or


[08/03/11 - 10:33 AM]
Tassler: Meet Walden Schmidt, Ashton Kutcher's "Two and a Half Men" Character
By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- "Oh where do I begin," CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler said about the lessons learned from the Charlie Sheen situation on "Two and a Half Men." Tassler was on hand for the network's executive session at the TCA Summer Press Tour, where talk of Sheen and Ashton Kutcher not surprisingly dominated the conversation.

"There is great value in hiring an actor like Ashton Kutcher," she continued with regards to the aforementioned lessons. "He is [an] extraordinarily professional, talented, funny, gifted actor who comes with a tremendous amount of commitment and enthusiasm."

As for specifics about Kutcher's character, Tassler announced his name is Walden Schmidt. "He is a internet billionaire with a broken heart," she added, noting he won't be related to any of the current cast. "He is a unique character."

Tassler also said the season premiere "will be a two-parter over two weeks" and that the show will be "as irreverent as it has always been. Our program practices people are already on high alert."

She however wouldn't confirm or deny that Sheen's character is killed off on the show. "As we said in the whole marketing plan, all will be revealed on [September 19]. The mystery is a part of the marketing. It's going to be a big event."

As for other topics:

-- Tassler revealed Terry O'Quinn's arc on "Hawaii Five-0" will be six episodes. He plays a Navy Seal Lt. Commander who trained McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) in Coronado, and served with his father in Vietnam.

-- On how NFL overruns in parts of the country will affect "The Good Wife" in its new Sunday home: "The show will start maybe a little bit later but we have plans certainly in place to accommodate the show when there are overruns [and] for the whole night in general."

-- "We see Saturday night as an opportunity," Tassler says about "Rules of Engagement's" new Saturday time period. "Advertisers like comedies. It's a terrific show. We see this as an opportunity for us."

-- Tassler said they may do another "Jesse Stone" movie but beyond that there are no plans for any more TV movies or mini-series. "The schedule right now is very strong. We just didn't have enough room for them."

-- On the casting of Ted Danson in "CSI": "He's a huge TV star. He's got a tremendous amount of charisma. And it was really what we wanted in the show right now. When his name came up we jumped at it, we were thrilled to have him." When pressed if they considered going younger, Tassler affirmed that "we went for the best actor."

-- "I just don't think it founds its rhythm," Tassler said about the failure of "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior." "It didn't click."

-- "First I think they should stick to comedy and check their stats a little better," Tassler said with regards to CBS being the frequent butt of comedians' jokes about skewing old. "Because we still have more 18-49 [viewers] than NBC and ABC so maybe they stay with comedy and not worry about demos and ratings so much."

-- As for its midseason plans, Tassler simply affirmed they have "The 2-2," "Undercover Boss" and are shooting a new pilot for "Rob," its Rob Schneider comedy.

-- "We are still actively looking for what is going to be new and different in the performance, competition, elimination, unscripted reality show," Tassler said with regards to CBS not having its own take on the genre. "We have a couple of things in development."

-- "There are no updates beyond 2012," Tassler said about the network's late-night lineup of David Letterman and Craig Ferguson.





  [august 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· CRIMINAL MINDS: SUSPECT BEHAVIOR (CBS)
· CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (CBS)
· GOOD WIFE, THE (CBS)
· HAWAII FIVE-0 (CBS)
· NYC 22 (CBS)
· ROB (CBS)
· RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (CBS)
· TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS)
· UNDERCOVER BOSS (CBS)





[02/27/26 - 03:00 PM]
"Survivor 50" Premiere Wins the Night Posting CBS' Most-Watched Wednesday Since 2022
Said premiere averaged 5.06 million viewers, peaking with 6.18 million.

[02/27/26 - 01:28 PM]
Paramount to Acquire Warner Bros. Discovery to Form Next-Generation Global Media and Entertainment Company
The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies and is expected to close in Q3 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory clearances and approval by WBD shareholders, with a vote expected in the early spring of 2026.

[02/27/26 - 12:30 PM]
The Jaw-Dropping Fifth and Final Season of Starz's Hit Drama Series, "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" Set to Premiere June 12
To date, the series has accumulated over 21 billion minutes viewed across all episodes and remains one of Starz's top-performing series.

[02/27/26 - 09:12 AM]
Team USA Hockey Olympic Gold Medalists Hilary Knight, Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes to Appear Together on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Monday, March 2
The episode will also feature guests Nicole Kidman, Luke Thompson and a cooking demo by Chef Mario Carbone.

[02/27/26 - 08:12 AM]
Paul Wesley Joins Season Three of Hit Apple TV Series "The Buccaneers"
Wesley will play the role as Frank, a mysterious but charming stranger who arrives into Nan and Mrs. St. George's world, turning it upside down.

[02/27/26 - 07:31 AM]
Peacock to Exclusively Stream Focus Features' "Hamnet" Beginning March 6
Directed by two-time Academy Award-winning director ChloƩ Zhao, the film tells the untold story behind one of Shakespeare's most memorable works and celebrates the power of imagination and the creative spirit.

[02/27/26 - 07:01 AM]
Prime Video Debuts First-Look Image of Ryan Hurst as Kratos and Callum Vinson as Atreus On Set of New Series "God of War"
The series is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios in association with PlayStation Productions and Tall Ship Productions, and has received a two-season order.

[02/27/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Netflix and Apple TV Join Forces to Stream Formula 1 Thrills
The entire new season of "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" is now on Netflix globally and Apple TV in the U.S.

[02/26/26 - 08:46 PM]
"Dandelion": Netflix Adapts "Gintama" Creator Hideaki Sorachi's Debut Work into New Anime Series
Set within the Send-Off Department of the Japanese Angel Federation, Dandelion follows "Angels" Tetsuo Tanba and Misaki Kurogane as they scramble to track down Earthbound spirits - souls unable to move on and find peace - and gently guide them to pass on.

[02/26/26 - 06:01 PM]
Video: "Still Shining" - Official Trailer - Netflix
After falling in love as teens, two young adults drift apart - only to reunite 10 years later and confront their heartbreak, growth and new challenges.

[02/26/26 - 02:46 PM]
Netflix Declines to Raise Offer for Warner Bros.
"The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval. However, we've always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid," said co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters.

[02/26/26 - 02:19 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Soars to Season High with Best Audience in Over a Year
"Live" has now ranked as the No. 1 talk show in syndication for 157 consecutive weeks across all key measures.

[02/26/26 - 02:08 PM]
Britbox Unveils Spring Slate with "The Lady" Starring Mia McKenna-Bruce; Premieres March 18
Other highlights include the return of "Hope Street" and the debut of "Mudtown."

[02/26/26 - 01:36 PM]
Paramount Comments on Warner Bros. Discovery Board's Determination of Paramount's Proposal as Superior
David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount, said: "We are pleased WBD's Board has unanimously affirmed the superior value of our offer, which delivers to WBD shareholders superior value, certainty and speed to closing."

[02/26/26 - 01:16 PM]
Warner Bros. Discovery Board of Directors Determines Revised Proposal from Paramount Skydance Constitutes a "Company Superior Proposal"
Under the terms of the Netflix merger agreement, this notice triggers a four business day period during which Netflix has the right to propose revisions to the Netflix merger agreement so that the PSKY proposal would cease to constitute a "Company Superior Proposal."