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)





[07/29/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" - Season 18 Official Trailer - FX
Charlie, Mac, Dennis, Dee and Frank are more out of control than ever, taking on inheritances, automation, conspiracy theories, sobriety's cultural swing and chaos at Paddy's.

[07/29/26 - 07:01 AM]
Season 4 of Hit Docuseries "Betrayal," Based on the No. 1 True Crime Podcast, Begins Streaming Tuesday, Aug. 4, on Hulu
The three-part docuseries, "Betrayal: Dirty Secrets," spotlights the devastation and perseverance of a family when a shocking confession reveals how a husband and father had been abusing his position of authority to pursue a secret sexual life.

[07/29/26 - 06:43 AM]
FOX Sports Continues to Expand Horse Racing Coverage to Del Mar in New Multi-Year Deal
Beginning in 2027, FOX Sports will become the exclusive home of live television coverage from Del Mar, including the track's signature summer and fall meets.

[07/29/26 - 06:01 AM]
"American Idol" Renewed for Landmark 25th Season on ABC and Disney+
The search for a superstar begins when "American Idol" premieres next year on ABC and streams next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

[07/29/26 - 01:01 AM]
Video: "Better Late Than Single: After Service" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Couple updates and love life tune-ups. Are the eternal singles back for another shot at love?

[07/28/26 - 04:30 PM]
"20/20 True Crime+" Subscription Channel Launches Today from ABC News Podcast Network and "20/20"
Subscribers will receive exclusive content and early access to new series ahead of the public releases, along with archival shows from the ABC News vault.

[07/28/26 - 03:01 PM]
Video: "S&X" - Official Trailer - Netflix
At his clinic, sex therapist Ichito Shimotori treats diverse and intimate sexual issues with sincerity. Yet, he secretly hides a struggle of his own.

[07/28/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of July 20 - Kevin Hart's "72 Hours" Parties to No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
"I Will Find You" found its way back to the top spot of the English TV list, with 7.3 million views.

[07/28/26 - 10:55 AM]
New Series "Bobby Flay's The Line" Serves Culinary Battles That Reflect the High Pressure of Real-Life Restaurant Service
Each week, Bobby leads his hand-picked home team of extraordinary chefs Antonia Lofaso, Michael Jenkins and Claudette Zepeda against some of the country's most acclaimed restaurant staffs to execute a flawless dinner service - all for real diners in real time.

[07/28/26 - 10:06 AM]
Netflix Debuts First Look Images and Release Date for "Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black" Season 3
The series returns August 27, 2026 on the streaming service.

[07/28/26 - 10:01 AM]
National Geographic Documentary Films Greenlights New Film from Oscar and Multi BAFTA Award-Winning Director James Marsh
Brought to the screen by Magna Studios for release in 2027, the film brings to life the gripping true story of Aron Ralston, who inspired the Academy Award-nominated Searchlight Pictures film "127 Hours," directed by Danny Boyle.

[07/28/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Below" - Official Teaser - Netflix
Josh Hartnett stars in the suspenseful new thriller, coming to Netflix on October 8.

[07/28/26 - 08:01 AM]
HBO Max Launches New Mobile Features for Enhanced Content Discovery
"HBO Max Shorts" is designed to help users discover something to watch by highlighting iconic and memorable scenes from the HBO Max library in a vertical, scrollable feed.

[07/28/26 - 08:01 AM]
A Killer Comeback Awaits as Paramount+ Reveals First-Look Images of "Dexter: Resurrection" Season Two
The new season is coming later this year on Paramount+.

[07/28/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Rory Kennedy and her Emmy-nominated producing partner Mark Bailey continue their urgent investigation into the once-iconic aviation giant, uncovering startling new revelations and capturing voices from the inside.