Charlie Sheen and Martin Sheen to Play Father and Son in AMC Comedy 'Happy Jack'

Charlie Sheen and Martin Sheen will star as father and son in the multi-camera comedy series "Happy Jack" at AMC and AMC+, Variety has learned. Production on a six-episode first season begins in Los Angeles early next year, with a 2027 launch planned.

The series will shoot in front of a live studio audience at Warner Bros. Studios — in the same studio where "Friends" was filmed. AMC Global Media will present the show to international buyers at MIPCOM in October.

The logline sets up the premise: "Charlie Sheen plays Jack, a bit of a lifelong ne'er-do-well. He's got two great daughters (though his Dad, played by Martin Sheen, deserves more credit for how they turned out). Kate runs Jack's company and keeps him on the rails while Sam is a wild child who is more like her Dad. When Sam comes home to introduce everyone to her new boyfriend, Jack's shocked to learn Paul, a former investment banker turned van life guru, is the same age as he is. Shocked at first (hypocrisy be damned), Jack soon realizes he's got a choice to make. Will he keep looking out for number one, or embrace this last chance to be a real part of his daughters' lives?"

Jim Patterson and Matt Ross serve as writers, executive producers and co-showrunners. Charlie Sheen executive produces in addition to starring. Todd Christopher, Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum and Jason Wang of The Tannenbaum Company, along with 20th Television, also executive produce. AMC Studios produces.

"What a thrill to welcome Charlie Sheen and Martin Sheen to AMC and AMC+, playing a father and son in this original family comedy, 'Happy Jack,'” said Dan McDermott, chief content officer of AMC Global Media and president of AMC Studios. "I worked with Charlie years ago on 'Spin City' and he is a singular talent who has owned the screen in some of the most unforgettable films and television series ever made. We love this show from a great creative team, led by Jim Patterson and Matt Ross, and the Tannenbaums. This is definitely something new for AMC, and we can't wait to bring it to viewers next year."

"Happy Jack" extends a long on-screen family history. Martin Sheen earned one of his Emmy nominations for guest starring on "Two and a Half Men," and he played the father to Charlie's character in "Anger Management." The two also played father and son in "Wall Street" and "No Code of Conduct," and appeared together in "Cadence" (which Martin also directed), "Free Money" and "Hot Shots Part Deux" — in what Variety calls "perhaps the greatest cameo appearance of all time" by Martin.

"I've always heard the moments that truly matter happen when they're supposed to," Charlie Sheen said. "The good folks at AMC have played a huge hand in deciding that moment is now. It's no secret that it's been a minute, and I'm thrilled to be going back on television in such a meaningful way in an equally wonderful show. The crew has reassembled – suffice it to say, it's time to give the people what they want."

Charlie Sheen starred in "Two and a Half Men" for eight seasons, earning four Emmy nominations for the role. After his very public departure from that series, he led the multi-cam "Anger Management." He previously took over the lead of "Spin City" from Michael J. Fox, and most recently appeared in the HBO Max series "Bookie," which reunited him with "Two and a Half Men" co-creator Chuck Lorre. His film credits include "Wall Street," "Platoon," the "Hot Shots" films and "Major League."

Martin Sheen is a ten-time Emmy nominee, six of them for his starring role in Aaron Sorkin's "The West Wing." He won an Emmy for guest starring in "Murphy Brown" in 1994. His film work includes "Apocalypse Now," "Gandhi," "Gettysburg," "The American President" and "The Departed."

Patterson and Ross both worked with Sheen on "Two and a Half Men" in the post-Charlie years, with Patterson rising to showrunner on the CBS series. The duo also collaborated on the Netflix multi-cam comedy "The Ranch."

The MIPCOM showcase in October will give international buyers a first look at the series, more than a year before its 2027 premiere — an early test of whether a live-audience, multi-cam family comedy can travel in a market now dominated by single-camera streaming formats.