Twitter Phenomenon Headed to CBS

Who'd have thunk moving back in with your parents could make you rich? I'm not talking about the low rent, either. For one young man, his trip back to the nest has led to fame and fortune; going home again may have been the best thing that could have happened to him.

Justin Halpern moved back in with his parents at age 28, unemployed and following a break-up with his longtime girlfriend. His father, retired doctor Sam Halpern, is a brutally honest man. Combine the two and what do you get? Comedic gold, and a Twitter phenomenon.

Justin started a Twitter account back in 2008, sending his dad's funny, off-the-cuff quips out on the social networking service for the fun of it. His Twitter handle, @s$&%mydadsays, went viral and the rest is history. Justin currently has close to 1.5 million followers on Twitter - even more than some well-known celebrities.

Here's one of his dad's quotes: "A parent's only as good as their dumbest kid. If one wins a Nobel Prize but the other gets robbed by a hooker, you failed." Maybe not your textbook comedy, but it definitely does the trick.

Justin's transcription of his dad's funny quotes has landed him a book deal. His book, which shares the name of his Twitter account, was published just this month. It's currently in the top 20 best sellers at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. To sweeten things even further for Justin, he's also sold the rights to a sitcom version of Sh*t My Dad Says to CBS.

The pilot for Justin's sitcom has already been filmed, starring none other than William "Captain Kirk" Shatner. The show is set to air on Thursday nights on CBS starting this fall. According to the biography on Barnes & Noble's website, Justin is co-writing and co-producing the show. This is the first television show to be born from a Twitter account.

Due to the expletive in the show's title, non-profit organization Parents Television Council is protesting the show. According to digital media company Tonic, CBS has already promised to censor the 4-letter word in the show's title. Whether CBS will make good on this promise, or whether Justin's show will even make it past the pilot, is anyone's guess. If you're a fan of the s*#% Justin's dad says, check out his book or wait to watch the show this fall.

Justin Halpern was previously mentioned in my article, "How Gizmodo Broke Twitter."

Sources:

Justin Halpern. Twitter.

"Check Out Shatner in 'Sh*t My Dad Says'." Tonic.

Barnes & Noble. "Sh*t My Dad Says."

Amazon. "Sh*t My Dad Says."

"Twitter Profile Launches New Sitcom." CNN.