Sitcom: A Memoir

by Chuck Lorre

A memoir from Chuck Lorre—one of the most prolific television writers and showrunners in TV history (The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Mom, The Kominsky Method, Young Sheldon), on his life, career, and the deal with all those vanity cards.

Ever wonder what it’s like to spend decades making millions of strangers laugh — while trying not to lose your mind in the process?

As the creator of The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Young Sheldon, Bookie, Dharma & Greg, Mom, and more, Lorre has racked up almost two thousand half-hours of comedy. But his own story is just as outrageous, awkward, and surprisingly touching as the shows he built.

In this memoir on his life and career in comedy, Lorre trades punchlines for real the messy, very human truth behind Hollywood’s glossy façade, addiction, his own and that of his famous colleagues, his failed marriages, disastrous life choices, and chronic illness--all of which somehow became the ingredients for comedy. One chapter may leave you doubled over, the next might sneak in a lump in your throat — but that’s Chuck. That’s sitcoms. That’s also real life.

If you’ve ever binged The Big Bang Theory, argued over your favorite Two and a Half Men character, or wondered how TV comedy gets made, this is your all-access pass. it involves failure, low-self-esteem, and an unshakable love for laughter.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Biography, Tv

Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 2026

Reviews

[Cecily - MillennialBookGal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a fan of quite a few of Chuck Lorre's shows so I was intrigued by this memoir. I knew nothing about him personally and honestly that is not really what I cared about. I wanted more dirt on the shows. He did deliver some of that but I wish he would have gone into more depth.

Funny though sometimes harsh of the people he has worked with over the years I still enjoyed it and now want to do some further research. Especially regarding Anna Ferris.

Very quick and to the point but a good read.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the personal side, Chuck Lorre's brief memoir bulges with self-abasement. With all its score-settling and gossip, the writer is harder on himself than anyone. He notes many personal failures, but he's not humbled. This is, after all, the inventor of the vanity frame. Sorry for offering a drink to the kids and failing at three marriages, but pity the poor oppressed showrunner of last resort, pummelled into soundstage subservience by the infamous Roseanne Barr, Brett Butler, Cybill Shepherd, and Charlie Sheen. Actually that sequence is more or less the '27 Yankees line-up of reputed tempermental Hollywood head cases. The guy did work his way up from door-to-door sales to non-union cartoons, a detour through Scientology and thence rapidly up the Hollywood food chain to the very top of profitability and broad audience appeal. He must have some serious writing chops, right? So -- examples, please?

If you're a fan of his The Kominsky Method, a fine three year long Netflix series about the acting profession itself starring Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin, you won't get much about it in this book. The memoir isn't really about quality television. You'll find even less about technique, how Lorre and his writing staff broke stories and tweaked character arcs so as to create hit shows. Apparently the editors noticed the missing "how to" element and obliged the author to add a final chapter with advice to writers. It's sketchy. Read, he says. He started with comic books and Mad magazine, then worked his way up to classics. A brief list of impressive authors follows. Still, it's hard to see how Lorre found time to read between decades of heavy drinking, wrangling power-mad stars, and playing Hollywood mind games.

Chuck Lorre is a proudly collaborative writer, and lavishes praise on several colleagues. He does not, however, give examples, jokes even, about the specific contributions each made. In contrast, Garry Marshall's hilarious memoir "Wake Me When It's Funny" is packed with top tier knowledge. I'm certain Mr. Lorre understands what makes comedy work, why certain kinds of human flaws are always funny, etc. Why not share more tricks of his trade? It is something of a dying art.

Lorre's shows connected with comedy's last mass audience. Maybe he has some thoughts about his social impact? Instead of the obligatory political potshots, he might have given us a few pages on how his sex-based humor on "Two and a Half Men" pushed the ever-moving line of social acceptibility. Did the changing status of nerds among men in the tech era lift the popularity of "Big Bang Theory" and "Young Sheldon"? And what about the culture of Hollywood? The disfunctional upbringing that Lorre credits with shaping his comedic attitude -- any concerns about passing that forward in society?

[Dude Who Reads · Rating 0.5 out of 5]

There’s a scene in The Office where Dunder Mifflin employees eagerly gather around as Michael Scott recounts his dramatic resignation to David Wallace at the company’s NYC headquarters. Michael, enjoying the rare opportunity to have everyone hanging on his every word, takes his sweet time getting to the point.

“He finally has a story we really want to hear. And he knows it,” says Pam, recognizing his stall tactic.

This is precisely how I felt listening to Chuck Lorre’s memoir. In fairness to Chuck, I don’t know why I shouldn’t have expected him to cover his entire life in a story about him, but it made me realize pretty early on how little I give a shit about Chuck Lorre. If you find yourself in the same camp, I’d recommend skipping the first 2/5 of the book (or 5/5 to really save time) and jumping past his personal life if you want to get straight to the sitcom gossip.

There’s an occasional “Oh, I didn’t know that” moment involving a washed-up star of yesteryear like Brett Butler or Jenna Elfman, but it’s mostly trivial, and you’ll forget whatever it was by the time he moves on to the next show.

By the time he finally gets to Two and a Half Men—the reason I imagine 99.9% of us are here—we’re in the final 10% of the book. He knows what we came for, and he punishes us by making us wait for it. By then, I was already thinking, “This better be worth having to endure this narcissistic, unreliable Hollywood douche of a narrator talking about his colostomy bags, failed music career, and clear axe-to-grind whining about all the people he claims did him dirty over the years.”

Welp, it was not worth it. Not even slightly.

There is no “holy shit” moment, no new information, no funny anecdotes. This whole memoir was Chuck’s way of playing Chuck’s Greatest Hits so Chuck could finally feel proud of Chuck, since it sounds like his mother never was.

And we all suffered for it.

[Tony Farinella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chuck Lorre’s memoir is barely a book and even less of a memoir. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so disappointed by a book. Keep in mind, in order to be disappointed by a book, you have to have enjoyed it for a period of time. Chuck Lorre has been the brains behind some of the most successful sitcoms of all time (Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and Mom, to name a few). He has worked with Charlie Sheen, Anna Faris, Allison Janney, John Goodman, Melissa McCarthy, and many, many more). From the moment I started reading his book, I was captivated by his journey and his brutal honesty regarding the highs and lows of creating sitcoms. However, after 184 pages, the book then decides to just include a bunch of scripts from sitcoms he worked on. This is in addition to all of the vanity cards that are included throughout the book. While I wouldn’t call the book a complete waste of time, I don’t quite understand why he wrote it if he wasn’t going to fully commit to discussing his career more in depth. It was almost like he started writing the book, got bored, and then just filled in the rest of the book with scripts to turn it in and complete it.

If you look up the highlights of the book (His Anna Faris thoughts, the Charlie Sheen feud, and the Big Bang Theory cast initially refusing to take pay cuts to help out their co-stars), you pretty much discover all of the interesting stuff that Chuck is willing to cover in this book. This book was a complete money grab. The whole thing felt like a sick practical joke. The abrupt ending of the book caught me completely off guard. What a rip-off.

[Shoaib · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book which reminded me that Chuck is an a.hole in real life too. What a selfish man!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an early uncorrected proof. I enjoyed the many anecdotes and would have enjoyed deeper versions of them.

[W. Frazier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get the feeling Lorre wasn’t fully committed to this memoir. There are some interesting parts but I never felt invested, like I was mirroring his lead. The memories are there but some lack context, others stay at first names, and some refer to events as if we should know already. It’s strangely detached, some chapters just start with a “they wanted me to talk about this” type of prompt. His sitcom resume is stellar but maybe this whole self-reflection exercise turned out to be not as pleasant as he thought it would be. The book covers his beginnings, his shows, his marriages, in short condensed bursts.

I listened to the audio book and concurrently followed along on Kindle. The audio book adds some fun footnotes that are not in the ebook. Conversely the ebook drops in some of his show-ending Vanity Cards and ends with a sampling of show scripts. All of these adds, along with lots of white space between short chapters, work as fillers. The audio book clocks in under 4 hours, the book at 368 pages.

[CHRISTOPHER STONE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chuck Lorre has been responsible for making millions of people laugh for over 30 years, so it was pretty neat to learn more about the man behind so many successful television shows.

From Roseanne and Two and a Half Men to The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, and several others, it’s pretty incredible how much of an impact he’s had on television comedy.

There are some interesting stories about his life, how he got started in the business, and what went on behind the scenes of some of these shows. It’s easy to watch a sitcom and never really think about the people responsible for creating it, writing it, and keeping it entertaining year after year.

I came away knowing a lot more about someone whose work I’ve been familiar with for decades but knew very little about personally. Good book and a pretty interesting look at the man behind so much laughter.

[Michael · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

It's hard to make me laugh out loud while reading a book. This paragraph

Brett [Butler] invited Roseanne [Barr] out to lunch to compare notes regarding their status as the all-powerful queens of comedy. Roseanne returned from the lunch and loudly announced, “That bitch is crazy!”

This alone was worth the price of admission for Sitcom: A Memoir.

Other times — a couple times — I found myself tearing up. Maybe that's just a product of getting older. I've been told. The book is short (would that it were longer) and written by someone who understands writing, not always a given in celebrity memoirs. I did sense that Lorre was pulling his punches from time to time, also a product of age I suspect.

What more need be said?

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. But I love TV and People magazine so keep that in mind….

[Linda · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Taking into account all the Hollywood bios and memoirs I’ve read over the years, I get the impression that it’s not a healthy environment in which to work. Why must the fantasy factory which brings joy to millions be so very toxic?

Money and power, of course. But that’s not why we’re here.

This is a short book. Weird, considering Chuck has had a very long career, and been a showrunner on several blockbuster series. He accomplishes this by cutting out almost the entirety of his personal life. He acknowledges that he had parents, that he disappointed them, that he liked his dad and not so much his mom, mentions the ex-wives, and that he liked being a dad. (I left the book unsure of how many kids he has.) He mentions his struggles with alcohol, with one or two pertinent stories. Other than that, it’s all about the job(s).

The one story that really caught my attention was that his first show-biz writing gig-- for the cartoon series Heathcliff-- was given to him at least partly on the basis of his lie that of course he had writing experience. This is another common thread running through Hollywood memoirs: lying to get the job. This probably doesn’t help with the toxicity thing.

He lobs what I considered to be an unnecessary grenade at some of the Big Bang Theory cast for not being willing to lower their own salaries to give two co-workers a raise. Is that how raises work? Was there not a corporation (or two, or several) in there somewhere, raking in hundreds of millions of dollars in ad revenue, syndication/streaming/dvd deals, and what-have-you, who paid the salaries of the cast, and could, if they chose, have paid the underpaid cast members what they deserved to start with, instead of turning it into a battle?

Chuck saves the whole Charlie Sheen debacle for the end, like it’s a treat. Lorre was eager to share that he and Sheen have since made amends, and there are no hard feelings. What a relief?

In general, this book is like a rock skipping across the lake of Lorre’s life. It hits the surface many times, but bounces onto the opposite shore without sinking below the surface. Always leave them wanting more, eh Chuck?

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Chuck Lorre's sitcoms for years, so I was looking forward to reading *Sitcom*, his memoir about his decades in television. He takes us through his career, from his early days as a struggling writer to creating some of the most successful sitcoms in television history. Along the way, he shares plenty of behind-the-scenes stories about the shows, the actors, and the sometimes messy business of making television.

The book is chock-full of humor, self-deprecation, and some fascinating insights into his creative process. Lorre doesn't seem particularly interested in making himself look good, which is part of what makes the book so entertaining. He's quite willing to admit when he screwed up, and some of those stories are among the funniest in the book.

My one complaint is that some of his shows get a little shortchanged. *The Big Bang Theory* and *Two and a Half Men*, arguably his biggest hits, understandably get a lot of attention. But I would have loved to hear more about some of his other shows, especially the wonderful *Mom*, which I think is one of the best sitcoms he's ever created. I was disappointed that it didn't get more attention.

I listened to the audiobook, and I'm so glad I did. Hearing Lorre tell these stories in his own voice was a real treat. His dry humor and delivery add so much to the experience, especially when he's poking fun at himself.

All in all, a really enjoyable book about a man who has made millions of people laugh over the years. I came away with a greater appreciation for just how much work goes into making something look effortlessly funny. And I wouldn't have minded another few hours of stories!

[Brian Berens · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Excellent Book…While It Lasts

I loved this book, especially as an Audio Book read by Chuck Lorre. The reason it’s only getting 3.5 stars is because I wanted more of it. It’s actually quite short, and I would’ve liked more behind-the-scenes “meat” to the book. What Lorre does write is very funny and insightful…I just wanted more.

Post-Script: I dropped the star rating another half star because after finishing it, I began to wonder if Lorre was telling the whole story (hence the reason it was so short). The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like he was playing the victim who was “wronged” by all these actors, writers, directors and producers, when there could’ve been more to the story he was leaving.

[Ally · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

I've never watched Chuck Lorre's sitcoms, but I catching his vanity cards at the end of them, before the program I was waiting for aired. (I even bought his huge book of vanity cards: What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Bitter. Five stars.)

Today was a sick day and listening to Chuck read his memoir made for perfect company. Sitcom was historic for me. It's the first time I was able to use the new Goodreads half and quarter stars rating feature.I only took off 1/4 star because I wanted it to be longer than four hours.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found on Libby & interested in learning more about the man behind Dharma & Greg, Big Bang Theory, etc. I’m also a listener of his ex-wife’s podcast and he seemed to be a pretty private person from her perspective. 3 stars - interesting read but all over the place, not in chronological order & you can tell he held back. He shares his alcoholism, drugs, wives, etc but really doesn’t share the details on his insane net worth. He just says all of a sudden he was paid the big bucks but not specifics and he skates over it and then pivots back to Charlie Sheen and it’s over?

[Katee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well... there has been some controversy lately about comments he's made about certain stars of his shows. I am a huge fan of Mom, a show that got better each year, about an age-diverse group of women (in itself highly unusual) struggling through life in their newish sobriety.

The book is very short which is odd, and his tone is just shocking. A little crass and now I see the meanness. Really an unpleasant surprise.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy a memoir on occasion so when I saw that Chuck Lorre had one out, I grabbed it immediately. He reads the audio version, and it’s only four hours. The narrative is choppy and decidedly nonlinear. I expected a dry, self deprecating humor, and he has plenty of that. But he also (while occasionally praising others) spend a lot of the memoir complaining about how he was treated. There wasn’t enough about what makes his sitcoms funny, and that’s what I hoped to hear.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I give it six stars?

Chuck Lorre’s memoir of his wayward, and then driven path to success in writing and producing some of TV’s best series is funny, sarcastic, self deprecating, and tell-all (well, a lot) insightful.

His personal battles are equally, honestly dissected. What a pleasure to listen to the audiobook in his own words and voice.

[Greg Owen · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

I was expecting more behind-the-scenes drama and what little tea is spilt is nothing new or surprising (Roseanne Barr, Brett Butler, Cybil Shepherd, and Charlie Sheen were all difficult to work with? You don’t say.) Also, Chuck Lorre is many times just as much a self absorbed narcissist as the bloated ego actors he gave jobs to that quickly turned toxic once the show was a success.

[Agnieszka · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very little substance in this book, which consists mostly of pictures and script fragments. For a memoir, it contains surprisingly few personal stories or behind-the-scenes secrets. Instead, it reads more like a dry listing of the shows that came along, with little more than a paragraph about each.

[Henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fool me once. Shame on you. Fool me two and a half times, shame on me. Why I thought this would be interesting is beyond me. I was hoping for deeper insights on Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory but all it was was surface level stuff. Bazinga me.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not alot of depth at all as Chuck Lorre discusses his early careers, and slow ascendency to now being the king of Sitcoms. Certainly wanted more on personal stories as well as "behind the scenes" stories.

[Sarah Tsibulsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the background happenings of some pretty big TV shows. Also, a decent shout out to SUNY Potsdam, as he was a student (not graduate) and they gave him a honorary doctorate recently.

[The_J · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Fun. quite the insight into a life of flux and success beyond the comprehension or imagination of more comedy writers. I especially liked this line: If I could have done better, or made better choices I would have."

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't care for it. Boring. Nobody cares about his life before sitcoms. He didn't even mention The Big Bang Theory. New release is $30. NOT worth it!! I listened to the audiobook. I didn't like his voice. Barely hung in there to finish it. Don't waste your time on this.

[Anthony Ratcliffe · Rating 2.75 out of 5]

It tastes awful, and such small portions…

This book is all half measures. Couldn’t decide whether to soft-touch people or fully burn bridges. Ultimately, it’s kind of a shitty hack book from a shitty hack.

[Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you love all his shows you’ll love this

All the behind-the-scenes of the mind that created some of my favorite shows and some of the best shows ever imo. Entertaining needless to say.

[SoManyBooksGal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read as I am a big fan of the author’s show. It was quite short and more details on the various shows would have been fun. Overall, an interesting life that lead to some of our most recent impactful tv shows.

[Gwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed learning Chuck’s journey. Chuck is a writer. This needed to be longer with more stories.

[Kristy Dunn Harbison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real and brutally honest