Two And A Half Men - Nice To Meet You, Walden Schmidt

Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Jon Cryer, Angus T. Jones, Conchata Ferrell, Holland Taylor, Marin Hinkle, Melanie Lynskey, Jenny McCarthy, John Stamos, Jenna Elfman, Thomas Gibson

Rating: ****

Air Date: Tuesday 20th September, 9pm - Comedy Central

So here we are, Two and a Half Men is back, Charlie Sheen is gone, and the show is as funny as ever.

We open the show at Charlie Harpers funeral, and at the service are his family, friends and a handful of the women he has slept with. Instantly the bar is set, with hilarious one liners, and sarcastic comments from the exes that make you literally laugh out loud. This carries on through the show, and nothing has changed, which is good. The chemistry is still spot on, and despite losing the 'star', it is still just as brilliant as always. Hilarious cameos from Jenny McCarthy, John Stamos, Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson add to the funny farewell to Sheen, and there is never a dull moment in the opening episode.

The cast as usual are on top form, and slip back into their characters with ease. Alan (Cryer) is still dry, sarcastic and grumpy, but never loses his charm throughout. Jake (Jones) still has the same teenager angst, attitude and inappropriate thought as always, and despite not appearing in the episode much, he still manages to steal the scenes he is in. The breakout performance is Walden (Kutcher), who in his first episode is sweet, naive, and genuinely funny and is able to hold his own with the rest of the brilliant cast.

The rest of the cast are equally as funny and all together they really make this episode a hysterical treat. Berta, Evelyn, Rose and Judith (Ferrell, Taylor, Lynskey & Hinkle), still provide their cynical opinions on the trio, and are just as funny as the male leads. Ferrell and Taylor in particular are extra funny in this episode, and constantly provide funny one liners and hilarious opinions on the way they live their lives.

The writing is brilliant, and never feels stale or recycled. They have done a brilliant job with the transition of characters and they never let it slip. Kutcher is a brilliant addition to the cast, and the rest of the actors are as fantastic as ever. It premieres tonight on Comedy Central, and it is certainly worth a watch