Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher call it quits

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Film and television stars Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher said on Thursday they are ending their marriage after six years, breaking up one of the most widely followed May-December romances Hollywood has seen.

The marriage between Moore, 49, and Kutcher 33, has been in trouble since late September when a San Diego woman went public about a brief affair she had with Kutcher, a star on CBS television comedy "Two and a Half Men," during a weekend of partying in the southern California city.

"It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my six-year marriage to Ashton. As a woman, a mother and a wife there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life," Moore said in a statement.

The star of films such as "Ghost," "G.I. Jane" and "Indecent Proposal" also asked for "compassion and privacy" and said it was a "trying time for me and my family.

Moore released her statement first and Kutcher quickly followed on Twitter where both were early converts to the social network, posting messages and pictures about their personal lives. Ashton has more than eight million followers and Moore has more than four million.

"I will forever cherish the time I spent with Demi. Marriage is one of the most difficult things in the world and unfortunately sometimes they fail. Love and Light, AK," Kutcher tweeted.

Moore was married twice previously, the first time to singer Freddy Moore and the second to film star Bruce Willis, with whom she has three children. They divorced in 2000.

She began dating Kutcher a few years after breaking up with Willis when Kutcher was a rising star on the TV sitcom "That '70s Show."

Their affair immediately became fodder for the tabloid press because of their 16-year age difference, but in the months and years after their wedding, it seemed they were living happily ever after.

But Hollywood can be cruel to celebrity couples and speculation about Kutcher straying from his marriage began to surface earlier this year. In September, Sara Leal, a 22-year-old part-time model told celebrity media that she had slept with Kutcher twice over a wild weekend of partying.

She told Britain's The Sun newspaper "I was attracted to him, and he was attracted to me," and said that Kutcher had told her he and Moore were separated.

In the past month, Moore and Kutcher had stayed out of the public spotlight and not commented on reports of the affair. They have offered only cryptic posts on Twitter, such as this from Moore on September 23, the eve of their sixth anniversary, quoting Greek philosopher Epictetus: "When we are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger."

Apparently, she couldn't forget.

(Additional reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Kutcher, Vergara, Arnett among Emmy presenters (AP)

LOS ANGELES – Some of TV's top stars aren't just nominated for Emmy Awards; they're going to help present them.

The television academy says Emmy nominees Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Sofia Vergara and Julianna Margulies will help hand out awards at the Sept. 18 ceremony.

Poehler is a double nominee, as lead actress and producer of the comedy series "Parks and Recreation." Her husband, Arnett, is up for guest actor in a comedy for "30 Rock." Vergara is nominated for supporting actress in a comedy for "Modern Family," and Margulies is up again for an award she won last year: Lead actress in a drama series for "The Good Wife."

New "Two and a Half Men" star Ashton Kutcher and Zooey Deschanel, star of the new series "New Girl," will also present Emmys.

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Kutcher confirms: death will claim Charlie on "Men" (Reuters)

NEW YORK (The Wrap.com) – Ashton Kutcher confirmed TV's biggest open secret: Charlie Sheen's character will indeed die on "Two and a Half Men."

Talking to David Letterman on Wednesday's "The Late Show," Kutcher held up well under relentless questioning about how his character, heartbroken Internet entrepreneur Walden Schmidt, will join the series. Their shared network, CBS, has kept details close to the vest.

But Kutcher did concede that Sheen dies -- without saying how.

"How do you come in?" Letterman asked. "Because this is like jumping off of a truck running."

"No, that was Charlie's character," Kutcher joked. "No, no, I -- Charlie's character is no longer with us."

An entertaining back and forth ensued:

Letterman: "How does he die? We know he dies."

Kutcher: "I can't reveal how he dies. No, I was explicitly told..."

Letterman: "How does he die, seriously. Heart attack?"

Kutcher: "He dies because he is no longer living."

Letterman: "Is it a medical problem or is it like a robbery gone bad?"

Kutcher: "It's a death scenario."

Letterman: "Forgets to turn the gas off?"

Kutcher: "It's -- abroad. That's a double entendre. That's a double entendre."

Letterman: "You're referring to a woman?"

Kutcher: "I don't know. ... We've both got really good jobs. I want to keep mine."

Then Letterman accused him of killing Sheen's character, Charlie Harper. And Kutcher suggested that he may have been the one who issued an Internet call for Letterman's death last week.

He added: "I show up when Jon Cryer's character needs me the most."

We've heard before that Harper dies abroad in a woman-related accident. A report earlier this month had him dying in a "meat explosion" after he slips -- or is pushed by his angry wife -- in front of a Paris train.

Cryer said at the time he couldn't confirm Sheen's character would die -- but said Harper's farewell wouldn't be too gruesome.

CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler also refused earlier this month to say whether Harper would live or die.

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Ashton Kutcher teases Letterman about fatwa (AP)

NEW YORK – Like David Letterman, Ashton Kutcher isn't afraid of a little fatwa humor.

Kutcher taped an appearance for Letterman's talk show Wednesday, and the actor came on stage wearing a helmet and a bulletproof vest printed with the phrase, "Not Dave."

Last week, a contributor to a jihadist website posted a threat of violence against Letterman because the comedian had made fun of al-Qaida leaders on a previous show. Letterman, back from vacation Monday, played the threat for monologue laughs.

During Wednesday's taping, Letterman asked Kutcher if his bowtie was bullet-proof. The actor replied that "you can't be too careful" sitting next to a guy facing a threat.

Kutcher joined CBS' "Two and a Half Men" after Charlie Sheen was fired. He and Letterman predicted success for the revamped sitcom.

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Ashton Kutcher safe from FTC investigation of Details gig (Reuters)

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – Well that was a quick resolution to Ashton Kutcher's potential legal headache.

A day after a New York Times article raised the question of whether Kutcher would face a Federal Trade Commission investigation for his failure to disclose investments he made in technology companies, the FTC says it will not launch any investigation.

The "Two and a Half Men" star and social media entrepreneur served as guest editor for an online-only version of Details dubbed "The Social Issue," but he failed to reveal that he had invested in many of the companies the magazine touted.

While initially an FTC official said an investigation was "certainly a possibility," and FTC spokesperson has since told the Times that the agency had no plans to investigate Kutcher.

Kutcher has not issued any kind of public response regarding the matter, though Details' editor Dan Peres defended both his magazine and the actor Thursday.

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Kutcher will play Internet billionaire on 'Men' (AP)

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Ashton Kutcher will play "an Internet billionaire with a broken heart" when he arrives as the new star of "Two and a Half Men" next month.

CBS Entertainment Nina Tassler shared this tidbit about the much-anticipated cast change for TV's biggest sitcom during a session with television reporters on Wednesday. Kutcher, of course, will fill the void left by Charlie Sheen, who made a stormy exit from "Men" last season.

Kutcher's character will be named Walden Schmidt, confided the CBS boss, who added that Schmidt has no family connection to the characters played by continuing stars Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones. They portrayed the brother and nephew of Sheen's departed character.

Tassler would not confirm or deny reports that the new season of "Men" begins with the death of Sheen's character, Charlie Harper, and a funeral.

"The mystery is part of the marketing," she said.

"Men" begins its ninth season on Sept. 19 with the first of a two-part kickoff that establishes Kutcher's character.

Predictably, Tassler voiced excitement about the show's new star.

Kutcher, she said, "is an extraordinarily professional, talented, funny, gifted actor who comes with a tremendous amount of commitment and enthusiasm."

"The show will be as irreverent as it has ever been," she promised. "Our Program Practices people are already on high alert."

Even so, Kutcher and his "Men" co-stars were conspicuously absent from Wednesday's sessions of the Television Critics Association, which was visited by cast members from several of CBS' new fall shows as well as from "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," the veteran crime drama that is welcoming Ted Danson to the fold for its upcoming 12th season.

Asked why the "Men" gang wasn't on hand, Tassler replied that the show is in production. It resumed shooting Monday, and a break for a meeting across town with reporters would have been too disruptive, she explained.

"There is a tremendous amount of energy and focus and attention," Tassler said. "I would be lying if I didn't say when everybody walked on that set on Monday, you could cut the air with a knife."

Kutcher's first week on the job begins a new chapter for "Men" after a tumultuous conclusion to Sheen's eight-season run as a fast-living, womanizing cad. Sheen's portrayal drew inspiration from his own life of sex sprees, serial marriages and substance abuse, which spiraled into clashes with the show's studio as well as its creator, Chuck Lorre, and CBS. He was fired in March and the season was shuttered early.

Tassler was asked what she had learned from that experience.

"Oh, where do I begin?" she replied with mock weariness, but hastily insisted she preferred to look forward, not behind.

Then, when asked if, in the future, CBS might introduce new policies for casting actors who are known for erratic behavior, she cracked, "That would probably be every actor in the business."

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Kutcher to play Internet mogul in revamped "Men" (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – New "Two and A Half Men" star Ashton Kutcher will play an Internet billionaire with a broken heart when he makes his debut on the hit TV comedy in September, CBS entertainment chief Nina Tassler said on Wednesday.

But Tassler declined to confirm or deny reports that the character played by the show's fired star Charlie Sheen would be killed off and given a funeral in the new season premiere.

"I am not going to confirm or deny that...The mystery is part of the marketing. The chatter and the conversation is part of what the fun is going to be," Tassler told television journalists gathered for a bi-annual meeting of critics.

Tassler, speaking publicly for the first time since Sheen's acrimonious departure from the most-watched comedy on U.S. television, depicted the exit of the wayward actor as a way to reinvigorate "Two and A Half Men."

But she acknowledged that it may take time for viewers to embrace the change.

"I don't know necessarily that those (viewership ratings) numbers will be where they once were, but in time I think they will do very well," Tassler said.

And in an apparent dig at Sheen, who was fired after insulting the program's producers and after months of hard partying and trips to rehab, Tassler called Kutcher "an incredible professional."

Asked what CBS, the most-watched TV network in the United States, had learned from the very public dispute with Sheen, Tassler gave a big sigh.

"What we learned is that we have an extraordinary cast, we have extraordinary writers and extraordinary actors and that there is great value in hiring an actor like Ashton Kutcher.

"He is an extraordinary professional, talented, funny gifted actor...and we have an opportunity to create an exciting new character and create a great show."

"Who could have predicted that we would be here six months ago? But the great news is that the show will be as irreverent as it has always been. Our program practices (department) are already on high alert," Tassler said.

Filming of the first episode of the upcoming season is due to take place on Friday. Kutcher's character will be called Walden Schmidt, Tassler said. He will not be related to Sheen's womanizing bachelor character Charlie Harper.

The new season begins on September 19, and the first episode will be broadcast in two parts.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Ashton Kutcher says 'Men' job like winning lottery (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) – It took U.S. network CBS's chief executive Leslie Moonves seconds to make the afternoon's first "Two and a Half Men" joke, telling the Madison Avenue crowd gathered at Carnegie Hall for the network's upfront that he wouldn't be up on stage too long.

"Tops, two and a half minutes," he said.

About 45 minutes into the presentation, CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler finally addressed the elephant in the room.

"Deep cleansing breathe," she said. "Well, it's been an educational few months for us. Thanks to a tweet ... we all learned the square root of 6.25." Tassler was referring to Kutcher's tweet that he sent out after THR confirmed he would be joining the CBS comedy.

"We could not be happier to actor, producer and multimedia mogul Ashton Kutcher joining the cast of 'Two And a Half Men,'" she said.

With all the images of Charlie Sheen scrubbed from the preceding "Men" video clip, the brand new co-star took the stage with Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones.

"It's awesome to be here," said Kutcher. "I could not be more excited. I never in my 13 years of show business received more e-mails and phone calls congratulating me for this job. It's almost like I won the lotto. And I kind of did."

Kutcher is making $700,000 per episode plus incentives for "Men."

Standing next to the 6-foot-plus Kutcher, Cryer joked: "Did you have to get a tall guy?"

And then he suggested a new name for the show: "One and Two Half Men."

(Editing by Zorianna Kit)

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Can Kutcher man up and keep 'Men' a hit series? (AP)

NEW YORK – There's a new man on the scene at "Two and a Half Men." But is Ashton Kutcher man enough?

With Friday's announcement that Kutcher will be replacing Charlie Sheen, viewers could begin to wonder how he will be plugged into the hit sitcom's tight little world. Can his particular appeal fill the void of the caustically droll Sheen? And just who the heck will his character be?

Neither CBS nor Chuck Lorre, the series' creator, were giving any hints as they confirmed the deal to bring Kutcher into a show where Sheen's character was the comic center, portraying an advertising jingle writer with a playboy lifestyle and an overwrought brother.

Kutcher, who first found sitcom stardom more than a decade ago on "That `70s Show," specializes in puppy dog wholesomeness and laid-back, goofy sexiness. He's perhaps the anti-Sheen.

"We are so lucky to have someone as talented, joyful and just plain remarkable as Ashton joining our family," said Lorre, also the show's executive producer. "Added to that is the deep sigh of relief knowing that our family stays together. If I was any happier, it'd be illegal."

"I can't replace Charlie Sheen," said Kutcher, adding that he plans to work hard "to entertain the hell out of people."

Kutcher's quote was the news release's sole mention of Sheen, who, two months ago, was fired by Warner Bros. Television when it cut short production of the show's eighth season following Sheen's public implosion through hard partying and angry criticism of Lorre.

The character that Sheen had played until then drew comic inspiration from his own life of sex sprees, serial marriages and substance abuse.

That character, named Charlie Harper, had started with a bang.

"I make a lot of money for doing very little work," he boasted on the show's premiere in 2003. "I sleep with beautiful women who don't ask about my feelings. I drive a Jag. I live at the beach."

Charlie was speaking to his dweebish, high-strung chiropractor brother, Alan (Jon Cryer), whose wife had just thrown him out of the house. Alan and his son, Jake (Angus T. Jones), had crashed with Charlie. There they stayed.

The gist of "Men" lay in the disparity between Charlie's life of plenty and Alan's frustrated existence.

"My life is pathetic," Alan moaned on an episode this season. "On the other hand, Charlie's life is great."

But now Charlie is gone, and, with him, the show's dependably winning formula.

The deal to replace him with Kutcher apparently came together quickly, following reports this week that negotiations with film actor Hugh Grant to join the show had fallen through. A deadline on deciding whether the show would continue was looming, with CBS set to unveil its fall schedule to advertisers in New York next Wednesday.

Besides "That `70s Show," Kutcher's credits include film roles like the romantic comedy "No Strings Attached" and his producing and hosting roles for the prank show "Punk'd."

Kutcher is not as well-known as Sheen but, at age 33, is a dozen years younger and has a huge flock of fans who check in on his every utterance on Twitter.

It was on Twitter, of course, where on Thursday Kutcher gave his followers a sly clue for what was coming.

"What's the square root of 6.25?" the actor asked in a tweet.

The answer is 2 1/2.

Once the news was out Friday, Sheen was tossing around numbers, too.

"Enjoy the show, America," he said in a statement. "Enjoy seeing a 2.0 in the demo every Monday, WB."

Sheen used TV lingo to predict failure for the revamped "Men." He referred to a 2.0 Nielsen Co. rating among the 18- to 49-year-old demographic that advertisers often seek. This season, "Two and a Half Men" averaged a 4.1 rating in that group.

Actually, Kutcher might be expected to have a younger following than Sheen and one that could be curious about his new role. The difficulty might be the older makeup of CBS' audience in general, more Sheen's crowd than Kutcher's.

Sheen, in his statement, advised Kutcher to "Enjoy planet Chuck. ... There is no air, laughter, loyalty or love there." That's a reference to his feud with former boss Lorre, which has hardly abated since his sacking.

And it had to serve as a reminder to Lorre that, amid many unanswered questions, one thing is already clear: with Kutcher, the "Two and a Half Men" set will be a much more peaceful place.

Will it be as funny?

___

AP Television Writer David Bauder contributed to this report.

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Can 'That '70s Show's' Ashton Kutcher Replace Charlie Sheen on 'Two and a Half Men'? (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Ashton Kutcher, who previously appeared on "That '70s Show," has been selected to replace Charlie Sheen on "Two and a Half Men." Kutcher will play a new character opposite the show's other star, John Cryer, according to Deadline Hollywood.

There is no word yet how Sheen's character, the pleasure-loving jingle composer brother of Cryer's chiropractor character, will be written in, who Kutcher's character will be, and how he will be introduced. The new show format, developed by show runner Chuck Lorre, seems to have satisfied everyone concerned. Production for the next season is said to begin as soon as possible.

Names that were mentioned for Sheen's replacement ranged from Rob Lowe to Hugh Grant. Grant had been in serious negotiations which broke down, leading to the selection of Kutcher.

Kucther's selection for "Two and a Half Men" is an interesting one. Whereas Sheen's persona, reflected in the character, was edgy and arrogant, Kutcher's persona is more pleasant and amiable, as developed in "That '70s Show" and his brief film career. The question arises will Kutcher's character be true to type, or will the actor be allowed to stretch a little bit.

The choice of Kutcher is also understandable for two other reasons. First, he is an experienced television actor with a role in another long-running sitcom on his resume. Second, and most importantly, Kutcher has a reputation of being a solid professional whose lifestyle does not generally provide lurid copy for the tabloids. This contrasts with Sheen, whose off-screen behavior, even before he was fired from "Two and a Half Men," has been increasingly bizarre and alarming.

The question arises: Will the format and actor change save "Two and a Half Men" for more than one season? Or will the changes, brought on by the public meltdown of one of the show's stars, condemn the program to television history?

Certainly the people behind and before the camera of "Two and a Half Men" have the talent to pull it off. Viewers of the show are well prepared for the change after watching with horrid fascination Sheen's antics. The proof, of course, will only be apparent when the new version premiers this fall.

Source: Ashton Kutcher New Star Of 'Two & A Half Men' Replacing Charlie Sheen, Nikki Finke and Nellie Andreeva, Deadline Hollywood, May 12, 2011

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Sheen bitter, Cryer "jazzed" as Kutcher joins "Men" (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actor Ashton Kutcher is joining a revamped version of the top-rated TV comedy "Two and A Half Men", CBS said on Friday, ending months of disarray after the acrimonious firing of wayward star Charlie Sheen.

Kutcher, 33, the husband of actress Demi Moore, is joining the cast for the upcoming ninth season of the money-spinning show that is scheduled for broadcast in the fall of 2011.

Jon Cryer, the other principal male lead on the sitcom, said he was "jazzed" about the show returning and the addition of Kutcher.

Friday's statement from CBS did not say what role Kutcher would play but industry sources said he is not expected to be a direct replacement for Sheen's womanizing bachelor character.

"We are so lucky to have someone as talented, joyful and just plain remarkable as Ashton joining our family," Chuck Lorre, creator and executive producer of "Two and A Half Men" said in a statement.

"Two and A Half Men" is the most-watched comedy on U.S. television with about 15 million regular viewers and has been a lucrative source of advertising revenue for CBS, and syndication fees for its makers Warner Bros. Television.

Sheen, who was fired in March after weeks of erratic behavior and for publicly insulting producers, claimed bitterly on Friday that the show would flop without him.

"Kutcher is a sweetheart and a brilliant comedic performer ... Oh wait, so am I!", the actor said in a statement. "Enjoy the show America. Enjoy seeing a 2.0 in the demo every Monday, WB," Sheen added, referring to the coveted 18-49 age group of viewers.

Production on "Two and A Half Men" was shut down in February and March and the show's future was in doubt after producers made clear that Sheen had no chance of returning.

Friday's announcement came five days before CBS presents its 2011-12 program line-up to advertisers in New York.

Kutcher, 33, is best known for his role as a dim-witted stoner in "That '70s Show," and as the creator of "Punk'd".

He was last seen in the January romantic comedy movie "No Strings Attached" and has a 6.8 million Twitter following.

"I can't replace Charlie Sheen but I'm going to work my ass off to entertain the hell out of people!", Kutcher said in a statement.

Cryer, who played the uptight, divorced brother to Sheen's Charlie Harper, has been largely silent since his co-star's departure.

On Friday, Cryer expressed his "enormous gratitude to Charlie Sheen" and said he would miss him.

But he added in a statement; "I'm also looking forward to this new beginning. Ashton is an extraordinarily talented guy and his presence will be an asset to our show."

Some media reports suggested on Friday that Kutcher would get about $1 million per episode for "Men". But a source familiar with negotiations told Reuters that figure was "ridiculously high."

Sheen, 45, who has been in and out of drug rehab for the last 12 months, was the highest-paid actor on U.S. television, earning more than $1.2 million per episode.

Peter Roth, president of Warner Bros. Television, said Kutcher would bring a "new and distinctive comedic flavor" to the comedy, whose audience has traditionally been young males.

British actor Hugh Grant was reported earlier this week to have pulled out of talks citing "creative differences." Actors John Stamos, "Entourage" star Jeremy Piven, and Rob Lowe had also been rumored as possible additions.

Twitter was rife with comments about the addition of Kutcher. Eric Stangel, a writer on comedian David Letterman's TV show, suggested that Sheen should rename his current one-man U.S. tour "Torpedo of Unemployment".

(Editing by Christine Kearney)

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Can Kutcher man up and keep 'Men' a hit series? (AP)

NEW YORK – There's a new man on the scene at "Two and a Half Men." But is Ashton Kutcher man enough?

With Friday's announcement that Kutcher will be replacing Charlie Sheen, viewers could begin to wonder how he will be plugged into the hit sitcom's tight little world. Can his particular appeal fill the void of the caustically droll Sheen? And just who the heck will his character be?

Neither CBS nor Chuck Lorre, the series' creator, were giving any hints as they confirmed the deal to bring Kutcher into a show where Sheen's character was the comic center, portraying an advertising jingle writer with a playboy lifestyle and an overwrought brother.

Kutcher, who first found sitcom stardom more than a decade ago on "That `70s Show," specializes in puppy dog wholesomeness and laid-back, goofy sexiness. He's perhaps the anti-Sheen.

"We are so lucky to have someone as talented, joyful and just plain remarkable as Ashton joining our family," said Lorre, also the show's executive producer. "Added to that is the deep sigh of relief knowing that our family stays together. If I was any happier, it'd be illegal."

"I can't replace Charlie Sheen," said Kutcher, adding that he plans to work hard "to entertain the hell out of people."

Kutcher's quote was the news release's sole mention of Sheen, who, two months ago, was fired by Warner Bros. Television when it cut short production of the show's eighth season following Sheen's public implosion through hard partying and angry criticism of Lorre.

The character that Sheen had played until then drew comic inspiration from his own life of sex sprees, serial marriages and substance abuse.

That character, named Charlie Harper, had started with a bang.

"I make a lot of money for doing very little work," he boasted on the show's premiere in 2003. "I sleep with beautiful women who don't ask about my feelings. I drive a Jag. I live at the beach."

Charlie was speaking to his dweebish, high-strung chiropractor brother, Alan (Jon Cryer), whose wife had just thrown him out of the house. Alan and his son, Jake (Angus T. Jones), had crashed with Charlie. There they stayed.

The gist of "Men" lay in the disparity between Charlie's life of plenty and Alan's frustrated existence.

"My life is pathetic," Alan moaned on an episode this season. "On the other hand, Charlie's life is great."

But now Charlie is gone, and, with him, the show's dependably winning formula.

The deal to replace him with Kutcher apparently came together quickly, following reports this week that negotiations with film actor Hugh Grant to join the show had fallen through. A deadline on deciding whether the show would continue was looming, with CBS set to unveil its fall schedule to advertisers in New York next Wednesday.

Besides "That `70s Show," Kutcher's credits include film roles like the romantic comedy "No Strings Attached" and his producing and hosting roles for the prank show "Punk'd."

Kutcher is not as well-known as Sheen but, at age 33, is a dozen years younger and has a huge flock of fans who check in on his every utterance on Twitter.

It was on Twitter, of course, where on Thursday Kutcher gave his followers a sly clue for what was coming.

"What's the square root of 6.25?" the actor asked in a tweet.

The answer is 2 1/2.

Once the news was out Friday, Sheen was tossing around numbers, too.

"Enjoy the show, America," he said in a statement. "Enjoy seeing a 2.0 in the demo every Monday, WB."

Sheen used TV lingo to predict failure for the revamped "Men." He referred to a 2.0 Nielsen Co. rating among the 18- to 49-year-old demographic that advertisers often seek. This season, "Two and a Half Men" averaged a 4.1 rating in that group.

Actually, Kutcher might be expected to have a younger following than Sheen and one that could be curious about his new role. The difficulty might be the older makeup of CBS' audience in general, more Sheen's crowd than Kutcher's.

Sheen, in his statement, advised Kutcher to "Enjoy planet Chuck. ... There is no air, laughter, loyalty or love there." That's a reference to his feud with former boss Lorre, which has hardly abated since his sacking.

And it had to serve as a reminder to Lorre that, amid many unanswered questions, one thing is already clear: with Kutcher, the "Two and a Half Men" set will be a much more peaceful place.

Will it be as funny?

___

AP Television Writer David Bauder contributed to this report.

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Ashton Kutcher Fitting, Disappointing Sheen Replacement (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Ashton Kutcher has been all but confirmed as the new Two and a Half Men replacement star. According to TV Line, the deal was made official Thursday night, which would answer one of the biggest mysteries on television. Not only is the show officially moving on from Charlie Sheen, but it has a replacement who is a TV veteran and bankable star in his own right. Yet while bringing Kutcher on may pay off for CBS, it may not compare to the earlier rumors that Hugh Grant was interested in the job.

Once Two and a Half Men was spared from a post-Sheen cancellation, CBS set out to find a new A-list headliner, or at least one with some star power. Days ago, the rumor mill suggested that Grant could be that headliner. But then Deadline Hollywood reported that although Grant was offered the job, he turned it down because of its demanding, 24-episode-a-year schedule.

If Grant had taken the deal, it could have been a big shot in the arm for the show. At the least, it would have had another A-list star with a few past sexual exploits to joke about -- albeit not as extreme as Sheen's. But the curiosity factor of having someone like Grant step in would have garnered a lot of interest.

However, since Grant is decidedly British, it would have been much harder to explain how his character would be connected to the show's American family -- or what's left of it. Yet CBS didn't have to wait long to find a backup for its potential replacement; someone who had dealt with a grueling TV schedule for years when he was younger.

Kutcher has proved profitable on TV and in movies, even if he still hasn't won the respect of critics. Because of that, although he has the buzz to keep the show a ratings winner, critics are unlikely to be as intrigued as they might have been with Grant.

It's still uncertain just how the show's quality will be altered, or not, with its new lead. No one even knows what kind of character Kutcher will play, although CBS could provide some details during its upfront day May 18. At the least, the series now has an even bigger Twitter icon than Sheen, and one who is a lot more squeaky-clean by comparison.

The return of Two and a Half Men, and the return of Kutcher to television, is guaranteed to be a big event sometime in September. For that, at least, CBS is winning again for now, even if the revamped show itself might have more question marks than ever.

Sources

TV Line- "It's Official: Ashton Kutcher Replacing Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men"

Deadline Hollywood- "MYSTERY MAN REVEALED: Hugh Grant Almost Replaced Charlie Sheen On Men"

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Ashton Kutcher lands on 'Two and a Half Men' (AP)

NEW YORK – Ashton Kutcher will replace troubled star Charlie Sheen in the hit CBS comedy "Two and a Half Men" next season, the network and producers Warner Bros. Television said on Friday.

The deal apparently came together quickly, following reports earlier this week that negotiations with film actor Hugh Grant to join the show had fallen through. Kutcher is familiar to television audiences through his role on Fox's "That 70s Show," film roles like the romantic comedy "No Strings Attached" and for producing and hosting the prank show "Punk'd."

Kutcher said he believes that "we can fill the stage with laughter that will echo in viewers' homes.

"I can't replace Charlie Sheen but I'm going to work my ass off to entertain the hell out of people," he said.

Kutcher's quote was the only mention of Sheen in Friday's news release. Warner cut short the show's eighth season and fired Sheen two months ago following his public implosion through hard partying and angry criticism of show creator Chuck Lorre.

"We are so lucky to have someone as talented, joyful and just plain remarkable as Ashton joining our family," said Lorre, also the show's executive producer. "Added to that is the deep sigh of relief knowing that our family stays together. If I was any happier, it'd be illegal."

Producers did not immediately say how Kutcher would be integrated in a show where Sheen's character was the comic center, portraying an advertising jingle writer with a playboy lifestyle not unlike the actor's own. Jon Cryer portrays Sheen's brother, and Angus T. Jones plays Cryer's son.

Even through reports of Sheen's personal problems, "Two and a Half Men" had continued to reign as television's top situation comedy and anchor CBS' Monday night lineup. A deadline on deciding whether the show would continue was looming with CBS set to unveil its fall schedule to advertisers in New York next Wednesday.

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Kutcher to join hit US TV show after Sheen sacked (AFP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Ashton Kutcher is to join the cast of hit US television series "Two and a Half Men," the show's producers announced Friday, two months after troubled actor Charlie Sheen was sacked.

Sheen was dismissed in March after a colorful public row with its producer Chuck Lorre, and there had been speculation over whether he would be replaced or the show would end.

In a statement announcing Kutcher's appointment CBS television and Warner Bros described him as the "multi-talented Kutcher, whose success spans film, television and social media."

"I can't wait to get to work with this ridiculously talented 2.5 team and I believe we can fill the stage with laughter that will echo in viewers' homes," said Kutcher.

"I can't replace Charlie Sheen but I'm going to work my ass off to entertain the hell out of people!" added the social-media friendly actor, who is married to actress Demi Moore.

Lorre said: "We are so lucky to have someone as talented, joyful and just plain remarkable as Ashton joining our family. Added to that is the deep sigh of relief knowing that our family stays together.

"If I was any happier, it'd be illegal," he added.

Sheen is suing Warner Brothers studios for $100 million for alleged breach of contract after the show, in which he starred as a hedonistic bachelor, was canceled for the rest of the season.

Sheen has boasted of his own wild lifestyle and drug binges, but claimed to have single-handedly defeated addiction during a series of bizarre interviews and public appearances before and after his dismissal.

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CBS signs Ashton Kutcher for "Two and A Half Men" (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actor Ashton Kutcher will join the cast of top-rated TV comedy "Two and A Half Men", CBS television said on Friday, replacing fired star Charlie Sheen.

"We are so lucky to have someone as talented, joyful and just plain remarkable as Ashton joining our family," Chuck Lorre, creator and executive producer of "Two and A Half Men" said in a statement.

CBS said production on the 9th season of the comedy would start in the summer for broadcast in the fall of 2011. Friday's statement did not say which role Kutcher would play.

Kutcher, 33, is the husband of actress Demi Moore and is best known for his role as a dim-witted stoner in "That '70s Show," a comedy that aired for eight seasons on Fox and remains popular in syndication.

He was last seen in the January romantic comedy "No Strings Attached" opposite Natalie Portman. He was an early adopter of Twitter, with a huge following of 6.8 million people.

"Two and A Half Men" is the most-watched TV comedy in the United States with about 15 million regular viewers and has been a lucrative source of advertising revenue for CBS, and syndication fees for its makers Warner Bros. Television.

But the future of the comedy has been in disarray since Sheen was fired in March from his starring role as a womanizing bachelor after weeks of erratic behavior and for publicly insulting the producers.

Production was shut down for the remaining eight episodes of the 2010-11 TV season.

"I can't wait to get to work with this ridiculously talented 2.5 team and I believe we can fill the stage with laughter that will echo in viewers' homes," Kutcher said in a statement.

"I can't replace Charlie Sheen but I'm going to work my ass off to entertain the hell out of people!", he added.

Producers have been working for weeks to retool the money-spinning show without Sheen, or add new characters. Hugh Grant was reported earlier this week to have pulled out of talks citing "creative differences."

Sheen, 45, who has been in and out of drug rehab for the last 12 months, was the highest-paid actor on U.S. television, earning more than $1.2 million per episode.

Warner Bros. last month strongly denied claims by Sheen that the studio was in talks to reinstate him, and said there was no chance of him returning to the show.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; editing by Christine Kearney)

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