How Chuck Lorre's Two And A Half Men Surprised Fans With A Dharma & Greg Crossover

Nearly a decade after the show wrapped, "Dharma & Greg" stars Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson reunited to reprise their roles in another Chuck Lorre show, appearing in a 2011 episode of "Two and a Half Men" — well, kind of. The Season 9 premiere of "Two and a Half Men" was already set to make headlines as the first episode without Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper following Sheen's termination from the show earlier that year. Ashton Kutcher took over leading man duties as Walden Schmidt, an internet billionaire with a broken heart who buys Harper's home. Before Schmidt signs on the dotted line, other potential buyers look at the Malibu beach house, including a very familiar couple.

Elfman and Gibson are among those who check out the house. Elfman's free-spirited woman walks down the stairs and comments on the home's feng shui. Shortly after, Gibson's uptight man complains about the potential commute. In their bickering, they tease the possibility of a divorce before walking out the door on a laugh from the audience. The cameo was a nice surprise for "Dharma & Greg" fans, who didn't see it coming — steps were taken to keep Elfman and Gibson's appearance a secret.

Rather than including their bit on the regular shooting schedule in front of a studio audience, Elfman and Gibson were brought in a few days later to do the scene on a closed set to maintain the element of surprise. The filmed scene was then shown to an audience so the editors could get a genuine reaction for the final cut of the episode. They were all asked to sign non-disclosure agreements to keep the cameo under wraps until airtime. "Nobody seemed to put it out there, which was kind of nice," Gibson told TV Guide at the time.

"Dharma & Greg" was created by Fox. "Two and a Half Men" was a Warner Bros. production. That presented a problem — when Chuck Lorre tried to get permission to use Dharma and Greg in the Season 9 premiere of "Two and a Half Men," Fox said no. In the end, Lorre decided that he didn't actually need permission as long as Elfman and Gibson's characters were never named.

Of course, anyone who watched "Dharma & Greg" would know exactly who this married couple was supposed to be just based on their dynamic and behavior, but it's left purposefully vague in the dialogue. "I don't know if it was Dharma and Greg, it could have been a different couple," Gibson joked during his TV Guide interview, adding a wink for good measure.

Gibson went on to say how shooting the scene felt like "a family reunion" because a lot of the behind the scenes crew members on "Two and a Half Men" were also on "Dharma & Greg" back in the day. It was also a chance for him to catch up with Elfman. "I hadn't seen her in a while," he said. "To get the chance to get together again, even for just an hour or so, was cool."