to have an actual octagon of glowing power around himself.
I think he refers to a caged ring (Utlimate Fighting style) he thinks he has in his house.
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### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/42 "2011-02-25T15:20:44Z")
> [@Dr.Righteous](#):
>
> The bit that gets me is his comment about “the octagon”. I can only think he imagines himself to have an actual octagon of glowing power around himself.
In which he violently loves people.
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/43 "2011-02-25T15:27:06Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#):
>
> Damn them all for stealing my ideas. I’m pitching a Baen Books concept based off of the phrase “Witchfinder General,” with an elite Witchfinder corps tracking down rogue magic users who threaten public safety and national security. Their organization is multi-denominational (“Those who would use magic to their own ends are not limited to Christian believes, we can’t afford to be either.”) and has a church-like hierarchy and ranks (“Deacon-Sergeant Hygenia is a Wiccan herself, and she recognizes that our title is a historical accident, but that doesn’t mean she has to be happy about it.”)
If this doesn’t already exist, I’m sure a Baen executive has read this post and already commissioned a whole series of books based on this concept.
Unless you’re being serious, in which case I’d expect the check to be in the mail any day now.
> [@VarlosZ](#):
>
> I just find it amazing that all this insanity and controversy is surrounding the safest, blandest, most conventional show on television – even if you like it, you’ve got to admit that the show is in no way “out there.”
Safest? This is a show where the 50+ main character regularly sexes up prostitutes and barely legal teens. How anyone considers Two and a Half Men a “family show” is beyond me.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/44 "2011-02-25T15:35:49Z")
> [@Sampiro](#):
>
> Jon Cryer was hysterical [on Conan](http://www.tmz.com/person/more-stories/jon-cryer): “I’m checking TMZ to see if I have to go to work that day”.
>
> Sheen was making over $1.5 million per episode, Jon Cryer $400,000 per episode, and while I’m sure the rest of the cast doesn’t make nearly that much each I’m sure that collectively it’s an additional six figures per episode. I would guess that this show, in spite of the ratings, is far less lucrative to the network than several lesser hits.
>
> _Cheers_ got that way by the end, when even Wendt and Ratzberger were pulling down bigger salaries than the stars of some other hit shows; it was an anchor show but it was far from the top earner.
[TMZ says](http://www.tmz.com/2010/10/07/two-and-a-half-men-angus-t-jones-contract-charlie-sheen-rich-300000-jake-harper/) that Angus T Jones signed a contract last year for $300,000 per episode, and that he’d earn $14.4 million for the next two 24-episode seasons (although that’s probably going to change now). He lucked into a very lucrative role. (BTW, the article says that Sheen’s new contract was for $2 million per episode.)
And I read somewhere that the show is incredibly lucrative both to CBS and Warner Television, even with the high payroll.
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### Author:  [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/45 "2011-02-25T15:46:50Z")
Seems odd of Mr. Sheen to make a big deal out of Lorre’s birth name (Charles Michael Levine), when his own birth name is not Charlie Sheen - it’s Carlos Irwin Estevez.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/46 "2011-02-25T15:48:03Z")
I hope that Angus T Jones is taking Charlie Sheen’s craziness as an object lesson in how not to handle vast amounts of money.
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### Author:  [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/47 "2011-02-25T15:50:28Z")
I love the fact that allegations of domestic violence didn’t bother his producers; holding a hooker hostage across the hall from his kids only rated a suspension; but when he insults _them_, they drop the hammer. Nice set of priorities.
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### Author:  [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/48 "2011-02-25T15:51:36Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> …and that (Angus T. Jones would) earn $14.4 million for the next two 24-episode seasons (although that’s probably going to change now).
Per your own link, it’s guaranteed:
“CBS has guaranteed 48 episodes over the next two seasons, which means Angus would pocket $14.4 mil total, plus that $500,000 signing bonus.”
I watched s.1-3 fairly religiously as reruns, but somehow I missed the kid’s real name. Odd.
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/49 "2011-02-25T15:52:47Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#):
>
> I love the fact that allegations of domestic violence didn’t bother his producers; holding a hooker hostage across the hall from his kids only rated a suspension; but when he insults _them_, they drop the hammer. Nice set of priorities.
It is always different when it affects you directly.
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### Author:  [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/50 "2011-02-25T15:57:49Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#):
>
> Seems odd of Mr. Sheen to make a big deal out of Lorre’s birth name (Charles Michael Levine), when his own birth name is not Charlie Sheen - it’s Carlos Irwin Estevez.
He called him “Chaim” Levine – he was Jew-baiting. A little hint of Mel Gibson.
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### Author:  [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/51 "2011-02-25T15:58:38Z")
[Cats Quote Charlie Sheen](http://mediumlarge.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/cats-quote-charlie-sheen/)
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### Author:  [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/52 "2011-02-25T16:09:01Z")
I think they really couldn’t do anything before because there was no morals clause in his contract, and he kept showing up for work and doing his job, so they couldn’t fire him. Maybe there _is_ something that allows them to pull him for slandering the producer. Lorre might be an asshole and he might be a great guy, but Sheen may have just said the magic words.
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/53 "2011-02-25T16:16:22Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#):
>
> Yeah, but who are these people? My wife and I had an episode on one time for about 10 minutes. Wow, it was terrible. I mean, it was worse than a regular sitcom.
Worse than _Three’s Company_?
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### Author:  [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/54 "2011-02-25T17:29:22Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#):
>
> If this doesn’t already exist, I’m sure a Baen executive has read this post and already commissioned a whole series of books based on this concept.
>
> Unless you’re being serious, in which case I’d expect the check to be in the mail any day now.
>
> Safest? This is a show where the 50+ main character regularly sexes up prostitutes and barely legal teens. **How anyone considers Two and a Half Men a “family show” is beyond me.**
A family show?! My wife and I watch the reruns, and we think it’s hilarious (although I’ve watched a more recent episode–maybe even from this season, and didn’t think it was nearly as funny…the plot’s getting thin. I think it jumped the shark awhile back), but I consider the show about as close to softcore porn as a broadcast network will air.
The show’s extremely lucrative in syndication; you’ll be seeing it on the schedule for decades.
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### Author:  [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/55 "2011-02-25T17:40:15Z")
> [@Musicat](#):
>
> Worse than _Three’s Company_?
About the same IMHO.
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/56 "2011-02-25T18:03:04Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#):
>
> The fact that Charlie consented to an interview with Alex Jones in the first place shows that he has gone way off the deep end.
It was established in the interview that the two have been friends for a while. This isn’t just him being a guest on a fringe show. They’re actual buddies.
Btw, I’ve long loved 2 1/2 Men & I’d like to see some effort to continue without Sheen. Jon Cryer deserves better.
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### Author:  [@Grapefruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grapefruit)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/57 "2011-02-25T18:04:23Z")
Oh good! I don’t really care what Charlie Sheen’s offense to the producers are or whatever celebrity antics he’s up to… the show is just god awful and unfunny. I can’t stand the shows where they have the characters mug for the camera in an completely un-ironic way. (Side note: that’s also the reason why I hate Mike Meyers movies)
I’ve heard multiple people say that they only watch Two and a Half Men because they’re too stoned to reach for the remote and change the channel.
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### Author:  [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/58 "2011-02-25T18:33:11Z")
I dropped the show from my DVR schedule a few weeks ago. I never thought it either a great or horrible show. The appeal for me was that Charlie Harper - and occasionally Alan - dated some really hot women. That visual appeal was enough to get me to tune in.
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### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/59 "2011-02-25T19:05:59Z")
Predicable show with more potty humor recently, and it’s been running on fumes. I miss the older episodes style, etc.
So, when did it jump the shark?
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-pulls-plug-on-two-and-a-half-men/572534/60 "2011-02-25T19:22:14Z")
Chelsea. Or maybe the ballerina. But probably Chelsea.
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