Father Knows Best

William Shatner in Shit My Dad Says
Twitter sensation turned into TV pilot for CBS
By Nellie Andreeva/hollywoodreporter.com

Twitter sensation Shit My Dad Says is becoming a TV pilot with William Shatner set to play the larger-than-life dad at the center of it.

The casting of Shatner lifts the contingency on CBS' multicamera family comedy project based on the Twitter account, which has enlisted more than 1.16 million followers since launching in August and has made its creator, Justin Halpern, an Internet star.

The pilot, executive produced by "Will & Grace" creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, was originally set up at CBS with a script commitment in November. Now, with Shatner on board, it has been greenlighted to pilot.

Halpern co-penned the script with Patrick Schumacker. Halpern and Schumacker co-exec produce the Warner Bros. TV-produced project whose title is expected to change if it goes to series.

Halpern, 29, had moved back in with his parents in San Diego, and on Aug. 3 he launched Shit My Dad Says, a Twitter feed featuring colorful -- often profane -- comments made by his 73-year-old father during their daily conversations.

Shatner was an early favorite for the role because of his comedic acting chops as well as his successful spoken word renditions that fit the style of the Shit My Dad Says zingers.

Not sure if any of you internet hipsters have checked out the 'Shit My Dad Says' twitter feed (I hadn't because I still don't understand Twitter) but that shit is hilarious. Everybody has heard their father or their friends' fathers folksy sayings and cynical grumpy statements but this feed is like grumpy on crack. Check it out. The guy also has a book coming out.