'Two and a Half Men' hitting their stride

BURBANK, Calif. — It isn't unusual for a TV series to start struggling a bit as it nears 100 episodes. Even if it's not obvious to viewers, writers and producers are having to work harder to come up with fresh scripts.

Not a problem for "Two and a Half Men," according to creator/executive Lee Aronsohn.

"Believe it or not, the last two years we found the story process actually easier than it was the first couple of years," Aronsohn said. "In the first couple of years, we were still trying to figure out who these people were and what this show was. And now it's only been I think the last two years we've really hit a stride.

His partner, creator/executive producer Chuck Lorre, concurred. He said that it's been "wonderful" since the writing staff started working on the upcoming season back in June.

"This series is alive and well and the stories are coming, and they're great stories because we have great characters," Lorre said. "And we've got a young man who's growing up, and he's going to be more challenging."

"Yeah, I am," interjected Jon Cryer, who plays Alan Harper on the hit CBS sitcom.

Lorre, of course, was referring to the "Half" in "Two and a Half Men." Angus T. Jones, who turns 14 on Oct. 8, plays Jake, who's more or less the same age.

"We're putting Jake in junior high, so that's big transition for him," Aronsohn said.

"From a writing perspective, it's better for us because the challenges are greater and there's more comedy to play," Lorre said. "He's going to start bringing home girls. His life gets more complicated. As writers, we're thrilled."

It's a bonus as far as the cast is concerned, too.

"It is amazing to have a kid growing up on a show," said Holland Taylor, who plays Jake's grandmother, Evelyn. "On some shows, kids ... don't really change. He's changed tremendously and the writing has shown that. He's growing up and it's a whole different set of problems."

And, while Jake is growing up, he's still a kid. A kid in the middle of what is, um, one of the more adult comedies on network TV, at least in terms of the plotlines and double entendres.

"If you're watching the show with your children ... you probably shouldn't be," Lorre said. "But if you are, it should sail over children's heads."

Is a lot of it still sailing over Jones' head?

"Pretty much," he said.

It's not all sailing over Jake's head anymore, however.