14 DAY TRIAL // A little over a month ago, Charlie Sheen, star of CBS’ hit show “Two and a Half Men,” was saying that, should his contract with the network not be renewed for another season, he’d quietly go away, happy for the good job he’d done so far. That will not be the case, TMZ reports, as negotiations have just been concluded and the actor has been singed on for 2 more years on the show.
His contract was one of the most mediated in the industry, especially since negotiations for it began shortly after he was arrested later last year for domestic assault and drunken behavior. Instead of leaving a huge dent in ratings, the incident and the incredible amount of media coverage it got boosted ratings for the show, virtually enabling Sheen to claim an even higher salary than what he had until then. The network would not offer it to him at first, so negotiations soon reached a dead end, which, in turn, prompted speculation that “Two and a Half Men” might actually get the axe.
It was a close call, but it did not happen, TMZ says, so fans of the series can breathe a genuine sigh of relief. “TMZ has learned Charlie Sheen has agreed to a new deal with Warner Bros. to do 2 more years of ‘Two and a Half Men.’ The deal was made today. One source connected with the negotiations tells TMZ, ‘Charlie is very happy.’ As for how much Charlie got, TMZ first reported Charlie wanted around $2 million an episode. We’re told Warner Bros. initially offered substantially less than half that amount, but we’re told the company went up considerably,” the celebrity gossip e-zine and paparazzi agency reports.
An official announcement is still pending, with the same sources saying for TMZ that a statement from CBS should come no later than Wednesday. The first step into that direction has already been made, with Sheen issuing a confirmation, albeit a rather cryptic one. “To put a fitting end on the two-and-one-half months of whirlwind speculation, I’m looking forward to returning to my CBS home on Monday nights. I want to thank Les Moonves for his support,” Sheen says in a statement to the same media outlet.
As one can easily note, the actor makes no mention of whether his return to the show will be for one season, two or even more but, since TMZ is rarely in the wrong, fans might as well take its assurance that Sheen is safely locked in his contract for 2 new seasons.