FX President Defends Giving Charlie Sheen Another Chance With “Anger Management”

Charlie Sheen has been given a second chance at TV stardom by FX president John Landgraf. His show Anger Management was picked up without a script being shown and now Landgraf has defended his decision during a talk with reports at the Television Critics Association tour in Pasadena.

“I walked into the pitch as skeptical as you might imagine I would be,” and “It was just a really excellent pitch. I think some of you saw Charlie last weekend and I think you saw a very different Charlie Sheen. And I saw that guy in the room. I saw a really good pitch for a comedy series. Funny and complicated and I think the character he ought to be playing at this point — somebody with a checkered past but pretty self aware.”

Now only did the network agree to 10 episodes of the Adam Sandler movie spinoff, they have agreed to purchase 90 more episodes should the show reach an undisclosed ratings threshold.

Landgraf goes on to note that not everyone feels Charlie Sheen should be given a second chance including a reporter who bashed his domestic violence past and other issues:

“[The reporter] feels Charlie shouldn’t have a place in popular culture, that with his crimes, he should be banished to Siberia,” Landgraf said. “Charlie wants to get his house in order and deal with the issues of substance abuse and relationships within his own family, and have greater consciousness, and do a show where he has more complicatedly positive relationships with women … my opinion is that could be a good thing, not just for Charlie, but for society. I believe in redemption … I’m all for giving him the opportunity for turning things around.”

Charlie proved he could hold his own on Spin City and then proved once again his comedic chops for sitcoms with Two and a Half Men. If Charlie can continue to play real to form Anger Management could be an immediately hit.

Will you be tuning in when Charlie Sheen takes to the small screen once again?