Two-and-a-Half Men

Some tv shows know when to bow out gracefully, seeing the writing on the wall long before the wall comes crashing down—The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Cheers, Mash, to name only a few. Not so Two-and-a-Half Men, which has devolved into a vehicle that now appeals only to young viewers enamored of toilet humor and sexual innuendo. But, now that I think of it, it’s more sexual blatancy than innuendo.

And now, according to tv news, Charlie Sheen is jumping ship after this season, leaving the rats behind. Things were never the same after Rose was written out. Now they seem to be reduced to just Charlie and Alan and occasional tiny scenes with Jake and Berta. Now we see less and less of Evelyn, Judith, and Herb. No more Chelsea, no more Kandi. Where oh where are the part-time comics who kept the ship afloat through five seasons? Where’s Jane Lynch, Carol Kane, Jenna Elfman, Martin Mull? What became of Robert Wagner and Martin Sheen? All gone, and with them, nearly all humor, leaving most of us with frozen, embarrassed smiles on our faces. They have two more seasons already contracted, with no Charlie Sheen. Maybe they can move the truly funny guys from Big Bang Theory as a lead-in to what will probably be One-and-a-Quarter Men, but I’m afraid even that won’t help induce me to watch any Sheen-less shows.