“Two and a Half Men,” CBS, Mondays at 9:30 p.m.

Telltale quote: “Well Alan, there’s not much to say. I make a lot of money for doing very little work, I sleep with beautiful women who don’t ask about my feelings, I drive a Jag, I live at the beach, and sometimes, in the middle of the day for no reason at all, I like to make myself a big pitcher of margaritas and take a nap out on the sundeck.”

Overview: CBS has proven its success with Monday night sitcoms, including “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Yes, Dear,” and last season’s hit show “Still Standing.” The network hopes to extend that consistent record to this season’s new entry, “Two and a Half Men.”

   At first blush, “Two and a Half Men” seems like little more than a rehashing of a familiar stereotype. For at least the fourth time, Charlie Sheen plays a character named Charlie (apparently writers have grown wise to his inability to respond to any other name). Charlie (the character, not the actor) is a laid-back, womanizing bachelor who not only lives on the beach and drives a Jag, but who writes jingles and drinks too much. 

   While this set-up may seem like the foundation for a sequel to “What Women Want,” “Lethal Weapon” or any number of Mel Gibson films, the plot similarity ends there. Charlie’s life of luxury and little responsibility is shattered when his anal-retentive brother Alan separates from his wife and decides to move in.

   The only thing better than forcing a strained relationship between two brothers who hardly know each other is, not surprisingly, throwing Alan’s 10-year-old son Jake into the mix. Charlie’s initial apprehension at having a child around is diminished when he realizes that Jake is useful for attracting the attention of women, and incidentally, also good at poker.

   While the formula for the show isn’t groundbreaking, the conflicting personalities of Charlie and Alan (played by Jon Cryer – yes, Duckie) provide a good comedic platform accented by the fresh humor of Jake (Angus T. Jones).

Verdict: Charlie Sheen blends the naiveté of Will in “About a Boy” with the wise-cracking sleaziness of Sam Malone from ”Cheers.” The show teeters on predictability, but the testosterone-heavy humor should be a good fit for CBS’s Monday night.

“Las Vegas,” NBC, Mondays at 9 p.m.  

Telltale quote: “If I catch you looking at another girl, take a poison pill because I’ll kill you.”

Overview: The Las Vegas strip is a location scout’s dream – unusual architecture, eclectic people, a spectacular lightshow and beautiful weather – all in a city that truly never sleeps. And NBC isn’t letting CBS be the only network with a hit show set on Sin City’s stage. But unlike “CSI,” NBC’s “Las Vegas” doesn’t investigate murders or require its characters to have advanced degrees (although the valet does have a master’s in engineering). Instead, the show takes a closer look at the intricate network of casino surveillance and security.

    “Las Vegas” boasts a motley crew of familiar faces, including an MTV host (Molly Sims), an Oscar nominee (James Caan), two ABC soap stars (“All My Children’s” Josh Duhamel and “General Hospital’s” Vanessa Marcil) and a former Charlie’s Angel (Cheryl Ladd). Even Nikki Cox of “Unhappily Ever After” and “Nikki” fits in as a high-priced Las Vegas escort (not to be confused with the less sophisticated business of hookers).

   James Caan is “Big Ed” Deline, former head of CIA counterintelligence and now head of casino surveillance and security at the Montecito Resort & Casino. His protégé is Danny (Duhamel) who, he has just learned, is also sleeping with his only daughter (Sims). Danny and his team are responsible for uncovering a cheater who racks up more than $3 million in winnings, confronting an elevator exhibitionist, and hunting down a whale and the whale thief who lured the billionaire to a rival casino.

   “Las Vegas” follows the frenetic pace and direction of an action-movie, and it’s no surprise that “The Fast and the Furious” writer Gary Scott Thompson is behind the scenes here. While the show features exciting plotlines and a diverse, if not complicated, cast of characters, it suffers from one glaring weakness – the over-used and often poor practice of voiceover. 

   With rare exceptions (two of the greatest being “The Wonder Years” and “Stand By Me”), voiceover in Hollywood tends to signify a failure in the storytelling ability of the script. Such is the case here, where Danny’s internal thoughts reflect not the poignant gems of introspection but the dim and pointless baubles in an uninspired stream of consciousness (“I love that accent”).

Verdict: “Las Vegas” combines the energy of last season’s “Fastlane” with the location-specific drama that only Sin City (and a Hollywood soundstage) can offer. This energy is propelled by a cast enthusiastic to break in their new roles; Duhamel and Marcil’s long, wistful stares of their soap opera days have been replaced by the biting single-word retorts of a drama aimed at our ADD nation.

   And while Molly Sims stumbles in her transition from an exuberant and sexy MTV personality to an exuberant and sexy privileged daughter (the distinction is unclear), her mediocre performance is compensated for by the confident authority of James Caan. Watching “Las Vegas” is reminiscent of racing a jet ski over choppy waters – a thrill not suitable for everyone, but well matched with NBC lead-in “Fear Factor.”

By John Rash

“Two and a Half Men,” CBS, Mondays at 9:30 p.m.

    “Two and a Half Men's” credits claim the stars are Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer. But the real star is legendary producer/director James Burrows, because his pilot direction manages to make a charming comedy based on two uncharming characters in Messrs. Sheen and Cryer (the half is the prototypical sitcom kid, Angus T. Jones). 
    Relatively well written -- particularly the lines about their relatives – “Two and a Half Men” is a likable lead-out to “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and should shore up CBS's Monday night ratings leadership.

For past Media Life reviews of the new fall shows, click below.

WB's "Like Family"

Fox's "Luis"

ABC's "Threat Matrix"

UPN's "All of Us," "Rock Me Baby"

UPN's "Eve"

WB's "All About the Andersons"

WB's "Steve Harvey's Big Time"
WB's "Run of the House"
UPN's "The Mullets"

UPN's "Jake 2.0"

NBC's "Whoopi"
NBC's "Happy Family"

A.J. Livsey's fall season overview