Good news for non-realists who believe their relentless tweeting is going to get them noticed – a trailblazer has already been signed up to CBS on the strength of his Twitter account.
Apparently writing on his father’s behalf, Justin Halpern has posted a handful of the morsels of considered critique from his dad’s mouth on Twitter, and they’ve caused something of a stir…
With 738,929 followers at the time of writing – his father’s words of wisdom are clearly enjoyed by other users – the kind of popularity that causes TV companies to swoop.
Some examples of Justin’s father’s nuggets of gold include:
Some pretty amusing dialogue there and clearly a fully formed character for the sitcom. I just hope Justin’s up to more than just scribbling down what his Dad says and can script and edit with some flair – otherwise this might just end up an old man in a chair giving advice for 25 minutes. Which might, I suppose, not be so bad.
Personally, I’m hoping they turn Calum Best’s Twitter stream into a sitcom. Or, more likely, a reality show.
Go and check it out, it’s the coolest.
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I kept hearing canned laughter at the end of those. Wierd.
This guy is well worth a follow. My only complaint would be , not enough of them.
Good morning Jeremy….
there’s a group on facebook called ‘overheard in swansea’ it might just be funny to me because i lived there (for far too long), but there are some absolute gems…
4* also has an overheard segment on his website. I think we have been quoted on it a couple of times.
**gulp** Mind you, I doubt anyone’d ever quote me. I’m always far too interesting and thought provoking. And stuff.
What’s his site?
fork handles
four candles, got ya!
It’s good to see a writer breaking through to TV in this way. Halpern is using Twitter to get his work out there, and the follower stats give him evidence that his humo(u)r works. They’ve got to construct the show now – and recruit a team of writers – so that’s going to be a whole different experience for him. There are (literally) millions of talented writers on Twitter, including some very, very funny people. My hope is that they’ll stay within that medium, rather than aiming for spots in the traditional media, though I’m the first to acknowledge that pouring your talent onto the web is no way to earn a living.
This may be a stupid question, but does he make these things up or does his dad actually say these things?
*prepares to feel stupid*
I was wondering that myself to be honest.
Maybe he tells his dad to say them. At gun point.
Afternoon!
I’ve a feeling the little tinker pinched the mobile phone joke from Marcus Brigstocke…
Ooooo Fem, controversial
Oooooooo you may have something there Femenem
Fems, now you say it, I think you may well be right
I’m sure that it was a joke he told in his Edinburgh show about the iPhones, which was then mentioned in a Collings and Herrin podcast…
Femenem…I like that!
Have you clicked on the link?
Have you?
Oops! The link on here didn’t work, but I just clicked on the url in your tweet.
You cheeky swine!
Ooh it’s very quiet
Did I kill the conversation?
*looks sheepish*
I’m trying to find the sun page that I tried to link to so I can fixed it
See the email SH?
Cheeky Cheeky…
The opening quote is rather ironic isn’t it, Justin didn’t invent his father’s words, he just wrote them down. Anybody can do that.
That’s what writing is though, isn’t it?
Thieving.
I do it all the time. The art is in knowing what to steal, and presenting it in the proper context, blurred from it’s original being. YES?
There is an ocean between inspiration and plagiarism.
Of course all writing isn’t ‘theiving.’
I mean ‘thieving’
*goes red*
http://www.radiotimes.com/ListingsServlet?event=10&channelId=92&programmeId=105916849&jspLocation=/jsp/prog_details_fullpage.jsp
And speaking of Callum Best
I mean ‘Calum’
SHIT!
*looks around*
*runs*
*single shot*
*Nick crumples to a heap in the distance*
How bout! Things Fred G. Sanford says!!
Bubba! Esther said! She is one sister that is tried of this heathenness activity in Washington DC! Bubba! Esther is heading right now! To Washington on a mule! To see Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid!
She’s got her bible in one hand & purse in the other! Lips protruded & a solid prune face! Pure Ugliness! She said all of them need a whipping! The Demo-craps, Repo’s & The Trick House!
Twitter.com/healingprophet
…….
Fred Savage! A.L.F.! Murder She Wrote! The Colbys! Knott’s Landing!
American ’80s TV was frickin’ AWESOME!
I really can’t work out if this is a hoax or not.
Well, clearly the title will need to change, to begin with. But this could end up going either way. The ability to transcribe an old man doesn’t mean he can write. Ironically, it would probably bode better for the sitcom if it was all a hoax.
I think the title works as it is.
True, but I can’t imagine a big US network would comission a show with “Shit” in the title. Suppose it could end up being “S**t My Dad Says”.
I reckon that would work. It would attract people that are into that kind of dialogue, set scene.
Buzzcocks last night = poor…
very poor…
Shall we dance?
What…
*looks over both shoulders*
…me?
OMG! This guy is so funny!
A friend of mine forwarded me a pretty funny post about this guy and the whole Twitter phenomenon that had me rolling:
http://minivanmonologues.blogspot.com/2009/11/if-i-gave-tweet.html
Anyone notice that he follows one person, Levar Burton or @levarburton? Wonder if there is any connection to this and the tweets becoming a show. Just wondering.
I wonder how that will fly as a show without the foul language.
I wonder how that will fly as a show without the foul language. http://www.twitter.com/gertiesays