| The American sitcom Two and a Half Men, created and executive produced by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn, premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. The show initially centers on seven characters: brothers Charlie and Alan Harper; Jake Harper, the dimwitted son of Alan and his first ex-wife; Judith Harper-Melnick, Alan's first ex-wife, Herb's ex-wife, and Jake and Milly's mother; Rose, one of Charlie's previous one night stands who continuously stalks him; Evelyn Harper, Charlie and Alan's wealthy, five time widowed, bisexual mother, and Jake's grandmother; and last of all, Berta, Charlie's sharp-tongued housekeeper, who later joins the main cast starting with season two after playing a major recurring role throughout the first season. In season nine, the show is revamped when Charlie is struck and killed by a moving train. Walden Schmidt replaces him as the new owner of the beach house, a recently divorced internet billionaire. In season eleven, Jake moves to Japan and leaves the series, so to replace "the half-man", Charlie's long-lost-daughter moves into the beach house after looking for her late father.
Over time, several supporting characters have been promoted to starring roles: Berta (season 1 recurring; season 2–12 regular), Charlie and Alan's (and later Walden's) sharp-tongued housekeeper; Kandi (season 3 recurring; season 4 regular; season 10 guest), one of Charlie's former one night stands, and later on, Alan's second ex-wife; Chelsea (season 6 recurring; season 7 regular; season 9 guest), Charlie's second most notable love interest (after Rose), and ex-fiancée; Walden Schmidt (season 9–12), an internet billionaire who buys Charlie's beach house after his death; Jenny (season 11–12), Charlie's illegitimate daughter from a one-night stand twenty years before; last of all, Louis (season 12), the 6-year-old boy that Walden decides to adopt. The show also features numerous supporting characters, each of whom plays a prominent role in a small group of episodes. |
