KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — The co-creator of The Big Bang Theory, Chuck Lorre says he wakes up every morning to do just one thing: Make people laugh.

And, Lorre has done remarkably well at that, especially through his collaborations with producer Nick Bakay in sitcoms like Two and A Half Men, Young Sheldon and Mom.

So, expect nothing less from their latest offering, Bookie, when it premieres on HBO GO later this month.

Produced by Warner Bros. Television, the dark comedy follows veteran Los Angeles bookie Danny (Sebastian Maniscalco), whose business faces threat as the state of California mulls legalising sports betting.

"The image for me is always like a dinosaur looking up and seeing meteors hurtling towards the Earth and going ‘that’s not good’.

"That’s what the bookie is facing,” said Lorre, during a virtual media junket via Zoom recently.

Lorre said Bakay’s expertise on sports gambling gave him the opportunity to realise his long-time dream "to do a comedy on the underworld.”

"We started moving into more serious storylines in Mom, which deals with drug addiction and alcoholism.

"And, we learned that there is a way to do it in a respectful way,” he said.

Asked on their choice to cast Maniscalco in the lead role, Lorre said Bookie was solely written for the "genuinely gifted actor”.

"He is flawless. His instincts were uncannily correct,” he said.

Having spent years in the television industry, Lorre described television shows as "haikus” that have to fit the time grid of linear television.

Comparatively, he said streaming platforms offered more leeway for creators to develop good shows without worrying about time restrictions or stringent censorship laws.

"That’s a huge benefit in telling a story.

"(For Bookie), we had the chance to use some crayons in the box that were untouched before,” he said.

Bookie also marks the reunion of actor Charlie Sheen with Lorre, exactly 12 years since they parted ways after Sheen’s exit from Two and a Half Men.

Sheen appeared in the show’s trailer that was released last week.

Bookie will premiere November 30 with two episodes on HBO GO.

Two new episodes will be released every Thursday subsequently leading up to the season finale on December 21.