TMG Picks Up Rights for New Charlie Sheen Sitcom

MUNICH/SANTA MONICA: Tele München Group (TMG) has secured the rights for the upcoming sitcom Anger Management, starring Charlie Sheen, for Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland from Lionsgate’s international television division.

The sitcom is based on Revolution Studio’s 2003 feature film Anger Management, which starred Adam Sandler, Jack Nicholson and Marisa Tomei. It is the Two and a Half Men star’s return to serialized television since his departure from the CBS hit series. The sale to TMG is the show’s third major international territory sale, following Canada and Latin America. The series will begin shooting on March 19 and will premiere on FX in June. FX has committed to an initial order of 100 episodes if the first ten episodes exceed a certain ratings level, which was pre-negotiated between FX and Lionsgate.

Sheen stars as an ex-baseball pro who must fix his anger management issues. The series also includes Shawnee Smith (Saw, Franchise, Becker) as Sheen’s ex-wife and Selma Blair (Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde) as his therapist. Bruce Helford (George Lopez, The Drew Carey Show) is showrunner, while Joe Roth is executive producing, along with Sheen and Helford. The series is produced by Lionsgate Television.

“We’re delighted to extend our longstanding relationship with TMG, and we believe their media leadership and reach make them a perfect partner in the German speaking territories of Europe,” said Jim Packer, the president of Lionsgate Worldwide Television and digital distribution. “We expect Anger Management to entertain audiences for many years to come, and we’re pleased to continue the strong momentum we’ve already developed in selling this series in territories around the world.”

“We are looking forward to bringing another highly entertaining sitcom with Charlie Sheen to screens all around the German-speaking world, and we are proud of our partnership with Lionsgate, whose track record is proof of outstanding quality,” said Herbert Kloiber, the chairman of TMG.