Has Charlie Sheen lost his shine?

© 2009 Warner Bros. Television. All Rights Reserved.

There’s always been the great debate about whether life imitates art or if it’s the other way around, but the fact that there seems to be so many similarities between Charlie Sheen’s personal life and that of his character on Two and a Half Men could very well lead to the show’s ultimate downfall.

We’re not going to rehash the bickering that has been going on back and forth between Sheen and show creator Chuck Lorre (you can read that elsewhere), but suffice it to say that it had a lot to do with the plug being pulled on the rest of this season.

“Based on the totality of Charlie Sheen’s statements, conduct and condition, CBS and Warner Bros. Television have decided to discontinue production of Two and a Half Men for the remainder of the season,” the two companies said in a joint statement.

But there is more to the story here than a few canceled shows. Sheen’s relationship with the viewers and the producers are crucial moving forward and leave many unanswered questions, such as:

  • Will viewers still be drawn to Sheen’s womanizing, partying, narcissistic character on TV after his personal life has unfolded in very much the same way? What might appear funny on television has been anything but in real life.
  • How will Sheen’s latest outburst toward Lorre affect their chemistry moving forward, and where does Sheen stand with the cast and crew after leaving them hanging this season?
  • Will the canceled episodes this season and a potential ratings slide next season have a ripple effect on other CBS Monday shows like How I Met Your Mother, Mad Love, Mike and Molly and Hawaii Five-O? Most of those shows appear to have the legs to stand on their own, but nobody can dispute that Two and Half Men has been the anchor for the network’s Monday night block.

Many of these questions will be answered over time, but we do know that CBS and Warner Bros. have reason to be concerned heading into the 2011-12 season. It will be interesting to see if Sheen he can repair what at this juncture appears to be an unfixable situation. As a fan of the sitcom, I’m hoping cooler heads will prevail and that the show will return to being one of the funniest comedies on TV.

Stay tuned…

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© 2009 Warner Bros. Television. All Rights Reserved.