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Two and a Half Men
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Two and a Half Men is an Emmy Award- and Golden Globe Award-nominated American television sitcom, which premiered on CBS on Monday, September 22, 2003 at 9:30 p.m., ET/PT. The sitcom stars Jon Cryer, Charlie Sheen and Angus T. Jones.
series centers around a freewheeling bachelor, Charlie, whose carefree lifestyle is interrupted when his newly separated brother Alan moves in along with his son, Jake. The show was co-created by executive producers Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn.

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Two and a Half Men is an Emmy Award- and Golden Globe Award-nominated American television sitcom, which premiered on CBS on Monday, September 22, 2003 at 9:30 p.m., ET/PT. The sitcom stars Jon Cryer, Charlie Sheen and Angus T. Jones.
Premise
The series centers around a freewheeling bachelor, Charlie, whose carefree lifestyle is interrupted when his newly separated brother Alan moves in along with his son, Jake. The show was co-created by executive producers Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn. In its third season, starting September 2005, it moved to Mondays at 9:00 p.m. (taking Everybody Loves Raymonds time slot). Two and a Half Men debuted in local syndication in September 2007, also soon to be syndicated on the FX cable network in 2010. Production on the show was halted on November 6, 2007 due to the 2007 WGA strike. The show returned March 17, 2008 with nine episodes to conclude the fifth season. CBS also renewed the show for a sixth season, which premiered on September 22, 2008, five years after the first episode of the series initially aired.
Main characters
- Charlie Sheen as Charles Francis "Charlie" Harper, a hedonistic ladies' man, never married (although he once was about to get married to Mia (Emmanuelle Vaugier)), jingle/children's song writer who tends to pick on his younger brother Alan but ultimately loves him. He is the exact opposite of his little brother: relaxed and affluent. He loves his nephew Jake and gives him advice (much of which is not age-appropriate), but the two often trade barbs as well.
- Jon Cryer as Alan Jerome Harper, Charlie's divorced chiropractor brother, who is more conscientious than his brother but continually stricken with bad luck and teased by Charlie. After losing his house to his wife, Judith, during the divorce, he permanently resides with Charlie. He is generally a nice and polite person, but seems to have a weakness for women who treat him poorly, which may stem from the non-nurturing relationship he had with his and Charlie's mother. The most practical character on the show, Alan's scruples and frugality are frequent joke-fodder. Jon Cryer plays the part of the younger brother, by two years, yet in real life he is a few months older than Charlie Sheen.
- Angus T. Jones as Jacob David "Jake" Harper, the underachieving son of Alan and Judith. He spends most of his free time playing video games, eating, watching television and sleeping. He loves his father and uncle but is often surly toward them. Despite popular belief, Sheen, Cryer, and Jones do not sing the show's catchy theme song; the voice Jones is lip-syncing is actually that of female singer and voice-over artist Elizabeth Daily.
- Conchata Ferrell (season 2 onward; recurring in season 1), as their sarcastic housekeeper Berta. Although Berta's manner may be viewed as rude, Alan and Charlie still treat her with a great deal of respect. She has a sister named Daisy, played by Camryn Manheim, with whom she does not get along. She also has a number of daughters and granddaughters, who she herself states are "sleazy and easy" and sometimes brings along to work, with the example of Prudence, who is played by Megan Fox She has flirted with Teddy Leopold and several other men who enter the house. She has been known to attend many of the Harper family functions.
- Marin Hinkle as Judith Harper, Alan's vindictive first ex-wife. She seems to despise Alan and takes any chance to humiliate him. She was the first woman Alan ever slept with, but their marriage was cold and she said that the only time she was ever happy being sexual was when she was pregnant with Jake. Alan often calls out her hypocritical behavior (mostly directed at her disapproval of him having girlfriends around Jake, when she has had relationships with another woman and various men herself) but also seems to still have feelings for her, going as far as having visions of her and her new husband when he began dating a mutual friend of theirs. She made no secret of living luxuriously with Alan's alimony, going as far as to get breast implants. She has since remarried to Dr. Herb Melnick (Ryan Stiles), Jake's pediatrician, a union that brought joy to Alan because it meant he no longer had to pay alimony. She still makes Alan pay child support for activities she doesn't want to trouble Herb with. In Season 6, she threw Herb out of the house and briefly reunited with Alan before throwing HIM out and reconciling with Herb, and it was later revealed she was pregnant. She has angrily declared the baby is Herb's and threatened to kill Alan if he reveals their affair, leaving Alan stuck as to how to deal with the situation.
- Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper, Charlie and Alan's conceited and self-centered mother and Jake's grandmother. She expresses a superficial fondness for her sons and grandson, but rarely lives up to her outsized image of herself as a devoted and misunderstood matriarch. Her sons and grandson generally return the favor and go out of their way to avoid interacting with her on most occasions. Her wide-ranging sex life is a recurring gag throughout the series. The family frequently refers to her as "the devil", and Charlie has her number on his cell phone under the name "666". Her latest romance ended disastrously when her new husband (Teddy) had a heart attack while sleeping with his alleged stepdaughter, only for the police to reveal that Teddy was a con artist, who had planned to steal all of Evelyn's money and share it with the young woman, his much younger partner and lover. This can be seen as alluding to the theme of karma, even though she was lucky and avoided the scam. In the episode
The Sea is a Harsh Mistress, Charlie was in the ocean, where he had a vision and saw his dead father's head floating beside him. His father told him to take care of Evelyn, which puzzled him, because he didn't see how anyone could demand of him to take care of her. In the end of the episode, Charlie watched TV with his mother, when he picked up a message from a film noir. Suddenly, he realized what his father had meant by "taking care" of her.
Recurring characters
- Melanie Lynskey (starring seasons 1-2; recurring season 3 onward) as their neighbor Rose, a former girlfriend and stalker of Charlie's. She enters and exits Charlie's house by climbing onto the patio and has five ferrets, all named Charlie. Rose earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton University in two years and has a Masters Degree in behavioral psychology from Stanford University. Her family is involved in banking and oil, making them - and implicitly her - wealthy. Rose eventually left for London, England but has since returned to the U.S. and found new ways to woo and stalk Charlie. Rose's father is played by Charlie Sheen's real-life father Martin Sheen. She is shown hanging out with Alan occasionally and they get along very well. They discussed going further in their relationship, but decided to remain friends. Lynskey's character has surprising depths that belie her absurdity. She once created a website devoted to hating Charlie, which turned out to be a social experiment provoking Charlie to understand the emotional damage he tends to leave behind in his relationships. A running gag throughout the series is when Charlie suspects that some random coincidences where she is behind them all, no one believes him but it is later revealed to the viewers that he was correct. Rose celebrated her birthday in the episode "Sleep Tight, Puddin' Pop" November 7, 2005.
- Ryan Stiles (recurring season 2 onward) as Dr. Herb Melnick, Judith's new husband and Jake's new stepfather. Though he is married to Judith, he is a laid-back guy and he and Alan seem to get along, and he seems to envy aspects of the Harper brothers' lives (Charlie's partying, the fact that Alan was married to Kandi). Alan is just happy that he no longer has to pay Judith alimony, as she used it for selfish purposes. An inconsistency in the story line is the first time he appears, he is named as Greg.
- April Bowlby (season 4; recurring season 3) as Kandi, Alan's young, dimwitted ex-girlfriend. After an impromptu wedding in Las Vegas, Kandi divorced him and kept their condominium, but they continued to have a semi-regular sexual relationship. When she got a role on a CSI-spoof drama, she signed divorce papers so that Alan wouldn't be able to claim her new-found fortune. She has appeared once more in an episode where the guys, Judith, Herb, Berta, Rose, Evelyn and Kandi go to Charlie's house for Christmas. It has been claimed that she has a new fiancé. Interestingly, she first appeared as one of Charlie's girlfriends in the episode "Madame and Her Special Friend" in November 2005 but was listed as "Kimber" in the closing credits.
Notable guest stars
Guest stars so far have included Emmanuelle Vaugier as Mia,
Jane Lynch as the therapist Dr. Freeman,
Jeri Ryan as Sherri,
Martin Sheen as Rose's father,
Jodi Lyn O'Keefe twice (once as Gail and once as Isabella),
Cloris Leachman as Norma,
Denise Richards as Lisa,
Richard Lewis as Stan,
Teri Hatcher as Judith's sister Liz,
Judy Greer as Myra,
Heather Locklear as Laura Lang,
Megan Fox as Berta's granddaughter Prudence,
Gail O'Grady as Kandi's mother Mandi,
Kevin Sorbo as Kandi's father Andy,
Josie Davis as Sandy,
Robert Wagner as Teddy,
Jenny McCarthy as Teddy's daughter, Courtney,
Ming-Na as Judge Linda Harris,
Jenna Elfman as Frankie,
Camryn Manheim as Daisy,
Brooke Shields as Danielle,
Michael Clark Duncan as neighbor Jerome,
Katherine LaNasa as Lydia,
Chris O'Donnell as Jill/Bill (ex-girlfriend who became a man),
Enrique Iglesias as Fernando, and
Sara Rue as Berta's daughter Naomi.
Sean Penn, Elvis Costello, Harry Dean Stanton, Steven Tyler, James Earl Jones have all appeared as themselves, among other guests
As part of a crossover from the writers and executive producer of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, George Eads made a brief cameo appearance on the May 5, 2008 episode.
Sheen’s real-life brother Emilio Estevez guest-starred as an old friend of Charlie’s.
Episodes
To date, five seasons have been broadcast, with a sixth season in production. The show's 100th episode ("City of Great Racks") aired on October 15, 2007. To celebrate this, a casino-inspired party was held at West Hollywood's Pacific Design Center. Warner Brothers Television also distributed blue Micargi Rover bicycles adorned with the Two and a Half Men logo along with the words "100 Episodes." Each bicycle came with a note saying "You've made us very proud. Here's to a long ride together." The cast also gifted the crew with sterling silver key rings from Tiffany & Co. The key rings were attached to small pendants with "100" inscribed on one side and Two and a Half Men on the other.
Crossover with CSI In 2007, Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre contacted CSI: Crime Scene Investigation executive producer Carol Mendelsohn, about a crossover. At first, the idea seemed unlikely to receive approval; however, it resurfaced when Mendelsohn and Lorre were at the World Television Festival in Canada and they decided to get approval and run with it. Even though the casts' eyebrows raised when they heard about the crossover, they all jumped on board. When Mendelsohn was giving a talk, she accidentally mentioned the crossover, that same day Variety Magazine was already inquiring about the crossover episodes. Mendelsohn later stated: "We're all used to being in control and in charge of our own shows and even though this was a freelance-type situation … there was an expectation and also a desire on all of our parts to really have a true collaboration. You have to give a little. It was sort of a life lesson, I think." "The biggest challenge for us was doing a comedy with a murder in it. Generally our stories are a little lighter," stated Lorre in an interview. "Would our audience go with a dead body in it? There was a moment where it could have gone either way. I think the results were spectacular. It turned out to be a really funny episode." "Fish in a Drawer" was the first part of the crossover to air, on May 5, 2008, and was written by Sarah Goldfinger, Evan Dunsky, Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar. George Eads is the only CSI: Crime Scene Investigation main cast member to make a cameo on Two and a Half Men. Three days later (May 8, 2008) the second part of the crossover, "Two And a Half Deaths" aired, following Gil Grissom (William Petersen) as he investigates the murder of a sitcom diva named Annabelle (Katey Sagal), who was found murdered while she was filming her show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sheen, Cryer and Jones all made cameos in this episode.
Awards and nominations
The show has received multiple award nominations. It was nominated for 30 Primetime Emmy Award nominations (winning four technical awards), and two Golden Globe nominations. The show won the "Favorite TV Comedy" award at the 35th People's Choice Awards.
| Year | Category | Nominee | Result |
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| 2004 | Outstanding Main Title Theme Music | Lee Aronsohn, Grant Geissman, Chuck Lorre | Nominated | | Outstanding Cinematography For A Multi-Camera Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Art Direction For A Multi-Camera Series | | Nominated | | 2005 | Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Multi-camera Sound Mixing For A Series Or Special | | Won | | Outstanding Multi-camera Picture Editing For A Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Cinematography For A Multi-camera Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Art Direction For A Multi-camera Series | | Nominated | | 2006 | Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Multi-camera Sound Mixing For A Series Or Special | | Nominated | | Outstanding Multi-camera Picture Editing For A Series | | Won | | Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Comedy Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Cinematography For A Multi-camera Series | | Nominated | | 2007 | Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Multi-camera Picture Editing For A Series | | Won | | Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Comedy Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Cinematography For A Multi-camera Series | | Won | | 2008 | Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (half-hour) And Animation | | Nominated | | Outstanding Makeup For A Multi-camera Series Or A Special (non-prosthetic) | | Nominated | | Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series | | Nominated | | Outstanding Hairstyling For A Multi-camera Series Or A Special | | Nominated | | Outstanding Comedy Series | | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Nominee | Result |
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| 2005 | Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy | | Nominated | | 2006 | Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy | | Nominated |
U.S. television ratings
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of Two and a Half Men on CBS.
Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.
| Season | Timeslot | Season Premiere | Season Finale | TV Season | Ranking | Viewers (in millions) |
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| 1st | Mondays 9:30pm/8c | September 22, 2003 | May 24, 2004 | 2003-2004 | #15 | 15.3 |
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| 2nd | Mondays 9:30pm/8c | September 20, 2004 | May 23, 2005 | 2004-2005 | #11 | 16.5 |
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| 3rd | Mondays 9:00pm/8c | September 19, 2005 | May 22, 2006 | 2005-2006 | #17 | 15.1 |
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| 4th | Mondays 9:00pm/8c | September 18, 2006 | May 14, 2007 | 2006-2007 | #19 | 14.4 |
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| 5th | Mondays 9:00pm/8c | September 24, 2007 | May 19, 2008 | 2007-2008 | #16 | 13.6 |
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| 6th | Mondays 9:00pm/8c | September 22, 2008 | May 2009 | 2008-2009 | #? | 15.1 |
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For the week ending December 21, 2008, the series was first in households (10.7), with viewers (17.92m), with adults 25-54 (7.3) and with adults 18-49 (5.7). It was the series' best delivery in households and adults 18-49 since February 5, 2007 (the night after the 2007 Super Bowl), with adults 25-54 since February 27, 2006, and viewers since May 16, 2005 (the night of Everybody Loves Raymonds series finale). This is the largest audience for the series in the 9:00 PM time slot.
DVD releases
| DVD Name | Ep # | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 |
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| The Complete First Season | 24 | September 11, 2007 | September 12, 2005 | February 15, 2006 | | The Complete Second Season | 24 | January 8, 2008 | August 28, 2006 | September 6, 2006 | | The Complete Third Season | 24 | May 13, 2008 | May 19, 2008 | July 23, 2008 | | The Complete Fourth Season | 24 | September 23, 2008 | October 6, 2008 | October 8, 2008 | | The Complete Fifth Season | 19 | May 12, 2009 | April 13, 2009 | TBA | | The Complete Sixth Season | 24 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Season 1 Extras
- Two Adults, One Kid, No Grown-Ups - behind the scenes with the cast and crew.
- Backstage tour with Angus T. Jones.
- Gag reel.
Season 2 Extras
- 2˝ Days in the Life of 2˝ - viewers are invited for a behind-the-scenes look at a typical day in the life of cast members Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones.
- The Serious Business of Writing Comedy - a hilarious look at what it really takes to write a comedy show.
- Gag reel.
Season 3 Extras
Season 4 Extras
- Scene access.
- Two all new Behind the Scenes featurettes.
- Deleted scenes.
- Gag reel.
Season 5 Extras
- Two and a Half Men at 100 - featurette on the show's 100th episode.
- The Lore of Chuck Lorre: Must Pause TV - the genesis and evolution of his vanity cards at the end of each episode.
- Dying Is Easy, Comedy Is Hard - chronicling the crossover episodes between writing teams of Two and a Half Men and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
- Bonus episode: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - "Two and a Half Deaths."
Parodies
- In the "North by North Quahog" episode of Family Guy, the name of the show is interpreted in a more literal way. Meg and Chris are watching TV when the announcer says "Now back to Two and a Half Men." The commercial then cuts to the show of the Harper brothers standing beside the bisected upper half of a man, and all of them are screaming and the man cut in half screaming in pain.
- In the Ocean's Three and a Half episode of Family Guy, Peter attempted to induce labour from Bonnie by forcing her baby to watch Two and a Half Men, stating "If you're baby's not totally braindead, it'll come rushing out of there to change the channel." The screen then cut to Alan and Charlie sitting on the couch, with Alan complaining that he doesn't have a date. Charlie offers to give him a number from his little black book, only to pull out a black book the size of a phone book. The screen then cut to an ostrich sitting in the stands, giving a forced laugh.
- A caricatured version of the characters from Two and a Half Men, called Two and a Half Wits, was placed in MAD Magazine issue #450. The artwork was done by artist Tom Richmond, who, himself, found the show very amusing. The show's creator, Chuck Lorre, was very excited about Two and a Half Men being in MAD Magazine, before the issue was published, he contacted MAD Magazine for the original artwork.
External links
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