While Charlie Sheen spectacularly and entertainingly imploded last year, putting an end to his involvement of the long-running, highly-successful show that made him one of the highest paid actors in television despite the fact that “Two And A Half Men” is fucking godawful. And while Ashton Kutcher has been hired on to replace him on the next season, during which the writers, in a clear ratings grab, will kill off Sheen’s character, the man who has declared himself an F-18 already has a new program in development where he’ll take the lead role.
Movie producer Joe Roth is rolling the dice on Sheen actually showing up to work and not snorting cocaine off porn star tits, by co-producing “Anger Management,” a new sitcom loosely based on the 2003 Adam Sandler/Jack Nicholson movie that Roth also worked on. The ironic logline for the show set up at Lionsgate TV follows “a non-confrontational man who is ordered to attend group anger management sessions led by a therapist who could probably use some anger management himself.” Sheen will play said therapist while there’s no word yet on who will co-star. The show is now going out to networks with producers looking for a ten-episode order to be followed by a ninety-episode commitment if ratings goals are hit. But will anyone want to work with Sheen given his now sordid reputation?
We presume the answer will be yes. Joe Roth is a pretty huge figure in the movie world, and if he’s signing off on Sheen — who he’s worked with on five films including “Major League” and “Young Guns” — others will be compelled. Of course, one can’t ignore how hypocritical Hollywood is as Mel Gibson continues to be exiled while Sheen, who has a longer history of doing and saying things that have been just as contemptible if not worse, continues to be embraced by the media and by some in the industry. We suppose if Gibson traveled to talk shows, and called in rambling to radio programs about warlocks and trolls, his path back to redemption would be more easily paved.
Anyway, we’re sure “Anger Management” will be just as atrocious as “Two And A Half Men” so we don’t really care. But it is an interesting chapter in the life an actor who has tragically gone off the rails and who still needs help despite his own assertions that he doesn’t. Continuing to feed his ego probably isn’t the best thing for him. Anyway, here’s the trailer for the original movie. We totally forgot John C. Reilly was in this. [Deadline]