‘Two and a Half Men’ dissected at NATPE

Kirk Baird

Thursday, Jan. 27, 2005 | 8:15 a.m.

To say it's difficult to be a hit sitcom in these days of crime-scene dramas and high-stakes reality competitions is an understatement.

A glance at the Nielsen ratings for last week indicates that only two sitcoms made the top 20: "Everybody Loves Raymond" at No. 9 and "Two and a Half Men" at No. 13. And "Raymond" is on its way out, with the series finale scheduled to air in May.

In fact, the odds are probably greater for being struck by lightning or, even, mauled by a lion than for a situation comedy to be a hit.

Perhaps that's why Chuck Lorre, executive producer of "Two and a Half Men," is so thankful for his show's success.

"I've been doing this long enough to say, 'OK, let's drop to our knees and thank God because this doesn't happen very often,' " he joked to a packed group at the National Association of Television Production Executives on Wednesday morning.

Lorre was part of a panel session addressing "Anatomy of a Hit: Two and a Half Men," in a ballroom at Mandalay Bay. The three-day industry conference and exhibit concludes today.

In addressing his sitcom's popularity, Lorre said "Two and a Half Men's" success is a combination of talented actors and quality writing.

"We write each script every day until we get it as good as we possibly can," he said. "I'm well-versed in cliches of situation comedy characters. The challenge is for us to write characters that have depth."

"Two and a Half Men" is centered on uptight chiropractor Alan Harper (Jon Cryer) and his 10-year-old son, Jake, (Angus T. Jones), who are forced to move in with Alan's wealthy, womanizing bachelor brother, Charlie (Charlie Sheen), after Alan's wife files for divorce.

Even as the show was being developed, Lorre said he knew he wanted Sheen for the role of Charlie Harper.

After reading the script for the series, Sheen joked he didn't know whether to be flattered or insulted.

"I was being asked to play a drunk womanizer. Why would they want me?" he said.

Still, the actor said he was drawn to the "smart" script.

"It had a lot of heart without being sappy," he said. "I felt like I could bring a voice to this guy and being a reality to it at the same time."

Cryer said he first heard about the role of Alan through friends, who insisted the actor was perfect to play the "anal, complusive and rigid" Alan.

"Thanks, friends," Cryer said.

But Cryer wasn't so certain how perfect he was for the role after his first audition for Lorre.

"He's the most supportive laugher in the industry," Cryer said. "And (Lorre) never laughed."

Lorre thought enough of Cryer's audition, though, to bring the actor back for a script reading with Sheen.

The results went much better, Cryer said.

"With Charlie, it just clicked," he said.

Lorre compared casting the two actors as "proof that alchemy exists."

"When these two came together, the sum was greater than the parts," he said. "It was the same thing with Angus. They meshed better than in our imagination."

Peter Roth, president of Warner Bros. Television, which produces "Two and a Half Men," credits the cast and Lorre for the show's success.

"Brandon Tartikoff once said, 'All hits are flukes.' Looking at this cast, it was a calculated fluke," he said.

With Lorre attached as executive producer, Roth said he had enough faith in "Two and a Half Men" from the beginning to limit studio interference.

Instead, the studio acted as a "creative cheerleader" for the show's writers, producers and actors.

"From the moment the show was conceived ... we just sat back," he said. "There was a consistency of quality. I haven't seen a bad episode yet."

When asked by an audience member for advice on a sitcom for the first time, Roth and Lorre agreed it's important to be passionate about the characters.

"Start with loving the characters you're writing about," Torre said. "If it comes from you heart, then it will hit someone's heart

"It sounds silly, but we love these guys and we love these characters."