LOS ANGELES |
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Television network CBS on Thursday canceled production of its top-rated comedy "Two and A Half Men" for the rest of this season because of actor Charlie Sheen's "statements, conduct and condition."
"Based on the totality of Charlie Sheen's statements, conduct and condition, CBS and Warner Bros. Television have decided to discontinue production of "Two and a Half Men" for the remainder of the season," the network and the show's makers said in a statement.
The statement followed an expletive-filled attack by Sheen on Thursday against the producer of the comedy, just days before he was due to return to work after a month in rehab.
In an interview on a syndicated radio program and in remarks to celebrity website TMZ.com, Sheen called "Two and A Half Men" producer and co-creator Chuck Lorre a "charlatan (who) chose not to do his job," a "piece of shit" and a "stupid, stupid little man ..."
"I was told if I went on the attack, they would cancel the show," Sheen said of his bosses on the Alex Jones Show, a radio program based in Texas that airs on more than 60 stations across the United States.
Lorre could not be reached for comment.
"Two and a Half Men" is a huge money generator for the broadcaster and production company, and earlier this year the network said it was "highly concerned" about Sheen. CBS is a unit of CBS Corp and Warner Bros. Television is part of the Warner Bros unit of Time Warner Inc.
Production of "Two and a Half Men" was shut down last month after Sheen was persuaded to seek help following a wild 36-hour party at his home that ended with him being hospitalized for abdominal pains.
Throughout much of 2010, he was involved in a series of drug and alcohol-related incidents, and in August pleaded guilty to an assault on his now ex-wife.
Sheen, the highest paid actor on U.S. television, was scheduled to return to the set on Tuesday. Four of the remaining eight episodes for the current TV season, which ends in May, had already been axed due to the unexpected hiatus.
CBS and Warner Bros said in January they were "profoundly concerned" about Sheen's health and supported his decision to begin rehab.
Audiences for "Two and a Half Men" have remained strong despite Sheen's well-publicized personal problems. The show attracts about 15 million U.S. viewers.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Todd Eastham)
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