» That’s a lot of Sheen: In what might be one of the most unusual contracts signed in television history, FX has agreed to air a new episode of Charlie Sheen’s post-“Two and a Half Men” comeback show 45 out of the 52 weeks of each of the next two years, which means that the show is going to be ready for syndication by September 2014. Why so many episodes in such a short time? A locked-in cost. Even if the show, which has had strong but inconsistent ratings, is a major hit, it won’t cost FX any more to air the show, which reportedly costs less than $1 million per episode to produce. And as Sheen owns roughly 40 percent of the show, there’s likely strong encouragement to want to send to syndication quickly. But even so, that’s aggressive scheduling for network that generally airs shows in 10-episode blocks. FX planned it this way, though, setting a ratings threshold that automatically kicked in a 90-episode renewal if ratings were high enough.
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Ashton Kutcher didn’t bomb during premiere? According to USA Today, the introduction of his new character to “Two and A Half Men” was nearly seamless. Sure, they had to start with a funeral for Charlie Sheen’s legacy, but the show picked up with the same tone as before. Whether or not that’s a good thing, we’re still not sure of. source
Sheen is a pretty big get for the cable net and most definitely a step up from Kid Rock.
The Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen will air at 10/9c on Monday, Sept. 19 — which just so happens to be the same night Ashton Kutcher makes his debut as Sheen’s replacement on Men.
Though they will air on the same night, a wise move by Comedy Central, Two and a Half Men returns at 9 pm, an hour before the roast.
Brilliant counter-programming strategy.
I think the Republicans are very concerned that I [may] run as an independent. I could also possibly win as an independent, otherwise I wouldn’t do it. I’m not doing it for any other reason. I like winning.Donald Trump • Suggesting he would pull a Ross Perot and run for president independently if he doesn’t win the GOP nomination. With a little Charlie Sheen at the end. Oh God. Will ol’ Sideshow Don quit it? source (via • follow)
» We’re tentative about even broaching this, as we got tired and sick of the media’s Sheen-o-rama much quicker than most. But even if only as a means to interrupt the flow of globally important, sometimes dire news for a little diversionary breather, this New York Times article about the disastrous debut of Sheen’s live show (characteristically called Violent Torpedo of Truth) last night is worth a look. We kept thinking while reading this about what Bill Maher predicted two weeks ago: “He’ll come out, he’ll say his catchphrase ‘duh, winning,’ the place will go nuts, and then it will be a long, slow march to 9:30.” It looks like he nailed it.
Charlie Sheen still makes more sense than John Boehner, because at least Charlie Sheen is winning.Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips • Expressing dissatisfaction with the Speaker of the House. A topical comparison, sure, but is it really accurate to say that Charlie Sheen is “winning?” source (via • follow)
General Petraeus is giving us the Charlie Sheen counter-insurgency strategy, which is to give exclusive interviews to every major network, and to keep saying ‘we’re winning’ and hope the public actually agrees with you.Rep. Lynn Woolsy (D-CA) • Quoting Rolling Stone editor Michael Hastings, who made the comparison at a Congressional Progressive Caucus meeting, on the House Floor. Woolsey wants US troops out of Afghanistan, pronto, and hasn’t taken kindly to the optimism in Petraeus’ recent media blitz. This isn’t the first time she’s come down on Petraeus, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan; in 2010, she accused the general of using “weasel words” to dodge a question about the troops’ withdrawal date. source (via • follow)
I’m moving back to New York in a few days. Unlike past...
OMG. I got so...
In this week’s Newsweek, a little...
Tumblr this morning. [h/t anne]
#@#$%!.tumblr.com
Here’s a hidden feature that shipped in...
This is very good news. They continue to be in breach, like so many whales. It is a big day of gladness at the Sober Valley Lodge because now I can take all of the bazillions, never have to look at whatshiscock again and I never have to put on those silly shirts for as long as this warlock exists in the terrestrial dimension.Charlie Sheen, on being fired earlier today by Warner Bros. Television (source)
jeffmiller said: over 100,000 people are watching charlie sheen on ustream right now; we live in a weird country
» We say: We’d like to note that we took our readers’ advice and are avoiding it for now. If he does something beyond actively press-baiting, we’ll cover it.
laurafitch said: One ShortForm fan’s opinion: no more Charlie Sheen. Rise above celebrity tracking and stick to the really important stuff.
» We say: To explain why we cover softer things sometimes, we like to keep a balance between serious and fun (because sometimes you need both, both as writer and reader). It’s something we did with the old site. Without traditional sections, though, it’s harder to make the separation. We do appreciate the criticism, though, and we’ll open this mess up for discussion because we definitely want to know what our readers have to say about this. What do you guys think?
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