LOS ANGELES – There are 2 1/2 weeks left for Warner Bros. Television and CBS to decide the fate of “Two and a Half Men.”
With CBS unveiling its fall schedule for advertisers in New York on May 18, deadline pressure is on the network, Warner and “Men” executive producer Chuck Lorre to develop a post-Charlie Sheen version of the sitcom or kill what’s been a highly lucrative property for all.
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Whether the show is returning, who’s in the cast and whether a revamped format would be ready for a fall debut or be delayed until midseason will be resolved before the “upfront” sales presentation to Madison Avenue, according to an executive close to the situation.
The executive spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because Warner and CBS would not authorize public comment on the show’s status.
Speculation has swirled about who might fill the void left by Sheen, joining Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones in the cast that also features Holland Taylor. Some actors seen as potential candidates, including John Stamos and Rob Lowe, have indicated that their interests are elsewhere.
Jay Mohr says he’d jump at the chance. The actor-comedian, whose credits include the sitcoms “Action!” and “Gary Unmarried,” is playing what was described to him as a “Charlie Sheen-esque” type in today’s season debut of USA’s “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”
Stepping in to the sitcom for Sheen is far different than trying to fill the shoes of a “beloved man” like John Ritter, who died while starring in “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter,” he said.
“This is a guy who lit a match, lit the fuse, and it took off,” Mohr said of the former “Two and a Half Men” star.
It’s been nearly two months since Warner fired Sheen in the show’s eighth season, a move that followed the hard-living actor’s bouts of wild partying, repeated hospitalizations and a media campaign against his studio bosses who shut down production.
Carey, Cannon celebrate twins
NEW YORK – Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon celebrated their third anniversary with another milestone — becoming parents to a baby girl and boy.
Carey’s representative, Cindi Berger, confirmed the births. The singing superstar gave birth Saturday at 12:07 p.m. EDT at an undisclosed hospital in Los Angeles. Berger said the girl was born first, weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces, and was 18 inches long; her brother was next, at 5 pounds 6 ounces, and was 19 inches.
Berger said the couple has not named the children yet. Cannon drove Carey to the hospital in their Rolls-Royce Phantom. Berger said that Carey, 41, who had gone through false labor, was calm, thinking that it was another false alarm.
Meanwhile, Cannon, 30, was so nervous he went to the wrong department at the hospital, and was guided to the maternity ward by a nurse.
Source: Lohan wants to end necklace theft case
LOS ANGELES — Lindsay Lohan wants to enter a no contest plea to end a criminal case filed over a $2,500 necklace reported stolen, a source close to the actress said Saturday.
The source, who is familiar with Lohan’s criminal case but was not authorized to comment publicly, said the actress wants to put the case behind her so she can focus on her career.
No court date has been set for Lohan to enter the plea. She is scheduled to return to a Los Angeles court for a pretrial hearing May 11, but the actress is hoping to resolve the case before then, the source said.
By pleading no contest, Lohan would not be admitting guilt, and it was not immediately clear if she would face any additional penalties. The actress already has been sentenced to four months in jail for a probation violation related to the theft case. She is free on bail.
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