While Ashton Kutcher is knee-deep in the drama of his private life, we can't let that obscure the drama that once pervaded his newly-helmed show, "Two and a Half Men."
The back and forth between the show's creator, Chuck Lorre, and its previous loose-cannon-star, Charlie Sheen, has certainly had its fair share of media attention. But now Lorre covers the upcoming issue of TV Guide to reflect upon the show's past and its Kutcher-filled future.
Page Six reported the more bleak side of the story, explaining that during the height of Sheen's "winning," Lorre had no choice but to temporarily shut down the production of "Two and a Half Men."
"You can't do that much cocaine and work." Lorre said via TV Guide. "I didn't want to be writing a sitcom while my friend died. Or worse, hurt someone else. We couldn't be complacent. There was a tragedy unfolding right in front of us. There was violence and blackouts. On a certain level, if you're looking the other way, you're responsible."
He went on to explain that despite Kutcher's personal life, it's been smooth sailing since making the star-switch.
AOL TV reports: "I thought, why not find out if we can do it? If we failed, what have we failed at? Making a sitcom? Then it became exciting. We got to do something none of us ever dreamed of doing: We got to end a series and start a new series in 20 minutes."
TV Guide Magazine hits newsstands Thursday, Dec. 15.