Kutcher to play tech billionaire on 'Men'

Ashton Kutcher's character on "Two and a Half Men" has a name, background and even a story line. He's an entrepreneur -- an Internet billionaire, to be exact -- named Walden Schmidt. And he's mending a "broken heart," according to CBS entertainment chief Nina Tassler, speaking to TV critics Wednesday at their summer press tour in Beverly Hills.

Tassler said Schmidt has no family connection to the characters played by continuing stars Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones (who play the brother and nephew of Charlie Harper, the character played by the fired Charlie Sheen). Tassler wouldn't reveal any more, but she did say all will be told over a two-episode arc when the show returns for its ninth season on Sept. 19.

She also declined to confirm or deny Monday's report from Deadline.com that Charlie Harper would be killed off and given a funeral in the season opener.

"The mystery is part of the marketing. The chatter and the conversation is part of what the fun is going to be," she said.

Tassler insisted that the show minus Sheen "will be as irreverent as it's always been. Our program practices [department] are already on high alert."

The executive was then asked what she had learned from the off-camera Sheen drama that culminated in the actor being fired from the show in March and the eighth season prematurely ending.

"Oh, where do I begin?" she said.