'Bookie' also stars comedian Sebastian Maniscalco and Omar J. Dorsey. It will premiere two episodes on Nov. 30.
Max has just offered a sneak peek at Charlie Sheen's return to television with the new trailer for Chuck Lorre's comedy, Bookie.
In the trailer, Sheen seemingly plays the role of a degenerate gambler who can't score on his bets. When his sports bookie, played by comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, and the bookie's sidekick/BFF, Ray (Omar J. Dorsey), come to collect a bet, Sheen's character offers them a collectable in lieu of cash -- Babe Ruth's autopsy report.
Bookie marks Sheen's triumphant return to TV since his tumultuous exit from Two and a Half Men after eight seasons. His character, the playboy Charlie Harper, was killed off in the season 9 premiere, which introduced Ashton Kutcher as the new protagonist. Sheen's very public downward spiral halted production of the hit CBS comedy before ultimately resuming without Sheen.
The new Max comedy also reunites Sheen with Lorre, the Two and a Half Men creator. They had a falling out in 2011 but have since made up and are once again friends. Speaking to Variety about Bookie, Lorre, 71, said he and co-creator Nick Bakay could not stop thinking about Sheen when it came to casting the role that ultimately went to the actor.
"It should be Charlie," Lorre told Variety of his thought process. "I remember Charlie was very much engaged in, in sports betting and he would tell me stories about it all the time. You know, when things were good."
Bookie's synopsis calls the show a "darkly funny comedy" that follows "veteran Los Angeles bookie Danny (Maniscalco) as the potential legalization of sports gambling in California threatens to upend his business for good. Alongside best friend and former NFL player Ray (Dorsey), side-hustling sister Lorraine (Vanessa Ferlito), and reluctantly reformed drug dealer Hector (Jorge Garcia), Danny must contend with his increasingly unstable clients as he tries to settle their debts -- all while making plenty of risky bets of his own."
Bookie will premiere two episodes Nov. 30 on Max, followed by two episodes each Thursday until the Dec. 21 finale.
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