Anger Management (TV series)

Did You Know?

• In Canada, the series premiered on CTV on August 12, 2012.
• The series was in traditional broadcast syndication in the United States from September 2014 until September 2018.

Premise

The series centers on Charlie Goodson, a former minor league baseball player whose anger issues prevented him from advancing in his career. After therapy with Dr. Kate Wales, he controlled his temper and reached the major leagues, but a relapse during a game—breaking a bat over his knee—ended his playing days. Charlie then became an anger management therapist. He is divorced from Jennifer, with whom he shares custody of their teenage daughter Sam, who has obsessive-compulsive disorder. Charlie maintains a complicated relationship with Kate, who is both his therapist and his casual sex partner. He leads court-ordered group sessions at his home and at a prison.

Cast and characters

Charlie Sheen portrays Dr. Charles "Charlie" Goodson, a former professional baseball player turned anger-management therapist. Selma Blair plays Dr. Kate Wales, Charlie's ex-therapist and casual sex partner, appearing in episodes 1 through 52. Shawnee Smith is Jennifer Goodson, Charlie's ex-wife. Daniela Bobadilla appears as Sam Goodson, Charlie and Jennifer's teenage daughter, in episodes 1–52, 54, 57, and 63. Noureen DeWulf plays Lacey Patel, a spoiled and destructive anger-management patient. Michael Arden portrays Patrick, a passive-aggressive homosexual patient. Derek Richardson is Nolan Johnson, an unassertive patient. Barry Corbin plays Ed, an elderly redneck patient, from episode 3 onward. Brian Austin Green appears as Sean Healy, Charlie's nemesis who later becomes a friend, from episode 45. Laura Bell Bundy plays Dr. Jordan Denby, a psychologist and business partner, from episode 47. Brett Butler portrays Brett, a bartender. Michael Boatman plays Michael, Charlie's neighbor, in episodes 1–55. James Black appears as Cleo/Derek, a prison group member. Darius McCrary plays Donovan, another prison group member. Stephen Taylor is Wayne Dwayne Earl, a prison group member revealed as a serial killer. Aldo Gonzalez plays Ernesto Sylvia. Martin Sheen guest-stars as Charlie's father, Martin Goodson. Steve Valentine portrays Dr. Moore, a rival psychiatrist.

Production

Development of a series based on the 2003 film was announced in July 2011, with Charlie Sheen set to star in the role originally played by Jack Nicholson. This was Sheen's first acting role after being fired from Two and a Half Men. In October 2011, FX ordered the series with a 10/90 deal: an initial ten episodes, with a potential order of 90 more if successful. The additional 90 episodes were ordered in August 2012. FX paid a $600,000-per-episode license fee. To boost season-two ratings, four episodes aired on Fox in June 2013. Casting began in January 2012, with Shawnee Smith and Selma Blair cast as the female leads. Other actresses who tested for these roles included Julie Benz, Jenica Bergere, Elaine Hendrix, Kate Reinders, and Nichole Hiltz.

Reception

Anger Management received largely unfavorable reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave the first season a 23% score based on 35 reviews, with an average rating of 5.20/10 and a consensus calling it "aggressively so-so." Metacritic assigned a weighted average of 44 out of 100 from 33 critics. Linda Stasi of the New York Post described the series as "not so bad" and conventional. Nancy DeWolf Smith of The Wall Street Journal found it "usually funny, often clever." Alan Sepinwall of HitFix stated that the show gives Charlie Sheen's fans what they want. Maureen Ryan of The Huffington Post criticized the series for "core ugliness and toxic narcissism."