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"Two and a Half Men" (2003)

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81 comments in total

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101 out of 128 people found the following comment useful :-
most creative joke writing I've ever seen in years, 16 April 2004
Author: yoshu from RTP, NC

This show flat rocks!

Charlie Sheen has a reputation for being a wild child, John Cryer plays the perfect neurotic boob, and the writers play perfectly into the juxtaposition of the two. Toss in a juvenile (Angus Jones, aka Jake) and the scenes become flat hilarious, as the adults attempt to deal with often raunchy mature topics, while keeping the kid in the dark.

This show has some of the best creative writing I've seen in years. No clichéd 'dumbed-down for the masses' or hackneyed pratfalls here, all are setup and timed with perfect execution by the players. Some of the darkest, driest and quick-witted performances on TV in years, very reminiscent of the quirkiness and off-the-cuff repartee of Woody, Norm, et.al. on Cheers. One of the best original laughs on TV these days, hope it survives for a long time! A real treat, amidst all the dumbed down humor that's seems to prevail everywhere else.

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76 out of 87 people found the following comment useful :-
Funniest Show on TV, 6 March 2006
Author: (ks1u@prodigy.net) from United States Quaker Hill, CT

This show has more laughs per minute than any other sit com. I have not laughed as often or as intensely because of any TV show in decades. The casting and acting is superb and the writing creative and hilarious. If you don't laugh at this show, sell your television and see a doctor, because something ain't right. The characters are diverse and quirky, the subjects always seem to push the limits without offending, and I only wish the show was on more than once a week. It's the kind of show where the actors must go home, collect their checks and wonder why they are paid so much for doing something they enjoy so much. I envy them, we should all be so fortunate in doing something that brings this level of humor into the lives of others. For this I extend my sincere appreciation to the cast, writers, directors and producers.

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101 out of 146 people found the following comment useful :-
THE ONLY DECENT NEW COMEDY SERIES ON TV, 19 July 2004
Author: gregorybnyc from New York City, USA

I love this show. It's funny, bright, irreverent, and like nothing else

on the tube these days. Charlie Sheen was an excellent save in

SPIN CITY, but he's perfectly cast as the lazy, womanizing single

guy who writes ad jingles for a living, and whose space is invaded

by his nerdy brother, Jonathan Cryer, and his ten-year-old son,

Angus T. Jones. While Sheen does warm up to his nephew, he's

doesn't turn all saccharine and start acting like an uncle should.

Instead, he's a wonderfully corrupting influence and the two of

them often collude against the father. I've only seen one posting

about Melanie Lynskey's brilliant turn as the female stalker who is

always looking through Charlie's deck door. It's about as funny a

regular gag as Carlton the doorman on the old Rhoda show and

Candace Bergin's endless line of incompetent secretaries. She's

adorable and makes the character both hilarious and creepy. Well

done.

Holland Taylor is perfect as the insufferable mother both sons love

to resent. Her self-involvement is hilarious. The name of the

splendid comic actress playing Sheen's housekeeper is Conchata

Ferrell, a veteran of TV sitcoms (Hotl Baltimore). It's wonderful to

see her back in action.

Favorite episode was the return of an ex-flame of Charlie's. Only

she is now a he, having had a sex-change operation. When it's

discovered that "he" has spent the night with Charlie's mom, I

could barely contain myself. I was hysterical with laughter. Then

Conchata Ferrell's bit as the housekeeper who begs Charlie,

offering him free housekeeping for a month, if she can be there to

witness his telling his mother that the he was formerly a she!

Priceless.

Wonderful cast. Wonderful, crisp writing and well-observed

situations. This one has all the hallmarks of a sitcom classic and

I hope it runs for years. I was never much of a Charlie Sheen

admirer, but he's evolved into a first-rate comic actor and he leads

this first-rate ensemble with low-key charm and expert delivery.

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32 out of 38 people found the following comment useful :-
Best ever!, 19 October 2006

Author: chibifiedeyes from Australia

I love this show! It's an amazing mix of dirty humour and amusing 'real life' situations. It's very enjoyable for a laugh and some fun!

The entire show appears to be dedicated to making the audience laugh at the character's dilemmas and it is very amusing to see how everyone's situation entwines and makes into a large but hilarious plot!

The entire cast is very amusing and their voices, attitudes, appearances and body language portray their characters to their full potential.

I DEFINITELY recommend that you watch this show. At least watch several episodes to get a taste of it. I can almost definitely guarantee you'll be hooked!

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42 out of 61 people found the following comment useful :-
Fun, well-crafted show.. uncertain future., 12 April 2004
Author: eajordan from Pittsburgh, PA

This show is really fun to watch. I can't tell who's better - the writers or the actors. The writing is great - tight and witty with plenty of sarcasm. The actors are very talented and work incredibly well with each other. You can tell they have a lot of fun together and it's fun to watch.

On some shows, if the writers have an "off" day, the whole episode is subpar. The same with any of the actors. But in the case of this show, I think if anyone has an "off" day, the rest of the ensemble could carry the show brilliantly.

If the chemistry and writing stay at current levels (or continue to get better) I can see this show winning a lot of critical acclaim. The only thing I wonder - just how much comedy can be milked out of the characters' current lives before the

writers have to start inventing bizarre plots just to get laughs?

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34 out of 53 people found the following comment useful :-
the funniest show on television, bar none!!!, 6 October 2005

Author: renar from Frederick, Maryland

I cannot get enough of this show. I laugh out loud through the entire episode, EVERY WEEK. The entire cast is hilarious. It is difficult to choose who is the funniest. In the season opener, I feel that Angus really out shined everyone else. His timing was impeccable. And, Jon Cryer with the girl's mother in the principal's office, I laughed so hard, I started crying. I hope that this program runs for many years, until Jake goes to college. We don't see enough of him, though and I know that is because of his age. The women are also awesome. The next to the last or last episode this past season was priceless with Holland Taylor being drenched because Jake left the bathtub running. If you haven't watched this show, don't miss it next week. I guarantee you will laugh a lot!!!

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33 out of 52 people found the following comment useful :-
Laid back fun and racked with potential, Sheen finally gets a chance to shine, 4 May 2004
Author: howTVshouldbe from star range: 1 - 4, expanded to 5 for classics

Network: CBS; Genre: Sitcom; Average Content Rating: TV-PG; Classification: Contemporary (star range: 1 - 4);

Season Reviewed: 2+ seasons

Bachelor, womanizer and commercial jingle writer Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) sees his quite existence set slightly ajar when his straight-laced, now divorced brother, Alan (Jon Cryer), and 10 year old nephew, Jake (Angus T. Jones), move in. Before I begin, let me point out that my description of the show is accurate to it's attitude. That's the first sign that we're in territory that isn't entirely clichés of the standard sitcom. In another series Charlie's world would have been "rocked" or "turned upside down" with the arrival of a child. The episodes would have written themselves as the task of parental responsibility creates wackiness on autopilot that the show could have coasted on for at least a season. But 'Two and a Half Men' is such a laid back series that, much like it's comic lead, the show is more inclined to slap on a wacky Hawaiian shirt & mismatched shorts, put up it's sandal-wearing feet and shrug off these conventions as the boring trite that they are.

'Two and a Half Men' is series that centers on characters that are financially secure, generally without life's pressure and have so little to do from day-to-day that they get entangled in goofy frivolous minutia. I like this type of show. It's the epitome of simple TV escapism but without stooping to stupid 'Friends' shenanigans. 'Men' goes even beyond that. It's an unabashed superficial male fantasy where it's heroes live on the beach, drink margaritas and get to hang out with a kid and then get to shuttle him off to his real parents. The show is more concerned with getting Sheen some on screen action than it is any plot-point that goes form A to C in 30 minutes. The episodes flow along with a loose idea in them, but have more of a day-in-the-life feel. It's the type of feel that put the tombstone on the head of this year's ABC effort '10-8: Officers On Duty', but in a sitcom where nothing is at stake, it works well.

This style can be hit-or-miss for the show. It's more a playground for the actors than any storytelling device. When it's working, such as in the Prudence episode or an early episode where the brothers get drunk and spend the whole time planning to tell off their mother (Holland Taylor, 'The Practice') only to chicken out on her doorstep, 'Men' sings like a classic screwball comedy. When it isn't, there isn't a story to back it up and everything can fall apart.

Fortunately, Creator and sitcom writer-for-hire Lee Aronsohn ('Cybill') has put together a solid cast to sell this stuff. After an impressive performance taking the reins from Michael J. Fox on 'Spin City', it should have been a no-brainer to give Charlie Sheen his own series. Sheen again proves he's one of the better and more underrated comic actors on the tube. In true 'Odd Couple' style, Cryer is terrific as Sheen's uptight opposite although we don't get to see his gift for physical comedy as often as we should. The two of them could have held the show together without the insertion of young Jones. But, once again straying from convention, Jones doesn't play the insufferable "cute kid" role. A big grip I have about the show is the placement of the kid. There's something creepy about a 10-year-old kid put in the middle of all the sexual escapades.

I've saved the best for last. The single best and most original comedic idea contained in 'Two and a Half Men' is the character of Rose. In an all-out performance by Melanie Lynskey, Rose is a heart stealer. That great mix of funny and creepy. I can only imagine the writer's room where somebody pitched the idea that Sheen's character would have a female stalker and that she was going to be a major character. And that she would spend entire scenes standing on the deck looking through a window.

* * ½

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28 out of 44 people found the following comment useful :-
Really funny, 7 January 2005
Author: macraddock from United States

This is the only sitcom I make an effort to watch! I drive my son nuts when he hears me laughing out loud, by myself in front of the TV! This show is fast and smart. Being the mother of three grown men, the relationship with their Mom is great! I enjoy all the characters, the housekeeper is wonderful asset to the show with some of the best lines. The actor who plays the boy is also excellent, and I am not a lover of child actors, but this kid just hits the mark and is very realistic. Of course Charlie Sheen when he has a part that laughs at himself is superb! John Cryer as his brother is also perfect. The ditsy neighbor is a bit of a stretch, but seems to fill a vacant spot (no pun meant) As I have said this is the one sitcom I look forward to watching. 5/10/05 Now son has finally started watching and has to admit it is a funny program.....

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21 out of 31 people found the following comment useful :-
Charlie you the man! Good pickup and a winner for CBS., 27 March 2006
Author: Danny Blankenship from Petersburg, Virginia

It's nice to see one of my favorite actors back in the mix of things, now three seasons in. Charlie Sheen now has one of the better hit shows on TV. This is funny well written and sex driven material that keeps the whole show interesting. Good story lines with Charlie Sheen as a liberal California womanizer, who takes in his divorced brother a nervous and conservative Alan played by the funny Jon Cryer, and then his son the adorable Jake played by Angus T. Jones who adds sugar to the cake round out a fine trio of men, who despite differences in lifestyle help one another out along the way and live as a big happy family. Always being a big Charlie Sheen fan it's nice to see him have success like this, even though it's coming on TV and not the big screen movies, he can still be a major factor in any comedy parts as it has been proved with this gem.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
A Delightful Comic Serial, 5 October 2007

Author: somajha from India

Here is a show that always brings a smile on my face. That's a guarantee.Two brothers,so very different in personalities,a mother delightfully self-centred,a little boy,cool and collected,a no nonsense housekeeper and the odd Rose who appears from the wainscoting-almost! The script is so good and delivered perfectly by all the actors.Charlie Sheen's casual spaced out persona brings out exactly who he is.A job most well done. Jon Cryer is just too good an actor.Excellent expression of a harassed,exasperated and slightly neurotic character often at sea as to how to deal with a bright son who now and then pairs up with his Uncle.And such talent in the little guy-Angus T. Jones. I always look forward to the appearance of the Mother and the Housekeeper.They are always so good.But my special favourite is Rose, enacted by the talented Melanie Lynskey.How subtly she brings out her obsessive and yet cute self.She is the right gal for Charlie's character, sweet,funny and crazy.

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