Twitter to Television Sitcom Based on S___mydadsays

In a world where celebrities on Twitter seem to be par for the course, an internet sensation of a site called S___mydadsays has gained enough attention to be transformed into a television comedy by execs at CBS. So how did this come about? Simple. A series of tweets were posted by Justin Halpern, age 29, a guy living at home. Of course, plenty of guys who live at home probably post to Twitter every day.

So what sets Justin's posts apart? Turns out that he posted the words his father said, often laced with obsenities (hinted at by the Twitter account name). His father, Samuel, is 73 years old and his words are direct - and yes, often filled with the word S--- when not using even stronger words.

Once Justin started posting his father's tweets, it didn't take long for the site to take off. It now has 764,971 followers and will probably have even more soon. Before it caught the notice of television execs, I'd heard of the site, alerted by some people who wanted to know if I'd seen it.

Some thought it was a hoot. Others thought it was disgraceful. All wanted me to check it out. So I did. I found it interesting that Justin followed only one person, shown as levarburton (a verified account) Meanwhile, tons of people followed Justin, proving that the right material can attract followers even if the favor isn't returned.

CBS Slated to Create Series Based on S__mydadsays - Creators of Will and Grace Will be Producers

While CBS is slated to create the series, David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, creators of Will and Grace, will act as executive producers. This could be quite a coup for Twitter as well since it could create a strong revenue stream. It is the first leap from Twitter account posting to sitcom, based on what I could discover. Twitter has been under scrutiny by some who wondered if it could create cash flow, in spite of its success and in spite of celebrities flocking to the site in the last year.

Creator of S___mydadsays, Justin Halpern, has been Writing Down His Father's Words Since Childhood

Halpern probably never imagined that writing down his father's words would ever lead to a television deal.He' simply been keeping them in a notebook (a real notebook, long before computer notebooks entered the scene) since he was a child. Then he eventually decided to share his father's gems with the world. He must have struck a chord because he eventually got 764,971 followers - and a television sitcom deal.

I knew s___mydadsays was an internet sensation when I started to get email and other alerts from people who wanted to know if I'd seen the site. So I went over to have a look. Sure enough, there were the words of Justin's father, in all their glory. By the way, if you are easily offended, you'll have to take my word for it and may want to bypass the site. I doubt anyone would call these words politically correct. They are simply what they are - the postings of what Justin's father says, sent out to the Twitter community.

Obscene Site Slated to Transform Into Family Comedy

To the relief - or disappointment- of potential viewers, the planned television show will be family material. This means any vulgar language will have to go. The tweets, however, will still serve as basic story material for the show. There is certainly plenty there to be a springboard for various plot lines, from posts about a lazy son to hatred over paying bills and the other basic details of life. At this point, I'm wondering what the actual show will be called and whether a sitcom based on twitters can remain popular. Stay tuned.

Sources

Personal experience viewing the site
Times Online, November 12, 2009, here
S___mydadsays website:here