Despite over a decade since it became a major Hollywood story, Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre has written a script for a new show pilot about his Charlie Sheen rift. The CBS sitcom revolved around Sheen as the womanizing jingle writer Charlie Harper whose life is thrown upside down when his younger brother, Alan, has to move in with him after being kicked out and divorced by his ex-wife, with whom Alan shares custody of their son, Jake. After garnering 46 Primetime Emmy nominations and winning nine, Two and a Half Men came to a close in 2015 following a rollercoaster of behind-the-scenes changes in its final seasons.
The Hollywood Reporter has acquired the script for a new TV show pilot, Sex, Drugs and a Sitcom, penned by Chuck Lorre and dated this past June. The screenplay chronicles the Two and a Half Men creator's rift with star Charlie Sheen, taking a meta approach to the situation that would revolve around himself and feature such other real-life subjects as former Warner Bros. Television chairman Peter Roth, "the most powerful man in television and a naughty, naughty boy" former CBS boss Les Moonves, and Matt Lauer, described in the script as the "NBC News anchor, back when he was still getting laid at work." The script also featured the following description for how Lorre should be depicted:
In this telling of the story, Chuck Lorre is portrayed as witty and sympathetic. There is another version where he’s arrogant and insecure. Somebody else can write that one.
Lorre & Sheen's Two and a Half Men Feud Explained
Sheen and Lorre's Two and a Half Men feud is considered to be one of the more infamous in Hollywood history, which began with Sheen's issues with substance abuse frequently delaying filming on the sitcom, and ultimately leading to his dismissal from the show. Sheen took to publicly criticizing Lorre in both interviews and via his own YouTube channel, with some of his comments drawing accusations of antisemitism, and nearly tarnishing Sheen's brand entirely. The four-time Emmy nominee even took to suing Lorre and WB TV for $100 million, with all parties quietly settling the matter a few months later.
Lorre himself was pretty vocal in his distaste for Sheen following his Two and a Half Men firing, as well, eventually reworking the show to kill off Charlie and introduce Ashton Kutcher's Walden Schmidt in his place, while retaining Jon Cryer's Alan as his roommate. Though seeing a slight boost in ratings, Kutcher's tenure scored generally mixed-to-negative reviews from critics and audiences alike, leading to the decision to bring the show to a close with season 12. Lorre still took to the opportunity to get some revenge on Sheen with the Two and a Half Men series finale, in which Charlie was revealed to be alive, but had a piano dropped on him at the end, followed by Lorre turning to the camera and saying "Winning" while subsequently having a paino dropped on him, essentially breaking audiences' immersion and closing the door on any potential revival.
Will Lorre's Sheen Pilot Ever Get Made?
The report of Lorre's script seems to indicate that he only passively attempted to shop the script around town, none of which landed, leaving some to wonder whether the pilot will ever get made. Given Sheen's reputation in Hollywood remains a very complicated one, and the sensitive nature of his feud with Lorre, it seems likely only someone confident in the material would take to giving it a chance. Though his ongoing relationship with CBS could be a hurdle, Lorre's ties with both Netflix and HBO Max could be effective avenues to get it made. Whether or not the pilot comes to be, audiences can try and look back on the brighter days with the entirety of Two and a Half Men streaming on Peacock now.
Source: THR