Without Charlie Sheen, What's Next for 'Two and a Half Men'?

Isn't it ironic? Every week, for several years now, fans of Two and a Half Men have tuned in to watch an out-of-control, unconscionable bachelor named Charlie Harper, who parties too hard and can't seem to commit to just one woman. The fact that Charlie Sheen, who plays that character, is also an out-of-control carouser/womanizer has simply given all those debauchery jokes an extra zing. That anything-goes vibe has helped make the show the highest rated prime-time sitcom on TV. Hey, it's all in good fun! Charlie Harper always lands on his feet! Party on!

But now more than ever, Sheen appears to be partying on borrowed time. After his second, drug-fueled trip to the ER in the last six months, the actor is now rehabbing at home. According to TMZ, he'll be out of pocket for the next three months, derailing the next eight episodes of Two and a Half Men.

For a time, all those gags about porn stars and inebriated behavior will have to wait… so the actor who delivers them can ween himself off of porn stars and inebriated behavior. Sheen has filmed two upcoming episodes; the first of the pair is called "Three Hookers and a Philly Cheesesteak." Sometimes, irony is just depressing.

No doubt some prominent TV execs feel that way. If the show is forced to shut down, it could jeopardize as much as $250 million in domestic syndication revenue for Warner Bros. Television and CBS, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That's not to mention the 300 crew members directly affected by the show's demise.

And if the show does manage to get back into production in three months, will it be able to survive the turmoil and make up for lost time? Won't it be a little weird to watch a newly clean and sober Sheen back on the show, and back to his drunken horn-dog ways? Will it be funny anymore, with viewers now fully enlightened about the actual consequences of this type of living?

These questions don't have ready answers. Despite its mainstream success, many TV watchers (like this one) fail to understand the popularity of Two and a Half Men -- and its caddish main character -- in the first place. Will fans of the show stick with Sheen? And if he doesn't return, would they watch the show with someone else in the lead? Only the fans know.

In the meantime, CBS isn't sitting around waiting to find out. The network has already ordered more episodes of Rules of Engagement and Mike & Molly to fill the gap left by Men. One day, we'll all know just how big that gap will be.

Can Two and a Half Men survive all this turmoil? Chime in below!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/without-charlie-sheen-whats-next-two-and-half-men/1-a-319255

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