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CBS sticking with Men and Big Bang
by Allison Waldman, posted Mar 3rd 2009 1:28PM
How happy is Chuck Lorre this morning? I'd say on a scale of one-to-ten, he's an eleven. According to reports, CBS wants more of its Chuck Lorre sitcoms. In particular, they're talking three years more of Two and a Half Men and at least two for The Big Bang Theory. While other shows sweat out the word of renewal or cancellation, Mr. Lorre seems to be CBS's prime time player they count on the most. Okay, second-most. Jerry Bruckheimer is numero uno with the CSI franchises, Without A Trace, Cold Case, Eleventh Hour and The Amazing Race.
Back to Chuck's shows, I'm actually very pleased to see The Big Bang Theory getting so much respect. It's earned it, of course, proving to be a solid ratings winner and worming its way into the heart of critics and viewers. The goofy geeky sitcom is quickly becoming as strong a lead in on Monday night as The King of Queens was.
However, when they switched Big Bang to the 9:30 slot a couple of weeks back, it did gangbuster ratings, holding the big Men lead in. That raised a lot of eyebrows and some have suggested that Bang might thrive in that spot permanently. A Chuck Lorre double-header from 9-10, so to speak.
Here's my only qualm about CBS's plans for Men and Bang. Men has been on since 2003, a fact that is abundantly clear when you look at Angus T. Jones. He's not the cute "half" he used to be. He's very funny and an asset to the show, but there's no more kid in the mix. Has the show outlived it's premise?
I think that's something Lorre could address, especially knowing he has three years with which to play. Of course, Charlie Sheen is going to need to invest in a lot more Grecian Formula.
On the other hand, Lorre has no such problem on Bang. In its second year, the sitcom is on the rise and getting better.
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