Sheen seems a hot property in Fox talks
Charlie Sheen reacts to photographers as he arrives at the Pitkin County Courthouse in Aspen, Colo., on Monday, June 7, 2010 regarding his domestic abuse case. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Ed Andrieski
He may be the poster boy for everything that can go wrong in Hollywood when money, drugs, booze, power, ego, ratings and enabling TV executives are involved, but Charlie Sheen appears to be hot again.
Fox Monday said that it had recently met with Sheen about future projects, while CBS was compelled to bat away a Radar.com story claiming network chief Leslie Moonves wants him back on "Two and a Half Men."
"We can confirm a meeting did take place with Sheen, Mike Darnell [reality boss], Peter Rice [Fox Networks Group chairman] and David Hill [sports chief]. But that's all we can confirm," Fox said in a statement.
Meanwhile, a CBS spokesman responded, "CBS hasn't commented from the outset of this story on rumors and speculation, and we're not going to start now."
The idea of a late-night talk show apparently was broached, although it's unknown whether Sheen was politely told Fox affiliates wouldn't clear 11 p.m. for Johnny Carson incarnate. A reality show was also (per TMZ) discussed -- as if the historic fiasco of the past month wasn't enough reality already.
Was the ongoing Warner Bros. lawsuit discussed at the Fox meet? Anyone bring up Sheen's quasi-deranged ruminations online? Or his reportedly Olympian ingestion of illegal drugs?
Who knows? Sheen's hot and there's money to be made.
"The sooner they put a Sheen reality show on the air, the better," said Brad Adgate, a veteran media executive with New York-based advertising firm Horizon. Otherwise, "It could be out of sight, out of mind."
