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24 Episodes 2003 - 2004
The life of affluent, carefree jingle writer Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) is thrown off-kilter when his tightly wound chiropractor brother, Alan (Jon Cryer), and Alan's 10-year-old son, Jake (Angus T. Jones), come to live with him at his beach house\ indefinitely in the aftermath of Alan's failed marriage to Judith (Marin Hinkle). Charlie is an unabashed womanizer and Alan is insecure and unlucky in love. While as opposite as brothers can be, they're united in the fact that they each deal with dysfunction, courtesy of their overbearing mother, Evelyn (Holland Taylor), who drops in occasionally to remind them of how much they loathe her. Also dropping in (well, breaking in) is Charlie's head case of a neighbor and personal stalker, Rose (Melanie Lynskey), a one-night stand from his past who doesn't quite grasp the "one-night" concept. The ensemble is rounded out by Berta (Conchata Ferrell), Charlie's gruff housekeeper. Season 1 follows the brothers' adjustment to each other and the new situation, exemplified by two memorable episodes, one in which Charlie has to be a "parent" when Jake lets seagulls into the house; and another showing Alan's horror over Charlie's influence when Jake draws a tattoo he saw on one of Charlie's girlfriends. In a fun nod to Sheen's personal and professional lives, Denise Richards (Sheen's ex-wife) and Heather Locklear (a "Spin City" costar) appear in separate episodes. Other memorable guests include Teri Hatcher, Chris O'Donnell and Jenna Elfman.
Episode 1
Mon, Sep 22, 2003 30 mins
Carefree jingle writer Charlie Harper has his lifestyle altered when his uptight brother and his 10-year-old nephew move in with him.
Episode 2
Mon, Sep 29, 2003 30 mins
Despite warnings from Charlie, Jake continues to feed seagulls on the deck and the birds invade the house. Meanwhile, Charlie thinks Judith is taking advantage of Alan, who keeps going to her house to fix things.
Episode 3
Mon, Oct 6, 2003 30 mins
Jake wants to go home to his mother after he gets sick, prompting Alan to think he's a failure as a husband and now as a father.
Episode 4
Mon, Oct 13, 2003 30 mins
Charlie can't function when his housekeeper storms off because of Alan's constant complaints, so Alan tries desperately to woo her back. Meanwhile, Rose comes to Charlie for dating advice.
Episode 5
Mon, Oct 20, 2003 30 mins
Alan and Charlie have encounters with some highly libidinous soccer mothers, but with two very different outcomes.
Episode 6
Mon, Oct 27, 2003 30 mins
The guys go to Evelyn's house to meet the new man she's dating, and Charlie realises the man's daughter is a woman he's trying to avoid.
Episode 7
Mon, Nov 3, 2003 30 mins
Judith is upset with Alan and Charlie when she learns that a surfer who uses Charlie's shower walks around half naked in front of Jake.
Episode 8
Mon, Nov 10, 2003 30 mins
Alan tricks Charlie into joining him and Judith in leading Jake and his classmates in the school's annual music show.
Episode 9
Mon, Nov 17, 2003 30 mins
Charlie is convinced that a woman who spent the night with him wants to turn their relationship into something serious after she befriends Jake and Evelyn.
Episode 10
Mon, Nov 24, 2003 30 mins
Denise Richards plays Charlie's engaged old love. Realising he's losing someone special, Charlie plans a Thanksgiving dinner to convince her he's a family guy and that she should be with him.
Episode 11
Mon, Dec 15, 2003 30 mins
When Alan is surprised to see that Judith has had a makeover and is dating a man, he decides to have Charlie help him transform his image.
Episode 12
Mon, Jan 5, 2004 30 mins
Berta's granddaughter spends the day at Charlie's, which isn't a problem until he learns she's a beautiful, rebellious 16-year-old.
Episode 13
Mon, Jan 12, 2004 30 mins
Charlie nurses an ailing Alan back to health so they can go on a double date with two sisters, one of whom Charlie's been wanting to date for a long time.
Episode 14
Mon, Feb 2, 2004 30 mins
Charlie's financial manager informs the carefree jingle writer that he spends money faster than his royalty checks come in, and now he must go on a budget.
Episode 15
Mon, Feb 9, 2004 30 mins
Jenna Elfman plays a mysterious, slightly crazed woman whom Charlie invites to stay at the house until she can settle some family problems.
Episode 16
Mon, Feb 16, 2004 30 mins
Charlie is perplexed when Frankie, the mysterious woman temporarily living in the Harper household, begins falling for Alan and not him.
Episode 17
Mon, Feb 23, 2004 30 mins
Charlie's still brooding over Alan's choice of their cousin as Jake's guardian if both parents die when the boy has an accident while in his care and has to be rushed to the hospital.
Episode 18
Mon, Mar 1, 2004 30 mins
Chris O'Donnell plays one of Charlie's ex-girlfriends, who is now a man. It gets better: He starts dating Evelyn (Holland Taylor), who's clueless about his past history with her son. Leanne: Rebecca McFarland. Berta: Conchata Ferrel.
Episode 19
Mon, Mar 22, 2004 30 mins
Judith's devious siren sister (Teri Hatcher) stirs things up at Jake's 11th birthday party when she hits on Alan. Meanwhile, Evelyn brings alcohol and has a party of her own. Judith: Marin Hinkle. Evelyn: Holland Taylor. Rose: Melanie Lynskey.
Episode 20
Mon, Apr 19, 2004 30 mins
Jake's sullen mood baffles and bothers the family and prompts Alan and Judith to take him to a child psychologist (Jane Lynch). Vicki: Amanda Tosch. Jake: Angus T. Jones. Berta: Conchata Ferrell. Judith: Marin Hinkle.
Episode 21
Mon, May 3, 2004 30 mins
Charlie plays a tricky game when he gets involved with Alan's divorce lawyer (Heather Locklear), who could make things difficult for Alan if she were, say, dumped by a self-centered lothario. Crystal: Alana De La Garza. Stuart: Marc Grapey.
Episode 22
Mon, May 10, 2004 30 mins
When Charlie discovers that Alan is sleepwalking, he believes it's related to his brother's lack of sex following his divorce, and comes up with a cure. Dr. Linda Freeman: Jane Lynch. Darlene: Amanda Swisten. Annette: Jamie Day.
Episode 23
Mon, May 17, 2004 30 mins
When Jake repeats one of Charlie's sexist remarks in front of Judith's support group, the women convince Judith to stop Jake's visits with his dad and Charlie.
Episode 24
Mon, May 24, 2004 30 mins
Charlie has a pregnancy scare involving one of his one-night stands and decides to go for the big "V", and we're not talking Vegas.