Fall 2010 Show, Halpern's '$#*! My Dad Says' Show is as Good as the Book

I don't know what it is about guys' shows, but I love to watch them. It's almost like eavesdropping in a barbershop. I can finally find out what they're really thinking when women aren't around. Then television stations come up with shows like "Men of a Certain Age" and "$#*! My Dad Says," and I realize I never have to live the house to snoop. While I'm still smitten and counting down the days until "Men of a Certain Age" comes back for its second season in December, I'm laughing like crazy while following @ShitMyDadSays on Twitter, reading the ShitMyDadSays blog and watching the CBS show on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. CT.

If you've never read the book "Sh*t My Dad Says," I highly recommend it. A lot of the remarks in there remind me of my grandfather and his friends talking, and I spent the entire time (except for the last chapter) wiping tears from my eyes because I was laughing so hard. If you've seen the movie "Gran Torino" or watched the television show "All in the Family," the father in this book is a mix of the two without the racial slurs. Or, maybe Justin Halpern left those remarks out of the book.

Sam Halpern is one of those guys who couldn't care less what you think of him. He's going to say what he's going to say, and he's probably not going to use the excuse that he's a senior citizen (like my grandfather does). He'll just say he said it because he meant it. That's how the show goes, too.

In the first week's episode, viewers find out about the relationships between Sam Halpern and his children. Justin Halpern moves in with him after a bunch of arguing over a mattress and wanting to borrow money. While that may not sound interesting, the characters on the show are hilarious. Sam Halpern's name on the show is Ed Goodson (played by William Shatner) and Justin Halpern's name is Henry (played by Jonathan Sadowski). The cast also includes Henry's brother Vince (played by Will Sasso) and Vince's wife Bonnie (played by Nicole Sullivan, who I hope didn't really dye her hair blonde because it looks terrible).

They couldn't have picked a better cast. If all of the shows just have those four, it'll still be a hit. In the second week's episode, Ed rebels against Henry getting the Internet because he believes any digital technology leads to masturbation. As crazy as that sounds, Ed actually has examples to prove it. When Henry tries to get the Internet anyway, the Internet technician is met by a shotgun and the war is on!

Is the television show as funny as the book? So far it is, and I hope it stays that way. The only downside is I stopped eating spaghetti for a few years because it reminded me of brains and after Thursday's show, I'm grossed out again. Casserole is fattening anyway. I'll be okay. I can't wait for next week's show!

Sources:

"The Funny Thing About Fatherhood: 'Sh*t My Dad Says'"