When Two and a Half Men aired its first episode with Ashton Kutcher (who replaced Charlie Sheen this fall after the latter's well-documented meltdown), a record 28 million viewers tuned in. Five weeks later, the show has shed nearly half that audience, bringing in an average of about 14.2 million, according to E! Online. That's one million below Sheen's average last season. (For his part, Sheen is unsurprised, telling TMZ that he is "extremely disappointed" with the new season.) With viewership sliding — and Kutcher on the receiving end of not-so-flattering press surrounding alleged marriage infidelities — is Kutcher's job in danger?
Kutcher should be a little worried: Don't "expect CBS to cut Two and a Half Men anytime soon," says Andre Tartar at New York. But Kutcher's future could be in doubt. The actor is only signed to a one-year contract. If the ratings continue to fall, "the network may have real reason" to cut ties with Kutcher — especially because he "has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons."
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