CBS and Warner Bros. are keeping business in the family

Apr 27, 2010 09:44 GMT  ·  By
Joe Estevez, Charlie Sheen’s uncle, thinks to replace him on “Two and a Half Men” when he leaves
   Joe Estevez, Charlie Sheen’s uncle, thinks to replace him on “Two and a Half Men” when he leaves

No official announcement that Charlie Sheen is done with the hit comedy series “Two and a Half Men” has yet been made, but word in the industry is that he’s already closed this chapter of his life and looking to move on with other projects. Presumably motivated by a desire to keep the show on the air, CBS and Warner Bros. have come up with an idea for the perfect replacement for Sheen: his own uncle, TMZ reports.

As Sheen himself put it a while back, negotiations for the renewal of his contract reached a dead end but, should the ax drop, he’d be more than OK with the idea that the show had run its course and time had come to say goodbye. While the star might be at peace with the idea, the network is far from it, claims the aforementioned e-zine. After all, this is one of the most watched sitcoms on air, even getting an unexpected boost in ratings after Sheen was arrested for domestic assault late last year.

Consequently, if Sheen goes – which he most likely will, if we’re to trust his initial statement –, he will be replaced. The network won’t bring a stranger, though, and neither will it try to find someone to fill in Sheen’s shoes and carry the same part, because, frankly, that would be impossible. Instead, the big bosses over at CBS and Warner have come up with the idea of bringing in Charlie’s real-life uncle, Joe Estevez, to play his uncle on TV, while his own character is gone.

“Should Charlie Sheen decide to leave ‘Two and a Half Men’ – and we sincerely doubt that will happen – his uncle, Joe Estevez, knows who should replace him: Joe Estevez! d Meyers, Estevez’s rep, tells TMZ he will go to Chuck Lorre, creator of the show, and pitch him the idea of Estevez taking on the role. The idea would be that Charlie’s character has gone missing or overseas (details on that part are sketchy) and Joe would play the role of his uncle. Hardly a stretch,” TMZ writes.

“Meyers says that Estevez wants to save the show ‘for the good of the family.’ He’s willing to take on the role for as long as Charlie is out – which Joe thinks might be for good. We doubt Joe will command Charlie’s hefty salary, but it’s worth a shot,” the same media outlet further says. However, a story arc of this kind would also imply that Charlie returns at some point – otherwise the show can’t really end without him. As of now, that’s an issue Joe Estevez has not discussed with anyone, but do keep an eye on this space in case he does.