Which sitcom's creators wrote the CSI episode Two and a Half Deaths?

The creators of Two and a Half Men wrote the CSI episode “Two and a Half Deaths.” Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn wrote the episode as part of an unusual crossover between the CBS sitcom and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

“Two and a Half Deaths” aired on May 8, 2008, as the sixteenth episode of CSI’s eighth season. The story follows the investigation into the death of Annabelle, a difficult sitcom star played by Katey Sagal, while her television production is filming in Las Vegas. The episode deliberately mixes murder investigation with behind-the-scenes sitcom satire.

The crossover worked in both directions. CSI writers Sarah Goldfinger, Evan Dunsky, Carol Mendelsohn, and Naren Shankar wrote the Two and a Half Men episode “Fish in a Drawer,” which aired three days earlier. The CSI installment then featured uncredited appearances by Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones in their sitcom roles.

The title is itself a parody of Two and a Half Men. Another recurring joke is that the fictional sitcom’s production resembles the real show’s world, including tensions between its star, writers, and producers. Rules of Engagement, How I Met Your Mother, and The Big Bang Theory were not the source of the episode’s writing team.