Two and a Half Men is an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-nominated American television sitcom, which premiered on CBS on Monday, September 22, 2003, at 9:30 p.m., ET/PT. The series centers around a freewheeling bachelor, Charlie, whose carefree lifestyle is interrupted when his newly separated brother Alan moves in, along with Alan's son Jake. The show was co-created by executive producers Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn. In its third season, starting September 2005, it moved to Mondays at 9:00 p.m. (taking Everybody Loves Raymonds time slot). Two and a Half Men debuted in local syndication in September 2007, also soon to be syndicated on the FX cable network in 2010. Production on the show was halted on November 6, 2007 due to the 2007 WGA strike. The show returned March 17, 2008 with nine episodes to conclude the fifth season. CBS also renewed the show for a sixth season, which premiered on September 22, 2008, exactly five years after the first episode of the series initially aired.

Synopsis

Charles Francis Harper (Charlie Sheen) is a successful 40-year-old bachelor who has a career writing advertising jingles. Charlie resides in a large, oceanfront home in Malibu, California, and is portrayed as an immature, hedonistic womanizer — all he seems to care about is having sex. The plot begins when his younger brother Alan (Jon Cryer) separates from his wife (Marin Hinkle) and has to move in with his brother. Alan shares custody of his son, Jake (Angus T. Jones) (aged 10 at the beginning), who stays with him part-time. Charlie, Alan and Jake are the "Two and a Half Men" referenced by the title.

Charlie and his neighbor, self-confessed stalker Rose (Melanie Lynskey), had a one night stand shortly before the show started. She tends to sneak into the house (usually climbing over the railing of Charlie's deck) at all times of the day or night. She freely expresses her love for Charlie, and despite her apparent issues is often a good, albeit crazy, friend and adviser. Although obviously troubled herself, Rose apparently has a Master's degree in psychology, and Alan has mentioned she has two advanced degrees. In various episodes it is insinuated that Rose is orchestrating a complex plan to win Charlie from himself. Early in the series she becomes Scrabble friends with Alan, and is heard to say to herself, "Phase one, complete." After Charlie and Alan's mother Evelyn (Holland Taylor) and Rose's father Harvey (Martin Sheen) meet (and Harvey begins stalking her like Rose stalks Charlie), Rose's grandmother exclaims "That's what happens when you marry a first cousin!" as an explanation for the family's dementia.