The series revolves around Charlie Goodson Sheen , a one-time minor league baseball player who struggled to take the next step because of his recurring anger issues. Thanks to a therapist, Dr. Kate Wales Selma Blair , Charlie was able to get his issues under control and finally make it to the major leagues.
But he had a relapse during a big league game, breaking a bat over his knee in anger and causing a career-ending injury. The incident inspired Charlie to return to school and become an anger management therapist. Charlie is divorced from Jennifer Shawnee Smith , on whom he cheated multiple times during his baseball-playing days. The two still see a lot of each other because they share joint custody of their teenage daughter Sam Daniela Bobadilla , who has obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Charlie has a complicated relationship with Kate, who is not only his therapist, but also his "sex buddy". He holds regular group sessions for court-directed anger-management patients in his home, and also does group sessions at an area prison.
On July 18, , it was announced that a show based on the film of the same name was in development with Charlie Sheen starring in the role originally played by Jack Nicholson from the film. On October 27, , it was announced that FX had picked up the series with an initial ten-episode order which, if successful, FX would then order an additional 90 episodes under a syndication model crafted by Debmar-Mercury.
On August 29, , it was announced that the show would be picked up for a further 90 episodes. Landgraf also announced that Martin Sheen , who guest-starred in season one as Charlie's on-screen father, would become a season two regular cast member. Casting announcements began in January , with Shawnee Smith and Selma Blair first cast as the two female leads. Smith was cast as Charlie's ex-wife and Blair was cast as Charlie's therapist and possible love interest. Next to be cast was Noureen DeWulf , in the role of Lacey, a spoiled rich girl who is sentenced to join the therapy group after shooting her boyfriend in the testicles when he cheated on her.
