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Charlie Sheen’s flying circus is still the best show in town.
And the TV industry continues to feed off the snowballing story that culminated yesterday in Sheen’s firing from “Two and a Half Men.”
The star’s shockingly public meltdown — in which he’s put himself front-and-center in a series of wildly rambling interviews, tweets and even his own Webcast — has been a ratings boon for several shows, including last Friday’s “Dateline” on NBC.
His rantings and volatile behavior have also spawned a cottage industry of specials — with seemingly everyone from Spike TV to Mark Cuban wanting a piece of the action.
“He’s good copy right now, and they might as well strike while the iron’s hot,” says industry analyst Brad Adgate of Horizon Media.
“A month from now, [Sheen-related programming] will get nowhere near the numbers it’s getting now.”
“He’s a train wreck, and people love that,” says Marc Berman, senior television editor, AdweekMedia. “We know . . . he’s over the edge — and the audience eats that up alive.
“He’s getting himself in deeper and deeper and he never shuts up . . . this is what makes headlines.”
VH1 teamed with “Celebrity Rehab” host Dr. Drew Pinsky for a Sheen special, “Winning or Losing It?” which aired Monday night, and now Spike is getting into the act with a half-hour special, “Charlie Sheen’s Winningest Moments,” airing tomorrow at 10:30 p.m.
It plays off Sheen’s now-famous catchphrase that he’s “Winning!” and features a countdown of his most outrageous moments a la Next Media Animation, the Taiwanese company that’s turned its outrageous animated recountings of celebrity scandals and mishaps (including Tiger Woods, Paris Hilton and Ricky Gervais) into viral online must-sees.
Sheen has been fodder for Next Media Animation for several weeks now, including one Web favorite in which he confronted his now-former boss, “Two and a Half Men” creator Chuck Lorre, with his “fire-breathing fists.”
Sheen has also caught the interest of billionaire HDNet founder Cuban, who’s talking to the troubled star about hosting a show for the high-def cable network.
“In a world where the headline is the message, a show with Charlie would provide some reality behind the headlines,” Cuban said via e-mail.
“We have not finalized anything yet. But I think we are getting closer.”
Even the creator of AMC’s hit series “The Walking Dead” is getting into the act, clamoring to get Sheen onto his show — to do whatever he wants to do.
“Charlie, call us, we will totally make that happen,” show creator Robert Kirkman told The Hollywood Reporter. “We’ll do whatever you want,” Kirkman said — including (jokingly) saying that Sheen could replace lead series star Andrew Lincoln.
Kirkman even said Sheen can “direct an episode . . . actually [Sheen] could play a car for all I care,” he said.
“He’s awesome.” — With Sean Daly in LA