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Warner Bros. Television and CBS confirmed Friday that Ashton Kutcher will replace Charlie Sheen on the top-rated comedy series Two and a Half Men.The Hollywood Reporter published the first reports of the deal Thursday, which will mark Kutchers first return to network television since That 70s Show. For his part, Kutcher tweeted, whats the square root of 6.25 from his account on Thursday evening. The answer, of course, is two and a half.With Kutcher, CBS and Warner Bros. Television are looking for an actor that can step in for Charlie Sheen and perhaps bring in a new audience of his own. Sheens meteoric meltdown not-withstanding, Two and a Half Men is a show that has never been overtly social. Charlie Sheen only joined Twitter after being suspended from Two and a Half Men. Kutcher could offer the show, its producers and the network and opportunity to engage with fans in a way that isnt all about spectacle and meme-tastic quotes about tiger blood.With 6.7 million Twitter followers and a sizable following on Facebook, Kutcher is one of the most socially connected celebrities in the entertainment business. The big question now that he has joined the show is, what impact will his social media presence have on the shows ratings?Christy Tanner, the general manager and executive vice president of TV Guide Digital, alluded to Kutchers new role in her presentation at Mashable Connect on Friday. We spoke to her after the presentation to get more insight into the potential impact Kutcher and his social fanbase could have on the show. Two and a Half Men wont live or die by social media, Tanner told us. The show will continue to be successful if fans continue to find the show funny.That isnt to say that social media wont have any impact on the show. This is an incredible opportunity for Two and a Half Men, Chuck Lorre, Warner Bros. Television and CBS to leverage Ashtons Kutchers tremendous social media following, Tanner said.The key, as with everything, is with execution. After all, Kutchers Twitter following and strong presence in social media hasnt helped make his films successful at the box office. As Tanner pointed out to us, however, film and television can be very different, especially when it comes to social media.With a weekly series, rather than just one opening weekend, Kutcher, CBS and Lorre will have the opportunity to see what works and what doesnt. According to Tanner, this could be a great opportunity to see what can move the needle with social media and its impact on engagement and ratings.For his part, Charlie Sheen told TMZ that Men will fail without him, saying, Enjoy the show America. Enjoy seeing a 2.0 in the demo every Monday, WB.Well see. Its certainly hard to imagine an Ashton-infused Two and a Half Men doing any worse than Sheens one-man shows. Do you think Ashtons social media savvy will have a positive impact on Two and a Half Men? Let us know.More About: ashton kutcher, charlie sheen, television, tv, tv guide, two and a half men, winningFor more Media coverage:Follow Mashable Media on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Media channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad Read More ...
