“One and Half Men” for CBS: Sheen Fired

Tuesday, 08 March 2011 | by Pat's Picks

As the LA Times puts it, CBS only has one and a half men left. After weeks of escalating antics, the network finally decided to fire Charlie Sheen from its top-rated sitcom, “Two and a Half Men.” In a letter to Sheen’s lawyer, CBS said Sheen had breached his contract by conducting a “tabloid lifestyle,” which included accusations of violence against women and several hospital trips.

The New York Post says the network’s lawyers cited “moral turpitude” in their letter to Sheen’s lawyer. The paper says Sheen responded to the news with “his typical blabbering bravado, ripping the studio, show creator Chuck Lorre and even the shirts he had to wear on the sitcom.”

CBS refused to say whether “Men” would continue without Sheen. Insiders say it would a tough move because so many viewers equate Sheen with his similarly-troubled character. But the Times points out that it is possible to replace the lead of a hit TV show a coup that Sheen actually carried out successfully when he was swapped in for Michael J. Fox on “Spin City.”