In what can be called a unique event in TV history, two hit CBS shows are swapping scribes for two upcoming episodes of Two and a Half Men and CSI. On Monday, may 5 on Two and a Half Men in the episode "Fish in a Drawer", A CSI team investigates a mysterious death at Charlie's house as Robert Wagner returns to play Evelyn's new husband Teddy while Jenny McCarthy rejoins the line-up as Teddy dubious daughter and CSI star George Eads makes a cameo. Three days later on Thursday, May 8 on CSI, Grissom and crew find themselves entangled in the world of Hollywood comedy when a sitcom star played by Katey Sagal meets an untimely demise while filming her show in Las Vegas while sitcom ladies Rachael Harris, Diedrich Bader and Constance Marie turn up for the crossover episode "Two and a Half Deaths".

Leading up to the Two and a Half Men - CSI scribe swap, The Deadbolt took part in a conference call with Two and a Half writers Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn and CSI writers Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar to learn more about how both shows will crossover into the worlds of comedy and drama.

THE DEADBOLT: Since both shows will have a CSI feel, how does Two and a Half Men fit into the formula?

LEE ARONSOHN: You’ll see on Monday night that there is a death on the show. There is a suspicious murder, possibly, and there’s an investigation that seeks the culprit. In using the CSI format of forensic evidence and interrogation we track down who done it.

CHUCK LORRE: And we use some of the visual conventions of CSI, the flashbacks and some of those ultra close ups, but we don’t use them the same way that CSI does.

THE DEADBOLT: Since CSI has spawned two spin-offs and video games, is there any talk of taking it to the big screen?

CAROL MENDELSOHN: There has been a little talk over the years, nothing concrete, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens one day.

CHUCK: Just so you guys know, I’ll give you a little head’s up - Two and a Half Men is headed for radio. We’re going to your transistor radio [laughs].

LEE: But they still might be upsetting.

Conference call highlights:

Chuck Lorre and Carol Mendelsohn on who came up with the idea to crossover:

CHUCK: I mentioned it as something ridiculous to Carol about a year ago. Was it when we were in Canada?

CAROL: No you called me last spring.

CHUCK: Oh, before we went to Canada. Then I pressed it when we were in Canada and it went viral from there.

Inside the CSI - Two and a Half Men Writer Crossover Page 2