“$#*! My Dad Says” to Air this Fall

The internet’s Twitter sensation is making the transition into network television under the watchful eye of CBS. “$#*! My Dad Says” – yes, that’s the actual name of the show – is set to air in the fall, based after the popular Twitter feed of native San Diegan Justin Halpern, whose hilariously unpredictable content is provided by the daily potty-mouth wisdom from his father.

Halpern’s Twitter account, titled “S*** My Dad Says” was changed to fit family network guidelines, with “Stuff My Dad Says” and “Bleep My Dad Says” as possible series titles before CBS made their final decision. Which brings into question how the show will translate the brutally honest (and expletive-rich) content into a family-friendly comedy.

To capture the essence of the Twittering phenomenon as accurately as possible, Justin Halpern will be co-writing the script. William Shatner has been cast in the role of father Sam Halpern, while the search is still on for a fitting Justin. The former Captain Kirk from Star Trek-turned- Boston Legal’s Denny Crane figure will have to shed his stately authority to portray a new form of wit and fatherly wisdom.

The Twitter account of Justin Halpern came into being after he moved from Los Angeles back to his parent’s home in San Diego. The 29 year old decided to document the ‘stuff’ that comes out of his dad’s mouth, a retired UCSD employee in nuclear medicine who is “like Socrates, but angrier, and with worse hair.”

Since its creation in August 2009, his Twitter feed has gone from having only 5 subscribers to gaining around 100 per minute. His rise to fame, besides a TV show on CBS, has also ushered in offers of book deals from publishers. His book, titled Sh*t My Dad Says, is based on his 140-character tweets, and was released on May 4.

Image by Bill Brown via Picasa