For fans of comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, Christmas has come early.  As the focal point of "Bookie" (streaming two episodes weekly on Thursdays), a new Max series co-created by sitcom veteran Chuck Lorre, Maniscalco slips into the character of Danny, a beleaguered Los Angeles sports bookie, like he might a faded leather jacket. (And look for a striking cameo by Charlie Sheen playing himself, burying the hatchet with his former "Two and a Half Men" boss-turned-nemesis Lorre.)

Chalk that up to a fundamental synergy between the actor and his stand-up persona, blue-collar everymen just trying to do their jobs and provide for their family while enduring endless comic mishaps. It's "Death of a Salesman" meets "The Three Stooges."