Social Media Meets Mainstream TV (Again)

Is CBS a hip genius in touch with the 21st century? We’ll find out soon. It picked up the social media phenomenon ”
Shit My Dad Says” as a part of its fall line-up. But will it fly, or will it just be, um, a comedy starring William Shatner and shark-jumping sitcom-killers Nicole Sullivan and Will Sasso?

No doubt that Justin Halpern struck gold when he started tweeting last August about living with his father. Then he spun it off into a Website and a Facebook fan page to complete the social media phenomenon. And now, it’s in a convenient book form.

Yes, it’s comedy Gold and it’s immensely popular… but how much will CBS need to bleep out? Will Halpern’s real-life story translate to the small… er, Plasma… screen? Just because there was a successful Facebook campaign to get Betty White to host SNL and E! brought social media to television four years ago with the Patrice O’Neal-hosted show “Web Junk 20” doesn’t mean this sitcom will work out.

Here’s something that may help: CBS is moving “Big Bang Theory” to 8 p.m. Thursday as its lead in. Or will that kill “Big Bang Theory,” a Monday-night fixture for three seasons, in the process?

This quote from an article on the New York Daily News has me scratching my head:

“Our logic is, the shows that have moved have very very strong loyal fan bases,” said Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment. “The thinking is, they are going to follow those shows.”

Hmm… If the show gets moved to Thursday, I’m either TiVo-ing it, watching it online if I have 21 minutes to spare, or forgetting its existence. And I’m sure I’m not alone.

Let’s just hope one of the networks takes a page from the social craze and books a Greyson Chance variety special.