Two and a Half Men

The new Two And A Half Men has been panned by some sites in the States – yet others raved about it.

Personally – I have never been a fan or regular viewer of the show. But I watched tonight with fear.

I can say that I laughed regularly and that Ashton’s character, Walden, who has been called boring – is fantastic! He’s obviously an eccentric billionaire in need of love rather than a bore.

I thought Ashton did a great job, and would never thought I would say this, but I will be watching Two and a Half Man again!

Also loved Dharma and Greg cameo!

Two and A Half Men airs at 8.30pm on Channel 9 on Tuesdays.

The new episode of Two and a Half Men starring Ashto Kutcher has been panned in the States. After all the controversy surrounding Sheen-gate, apparently his successor hasn’t lived up to the hype. Here is a review.

SPOILER ALERT!!

Ashton Kutcher made his Two and a Half Men debut on Monday night, leaving many a viewer wondering: Can Dharma and Greg maybe stick around?

That is, in a season premiere ostensibly set up to wow us with Kutcher’s comedic skills and make us look forward to a shiny and happy versus Sheen-y future, it was a flurry of cameos in the first act that delivered the only fun.

The half-hour opened with Charlie Harper’s well-spoiled funeral, he the victim of a suspicions train mishap. In attendance were any number of past “conquests,” including characters played by Jeri Ryan, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Jenny McCarthy, Liz Vassey, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe and Tricia Helfer. (Say what you will about Charlie H., but dude did well.)

That these women scorned were outwardly callous about Charlie’s demise made sense, but the funeral took an odd turn when Charlie’s mother used the forum to brazenly hawk her dead son‘s for-sale beachfront property. Funny, I don’t recall Evelyn being that emotionally detached from her playboy son.

Yet it was the open house at Charlie’s home that gave us the “best” sight gag: On the heels on John Stamos (or someone played by Stamos) surveying and then snubbing the digs, Evelyn showed the property to sitcom lore’s Dharma and Greg (played by Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson) — though it was sad to see that while the former is still very Zen, their marriage seems a bit tense.

Oh, right – this is about Kutcher. One scene later, his Walden Schmidt pops up on the porch, causing Alan to heave Charlie’s ashes into the air, scattering all around… humorously.

And from then on, Men wrestled with the hung-like-an-elephant in the room: Is there as much humor to be mined from a goofy, well-endowed billionaire as there was from a not-as-wealthy jingle writer who seemed to satisfy women just as easily? Early indicators suggest no, seeing as the sitcom already and quickly played the “Look, He Accidentally Bedded Two Hotties At Once While Alan Lay Weeping and [BLEEP]ing” card.

What’s done is done. The clothing-averse, hug-friendly Walden is going to buy Charlie’s house, and presumably will invite Alan and Jake to keep living there, as “relationship-savvy” Alan helps him get over his wife, Bridget. But will the viewers who once made Men TV’s most-watched comedy continue to call the beach house home?

In a poll taken of liked, loved and hated. 52% said they liked, 27% they hated,16% they loved and 5% other.

Source TVLine

Now how is this for a “What to watch on TV Tonight” post? The first night of US ratings for 2011/2012

Here is how it was summed up by tvline.com, with Australian times inserted where appropriate.

8pm Dancing With the Stars (ABC) | Season 13 kicks off with 12 new (varying degrees of) celebrities taking to the parquet. TVLine readers ranked the contenders, from “Thanks for stopping by!” to “Start thinking about where you’ll keep that ghastly trophy.” Seven will air Australian version mid-year. We won’t see the American version as Seven have a strict policy of not airing internationaly versions of these shows. Why not let Foxtel do them?

8 pm The Sing-Off (NBC) | Like DWTS, this reality competition will also run two hours every Monday night on US TV. Nick Lachey will once again serve as host, while this year’s panel of judges will be populated by Sara Bareilles, Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman. Check out the 16 groups in contention. Doubt we will see this in Oz. Maybe on Pay Tv?

8 pm How I Met Your Mother (CBS) | The new season launches with back-to-back episodes featuring a funky wedding and a sexy dance number (watch video). Get caught up on TVLine’s legendary amounts of scoop. Seven will hopefully fast track, right?

8 pm Hell’s Kitchen (Fox) | To make room for all of the fall debuts, some shows have to go bye-bye — as this cooking thing does with its two-hour Season 9 finale. Nine or GEM for us?

8 pm Eureka (Syfy) | The penultimate season’s finale features the Astraeus mission launch and the arrival of a new out-of-this-world threat to this Northwest burg. Our Sci-Fi channel soon.

9 pm Two and a Half Men (CBS) | Sheen out, Kutcher in — this we knew. But tonight, see how the swap happens. (Let’s just hope it doesn’t disrupt the show’s complex mythology too much.). Iar on Nine hours later, Tue Spet 20, 8.30pm

9:30 pm 2 Broke Girls (CBS) | This well-reviewed new sitcom, starring Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs, is getting a very special premiere here, leading out of Men. (It will normally air Mondays at 8:30.) Read my First Impression preview. Nine will air at some stage…

10 pm Castle (ABC) | The season of “explosive” secrets begins now. In case you missed it over the weekend, here’s a piece I did with that jokester Nathan Fillion; check TVLine after the premiere’s West Coast airing for a special something to help lift your jaw off the floor. Seven willl air at some stage – no clue as to whether they will fast track or not.

10 pm Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) | McGarrett’s in jail, but have no fear: John Locke (aka new cast member Terry O’Quinn) may hold the key to his freedom, as Steve’s Navy SEAL mentor. Watch the trailer here. Airs on Ten, Wed Sept 27, 9.30pm. New night, new time. Sundays 8.30 will be Terra Nova. Ten are notorious for moving shows into different tiemlsots!

10 pm The Playboy Club (NBC) | Since offering my First Impression of this ’60s-set series, the pilot’s undergone some changes — largely for the better, I’d say, though I do miss the original, “Ewwww” version of the opening death scene. One thing that hasn’t changed: Tony winner Laura Benanti, as “mother bunny” Carol-Lynne, owns every damn scene she is in. Will air on Pay TV in Australia, but not for a few weeks or longer so they can promote it.

10 pm Roast of Charlie Sheen (Comedy Central) | Because not one joke has been made about the guy in the preceding eight months, right? Channel Nine – Tuesday Sept 20, 9.30pm, after The Joy Of Sets, which airs at 9pm after new Two and a alf Men at 9pm on Nine.

10 pm Fashion Police: The Primetime Emmy Awards (E!) | As long as Nina Dobrev is crowned Best Dressed, it’s all good.

Coming up on Tuesday: NCIS (which we will see on Ten Tue Sept 27, 8.30pm), Glee (which we will see on Ten Wed Sept 21 8.30pm – noy long to go now!), The Biggest Loser…. (next year for us in Australia), NCIS: Los Angeles (after NCIS on TEN), New Girl (Fox) (Australia? No idea at this stage!!!), Raising Hope…(Ten / ELEVEN when? We don’t know yet!). Body of Proof (Seven envetually) and Unforgettable (CBS) (which will air on Nine soon).

Source: tvline.com

Lots of fast tracking at Nine, as they release their guide for the week commencing September 25, 2011. New shows including Person of Interest and Charlie’s Angels will premiere that week, as will the latest season of Survivor which this time is in the South Pacific.

Here’s the details.

Sunday Sept 25
6.30 RBT
7.30 60 Minutes
8.30 Underbelly: Razor
9.30 Person Of Interest Premiere

Monday Sept 26
7.30 Farmer Wants a Wife
8.30 Movie: Four Holidays – free to air premiere
(Note this is Brownlow Medal night on Seven, so nothing big pitched against it on Nine)

Tuesday Sept 27
7.30 Charlie’s Angels Premiere
8.30 Two and a Half Men new season, second episode (1st one premieres 8.30pm Sept 20)
9.00 The Joy of Sets ep2
9.30 Survivor South Pacific 90 minute premiere

Wednesday Sept 28
7.30 Send in the Dogs Australia – new series
8.30 CSI season 12 premiere
9.30 Prime Suspect Premiere

Thursday Sept 29
7.30 The Big Bang Theory repeat
8.00 The Big Bang Theory repeat
8.30 Hamish & Andy’s Gap Year – season finale
9.30 The Footy Show – season finale (NRL markets 2 hour final.. AFL markets 3 hour final)

The following week, expect even more new shows with numerous timeslots on Thursday night becoming available, as well as Monday from 8.30pm. New The Mentalist may air on Mondays at 8.30, and will new Big Bang reside on Thursday nights, like it does in the states?

Nine are now heavily promoting new Two and a Half Men which is set to air at 8.30pm, Tuesday September 20. This will be the much anticipated first episode of the new season without Charlie Sheen and with Ashton Kutcher filling Sheen’s void.

New Two and a Half Men will be followed by the premiere of new locally produced comedy series The Joy of Sets which is another TV based comedy show involving Ed Kavelee. While I am tempted to say “it won’t work”, based on the (lack of) success of anything comedy Nine have done this year, as well as similar shows in past years, The Joy of Sets could maybe become the exception. It airs at 9pm Tuesday Sept 20.

That will be followed by The Roast of Charlie Sheen at 9.30pm that night.

Looking at the rest of that week on Nine, the network are yet to decide what to air at 9.30pm Sunday Sept 19, with two hours of TBA currently slated at that time.

On Monday night (Sept 19), at 8.30pm will be the movie Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. Whether this remains in that timeslot will depend how this week’s movie “The Ugly Truth” (which airs 8.30pm Monday Sept 12) does in ratings.

To Tuesday night, prior to NEW Two and a Half Men at 8.30pm, is an hour of repeat Two and a Half Men from 7.30pm. Perhaps the idea here is to wet the viewers’ appetite for the new one, but honestly – my concern is that the new one will be lost in a sea of reteats and the result will be the new episode at 8.30pm won’t do anywhere near as well as it could have in ratings.

Wednesday night – Nine’s equally troubled night as Tuesdays sees the final in the Ocean Giants series air ay 7.30pm. A Mentalist repeat airs at 8.30pm, then new RPA at 9.30pm. UPDATED – NOTE: Although Nine have now changed Wed Sept 14 moving RPA to 8.30 and Where Are They Now in at 10pm, they have not yet issued an amendment for Wed Sept 21.

Thursday night (Sept 22), and Big Bang repeats fill 7pm – 8.30pm, while, in the US, the season 5 premiere of NEW Big Bang Theory airs on this night their time. Will Nine fast track and get new Big Bang on the following week? We hope so!

On Friday (Sept 23), NRL (NRL markets, plus VIC if the Storm are still in the comp and playing that night) will see the NRL preliminary final no.1 at 7.30pm, followed byThe Rugby World Cup 2011 at 9.45pm in which Australia play the USA (should be on GEM in non-NRL markets). Should be a shoe-in for the Wallabies!

As mentioned in the Ten programming post for the week Sept 18-24, I will soon be posting a tally of which Australian network is doing the best with fast tracking as the new US season takes off from Sept 19 their time.

So far Nine and Ten are equal with one each. Nine have Two and a Half Men, Ten have Glee. As for Seven, they are almost overflowing with content that fast tracking hardly seems necessary for them. Besides – Seven have well and truly won the 2011 ratings year in any case.

Programming news for the week September 25-October 1 will be very interesting! Monday September 26 for Nine will be especially interesting, as it is obvious that the movies on Monday nights now are a temporary programming measure.

Will we see new Mentalist at 8.30pm Monday Sept 26?

New Two and a Half Men will premiere at 8.30pm on Tuesday September 20, to be followed by The Joy of Sets and then the Charlie Sheen Roast at 9.30pm!

The Joy Of Sets, a unique take on television – the good, the bad and the gloriously misguided – premieres Tuesday, September 20 at 9.00pm on Channel Nine.

Written and hosted by Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee, The Joy of Sets will take you to parts of the television universe you never knew existed. By the end of the series keen viewers will have learnt enough to create their own smash hit TV format – or their money back. *

In the premiere episode, Tony and Ed start their tutorials at the very beginning – opening titles or, as it’s known in the trade, “selling the meat”. What’s the best way to hook an audience – sex, freaky weirdness or cheesy headshots? Joining the boys to help explain are Peter Phelps, veteran of title sequences from Sons and Daughters, Baywatch and Rescue Special Ops, and for some unknown reason Warwick Capper.

Throughout the series Tony and Ed teach the audience things about television that they probably would have already noticed if they hadn’t wasted so much of their lives watching television. How do cooking shows turn peeling potatoes into ratings gold? Why does every third cop on American TV seem to be called “Ramerez?” Who killed Warwick Capper? All these questions, and more, will be answered on The Joy Of Sets.

New Zealand-born comedian Tony Martin first appeared on Australian TV and radio as part of the D-Generation comedy troupe and was part of their Logie-winning cult hit, The Late Show. He has made multiple appearances on Kath & Kim, Thank God You’re Here, The 7PM Project and Spicks and Specks. Most recently he directed episodes of The Librarians and Judith Lucy’s Spiritual Journey, and has hosted two series of A Quiet Word.

 Ed Kavalee has appeared as a TV regular on Thank God You’re Here, Out of the Question hosted by Glenn Robbins, Good News Week, and Santo Sam and Ed’s Cup Fever during the 2010 World Cup. He currently anchors Hughesy and Kate on radio for Nova.

Tony and Ed first worked together in 2006 on Triple M’s radio program, Get This.    

 From Andrew Denton’s production company, Zapruder’s Other Films, The Joy Of Sets is an affectionate and funny journey through the world of television.

During the first ad break in the Block finale tonight (August 21), Nine hinted at the fact they will be fast tracking the new series of Two and a Half Men – the first without Charlie Sheen.

The ad essentially asks “what is the meaing of life?”, “Are we alone”, “Is there life after death?”, then says – “to be honest we don’t know… but we do know what happens to Charlie”.

Then goes on to say… “All will be revealed soon”.

You see a picture with the text on a white board – like the picture above used in US promos - in front of the three stars of the show with Ashton in the centre. 

Two and a Half Men’s new season premieres in the US September 19, and could air on Nine within a few days.

Curiousity factor alone will make this one of the most watched episodes of the sitcom – EVER.

Two and a Half Men returns to Nine soon.

Viewers will be laughing and not crying over former Two and a Half Men star Charlie Sheen’s upcoming death episode.

That’s what series star Jon Cryer told viewers of Los Angeles TV station KTLA on Tuesday.

“I’m not allowed to say much about it. … I will tell you, it’s funny,” he said.

And while he wouldn’t say how Sheen’s character dies, Cryer did deny rumors that it involves a food-related accident.

“There is no meat explosion, just so you know; it’s not some entrée that ends disastrously,” Cryer added.

The Emmy winner also praised his new co-star, Ashton Kutcher, who replaces Sheen on the CBS comedy for its upcoming season, and the creatives behind the show for the way they introduce his character.

“They’ve managed to bring in Ashton in a really terrific way,” he said. “I mean, Ashton just did the show on Friday and just tore the roof off the joint. He was amazing.”

One thing Cryer wasn’t impressed with being a part of the drama surrounding Sheen’s being fired from the series earlier this year following a slew of verbal attacks on their bosses, incluing series co-creator Chuck Lorre. Sheen also attacked Cryer at one point, calling him a “troll,” but then later apologized.

“It was an awful thing to be a part of and I’m glad that some measure of peace has come out of all of it,” Cryer said. “But I never want to go through it again.”

For his part, Sheen said on Monday that he plans to watch the new Two and a Half Men premiere. “Who’s not going to watch?,” Sheen said. “I’ll be there front and center. I’m just as curious as everybody else.”

He added: “I’m actually rooting hard for them and that worm is turning. … It’ll be nice to know that they get some carry-over ratings from people being curious about what happened to their guy.”

With Ashton Kutcher — who finished his first taping late last week — now at the center of the CBS sitcom, Sheen declared: “I think Ashton’s gonna kill it.” This comes months after Sheen declared that Kutcher’s addition would ultimately kill the show.

Sheen has already moved on, with a Comedy Central roast set to air Monday, Sept. 19 — the same night as the Men season premiere in the USA. Jon Cryer is set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of fame the same day.

Two And A Half Men
From the set of Two and a Half Men, comes a picture that may give a hint to the prognosis of Chalie Harper. In the first picture from the set we see Holland Taylor-who plays Charlies mother, dressed all in black. Has she just attended a funeral? Reports also have a lot of tension on the set as the crew adjust to Kutcher, with some claiming he is a diva, while others feel very loyal to Sheen. Two and a Half Men airs on Channel Nine – no word on if they will “fast track” the new season that premieres on September 19 in the USA.

Wilfred
Wilfred has been renewed for a second season in the US, with 13 episodes being ordered. Star Jason Gann said “I’ve been around long enough in this business to know until it’s happening it’s not happening. Once, in Australia, I had two TV shows and a feature film up and they all fell over. I got one show back up, Wilfred, and then the complete ass feel out of my career and I was evicted from my house. It was awful. I went form hero to zero. In November this year, it will be 10 years since I wrote the short film [on which Wilfred is based] with [co-creator] Adam Zwar. Even though we only did 16 episodes in Australia, and already we’ve done 13 here and by the end of next season, this [the U.S.] version will be the Wilfred that is the show. For me, it is the show. It’s incredible that the character has stuck around that long.”
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia has been picked up for two more seasons as well. Wilfred airs on Eleven at 9.30pm on Tuesdays and It’s always Sunny…. airs on the comedy channel at 10pm on Wednesday nights.

House
House will start season 8 an entire year after the end of last season. “The advantage of going forward a year is that everything’s changed, and changed dramatically. ”series creator David Shore said.
We will see House is in prison, serving a sentence for inflicting armageddon on Cuddy’s house; there’s a new Dean of Medicine, and he/she is someone viewers know well; and House’s diagnostics team has undergone a facelift.
The big leap also gives House time to adjust to life after Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein – who is headed to The Mentalist). “I think it’s a smart idea [in light of the fact that] Lisa left the show,” noted Aussie co-star Jesse Spencer. “I think it was kind of necessary to do that. If we picked up right where we left off and Cuddy wasn’t there it [would be strange].”
House airs on Channel Ten and will be back in 2012, while The Mentalist airs on Channel Nine and is also scheduled for a 2012 return.

Fringe
Joshua Jackson has opened up about the Fringe final that saw his character Peter Bishop flicker out of existence. But now, in the wake of Peter’s season-ending act and its dire ramifications, his connection to Olivia (played by Aussie  Anna Torv) “is on an epic scale as well,” Jackson notes. “This guy sacrificed himself for the woman that he loves, which made that relationship more interesting and it launched us into the off-season with this ‘Holy s—t!’ moment.”
“Part of the reason they ended up making the decision to go with that cliff-hanger is because there’s a belief, given how passionate our fans are, that there is a level of trust in us — and we are all keenly aware of not violating that trust,” he shares. “So as much as there was a freak-out and panic, it was done with the hope that everyone understands that we’d never [mess] with our audience, which has been so faithful to us and kept us on the air.
“It was just a case of stealing a page out of [executive producer] J.J. Abrams’ playbook,” he continues, “and keeping people on their toes with anticipation… and then hopefully satisfying their desire.” Fringe airs on GO!