Well, it finally happened. After many months of advertising and hype, Charlie Sheen's new T.V. show "Anger Management" finally aired. Boy, did it air with a bang!
On Thursday, June 28th, "Anger Management" opened with a two episode debut that generated the highest-rated premiere in FX history, attracting 5.5 million total viewers in its first half-hour episode and 5.7 million in its second, according to The Nielsen Company. This can be considered a big win for Charlie since his firing from the hit T.V. show "Two and A Half Men" for essentially living in real-life as his character on the show. What is also great about this is that if the ratings stay this good, along with the original ten episodes FX initially ordered, another ninety are automatically renewed. While the ratings are good, the reviews of the show, mine included, aren't as impressive.
The show "Anger Management" is adapted from the 2003 film with the same name, starring Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler. Charlie plays the character Charlie Goodson, a former hot-headed minor league baseball player who's evolved into an anger management therapist with unconventional methods. However, the show feels like it's just another vehicle for Charlie Sheen to change his image. Unlike his last character, in this show he has an ex-wife and daughter. The family relationship feels lived-in and comfortable. For those who enjoy seeing those parts, they are very lacking. Also, his stereotypical patients are being portrayed with lousy acting, removing a lot of the humor. The show seemed too formulaic, and it seems Charlie is trying to change an image he became famous for, which can hurt him.
When all is said and done, the show is at least watchable, so viewers should give it a chance. It is somewhat interesting to see him in a subdued role, sipping coffee from his promotional mug while listening to the banter of his patients. Even though I feel most of the rating numbers came from people just curious to see what kind of show he was going to be in. While he probably won't get the same numbers next week, I hope that he gets sustainable ratings to turn his ten episode deal into a hundred episode deal. Plus I'm sure that would stick it to Chuck Lorre a bit if "Anger Management" does better than "two and A Half Men." Wouldn't you agree?
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