One way to avoid angry outbursts is to avoid stressful situations. And Charlie Sheen seems to be doing just that with "Anger Management."
The show's network, FX, airs some of the most challenging -- and best -- comedies on television. "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is transcendently offensive. "Wilfred" is an absurdist fantasy about a man and a talking dog. "Louie" operates at a higher level than almost everything else on TV.
(Both "Wilfred" and "Louie" return Thursday, when "Anger Management" premieres -- though "Wilfred" had a new, "special preview episode" last week.)
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Sheen's new sitcom stands out from other FX shows for its total lack of ambition. Which is especially disappointing given his history: He started ripping his old show, "Two and a Half Men," when he grew tired of its easy setups and cheap jokes.
He bragged about staying out all night, then coming to the set and standing near pieces of furniture on set to avoid falling down. He sounded like a man on autopilot, eager to soar.
But Sheen is right back at cruising altitude with "Anger Management," based on the 2003 Adam Sandler-Jack Nicholson movie. There's the old familiar laugh track, the same multi-camera setup, the same easy, slightly risqué one-liners. Only the cast and the premise are new.
"Anger Management" should make better use of them, because both are pretty good. Based on its first two episodes, it could be a much better show than it is. Its setup offers plenty of places the show can go if it's picked up for 100 episodes, as it could be under Sheen's deal with FX.
That setup is this: Charlie Goodson (Sheen) is a former ballplayer who ruined his career by breaking a bat over his knee during a tantrum. He became an anger management therapist, and treats a group of patients at his home, as well as a group of prison inmates.
He has a friend-with-benefits who also happens to be a great therapist (Selma Blair), an ex-wife who dates a lot (Shawnee Smith), a daughter with OCD (Daniela Bobadilla), and a reliable bartender, played by Brett Butler.
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Yes, bartender. Both Sheen and Butler are veterans of Chuck Lorre shows who have had issues with drugs and alcohol. (Sheen said this week that he's back to drinking after a period of sobriety, but that he doesn't use illegal drugs.)
Their scenes together at the bar sound like opportunities for the kind of intensely personal comedy that Louis C.K. does better than anyone. They present a chance for Sheen to push himself and make an emotional connection with people in the audience who may have demons of their own, and help them fight back those demons with laughter.
But no. Butler's character is the only one in self-examination mode. Or at least as close to it as "Anger Management" gets, at least so far.