Sheen Tantrum Likely to Cost in the Millions

By BILL CARTER
NYT

Charlie Sheen’s latest antics may leave CBS and Warner Brothers with a quarter-billion-dollar headache.

The two companies decided on Thursday to halt production of the hit CBS comedy “Two and a Half Men” after Mr. Sheen, the star of the show, unleashed a barrage of vituperative comments about the sitcom’s creator, Chuck Lorre.

The loss of next season’s episodes would mean forgoing about $250 million in revenue between Warner Brothers, which produces the show, and CBS. The actual shortfall would be much lower because the network would reduce its costs and would receive revenue from another show in its place.

But it would still hurt the bottom line. In halting work on one of television’s most successful programs, network executives were fully aware of the financial implications.

(More here.)