Two and a Half Men (season 9) following the cancelation of the previous season. Chuck Lorre revealed that he'd considered ending the show, but thought that it would've been "such a heartbreaking way to end". On May 13, 2011, it was announced that Ashton Kutcher would be taking over from Sheen, playing new character Walden Schmidt. It was also announced that the writers would kill off Charlie Harper. For a revamped show, the producers re-decorated the main set of the beach house, which was used up until the final season. The theme tune was also revamped, with two new singers used in the opening sequence. The new
Two and a Half Men and a Half Men" improved ratings for this time slot, which were up from the previous year. Jennifer Graham Kizer of "IVillage" thought that the series changed tone in the Kutcher era of the show, saying it felt "less evil". Lorre, Cryer, Hinkle, Taylor, Ferrell and Lynskey had nothing but praise for Kutcher, believing he had "saved the show." Kutcher was the highest-paid actor on television for four years according to "Forbes", earning an estimated $24 million between June 2012 and June 2013, $750,000 per episode. Cryer was the second-highest-paid star on American television, earning $600,000–$700,000 per episode. In a