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Remember when in 2009 CBS put in development a comedy series based on the blog Shit My Dad Says? The racy title raised a lot of eyebrows throughout the project’s development process. The network toned it down to $#*! My Dad Says when it picked up the comedy to series, but still drew the wrath of watchdog Parents Television Council, which urged a boycott of the show.
It seem like $#*! My Dad Says was the canary in a coal mine that tested the limits of how far creators can go with the use of foul language in titles and get away with it. While so-called “fleeting expletives” have gotten broadcasters in hot water with threats of steep fines, curse words slowly but surely have been creeping into show names. $#*! My Dad Says was followed by two projects during the 2010-11 development season that had “bitch” in the title: ABC’s Don’t Trust The Bitch in Apt. 23 and Good Christian Bitches. Both went on the air with their original titles, though “bitch” was not spelled out — Don’t Trust The B—- in Apt 23 and GCB. Last development season, CBS’ Greg Berlanti/Greg Malins comedy pilot was casually referred to as Oh Fuck It’s You.
Which brings us to this development season with a whopping four comedies that feature “fuck” in their titles: Adam Goldberg’s How The Fuck I’m Normal, which has a pilot production commitment at ABC; ABC’s Dumb Fuck, written by Hank Nelken; as well as NBC’s Fuck I’m In My Twenties, which like $#*! is based on a blog; and Grow The Fuck Up from writer Ali Rushfield. Are we getting close to the first on-air American TV series with the F-word in the name?
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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Yawn. It’s just a word. Deal with it.
I liked to curse as much as the next person, but there’s a time and place for it. To use it this context just further signifies the dumbing down and classlessness of our society. Bad enough our children can’t read and write, but do we let them off the hook that easily?
I agree completely. I’ve been expressing the same sentiments since 1947.
Wow! I’ve been expressing the same thing for as long as I can remember, but since 1947? That’s just sad and pathetic (not for you, Brad, but for society).
George Carlin was brilliant with his use of profanity, especially when talking ABOUT it. And he was FUNNY.
These shows are a matter of people wanting attention, and knowing the PTC will take the bait. If they ever make it to air, I bet the titles will change (and they’ll “blame” the PTC for it).
a few years ago I wrote a spec script called “God sucks c*ck”. At the time, people told me the title was too racy. Now I may have to dust off that script.
How’s your career going? Doesn’t seem like titles about God sucking c@#! would bode well in a karmic sense.
Leave the dust on that one.
Mike Judge’s Idiocracy has come to life or people who think curse words in show titles makes them cool. You decide.
Using profanity in titles and comedic acts is a sign of a LACK of creativity. We’re supposed to be artists, and as a group, I am sure we can do better.
Now to digress from politeness for just a moment, Martine, you disgust me, you lowlife ass wipe. That that sorry, offensive “script” and stick up your ass.
Oh good! I hope it’s not too late to take some meetings on my pilot pitch “B!@W Me You Stupid WH@&E.”
Could we be any less creative on this issue. Profanity is easy, but often a fall back for a glaring lack of ideas. We have dumbed down so much of our discourse that this shouldn’t be surprising. But can’t we do better?
Curse all you want, the viewers are atill bored. $&@!# What Happened To My Ratings?
Ha!
I hope not.
“Oh, I’m cool and trendy, because I can curse,” said no one ever.
I am in my twenties. But I’m smart enough to know that language has power. If you use expletives to get a passionate point across to whomever you are speaking with, I completely understand. I do it too, but I realize that those words lose their impact when they are tossed around flippantly. I am not calling for less realistic language. I am calling for more idealistic language and better educated, better cultured language.
I took the advice to grow the eff up. I realized that cursing has it’s place, but I’m not going to use it just to be an attention-seeking, self-appointed hip person.
I recall that Good Christian Bitches was retitled Good Christian Belles before it settled somewhat lamely on the acronym. As for the difference between a cool, bold working title and whatever comrpomised, focus-group tested, advertiser-friendly mishmash you end up with, it’s like a metaphor for the gulf between the originality, innovation and creativity of a good show in its conception and the utterly contrived, conventional, decision-by-committee, middle-of-the-road nature of a show that has gone through the atudio process and found itself, however briefly, on the air.
Adding expletives to titles is a smart way to freshen up a stale show or one that is sliding in the ratings. May I suggest: ‘How I Fucked Your Mother,’ ‘NCFIS’ (Naval Criminal Fucking Investigative Service), ‘The F Factor,’ and, of course, ‘Parks and Fornication.’
Sounds about right for what is unquestionably the least creative generation of entertainment executives ever.
This.
That.
Why shouldn’t vulgar TV addicts be treated to vulgar show titles?
Don’t Trust The Bitch in Apt. 23? Sounds less catchy, but also less forced.
Don’t forget ABC is developing a show called “See You Next Tuesday.”
Well Rupaul catch phrase on her CBS/LOGO show is – “Don’t forget to bring your ‘Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent” -
And very few people have caught on – ABC might be able to get away with “See You Next Tuesday”
Roger, on American Dad, called some woman he didn’t like “She’s a real see you next Tuesday,” and that was in season 2 or 3. Never noticed Ru’s version of it until you pointed it out to me.
I wonder what they were doing when they thought of those titles? Thinking… Thinking… Thinking… Haaaahahaha! That was hilarious. My imagination just entertained me more than I’m sure all those shows will, combined.
Nah it’s just a way for everyone to feel cool and edgy without actually having to be cool and edgy.
I wouldn’t bother dusting off that script. I doubt it was the word fuck being in the title that people didnt like. Good luck either way.
So how many of these new shows with the profane titles have been cancelled before making it a few seasons. **** My Dad Says was cancelled and so was GCB. Seems like this disillusioned trend is not working, and those four new shows hopping on the bandwagon may come and go just like the rest.
Are the “creatives” that come up with these titles in their teens?
I always tell my kids that people who need to use expletives do so because they aren’t smart, and need a dumbed down way to get their point across. If the scripts were any good, the shock value wouldn’t be needed.
Nobody who has ever paid Hank “Saving Silverman is my calling card” Nelkin to write comedy has ever made a profit. His dreadful, laugh-free extremely out-of-touch and irrelevent work will blow up in ABC’s face–and this article in general points out the stupidity of buying a pitch with a swear word in the title.
I’ll take the money (and pride in writing) that the title I LOVE LUCY made any day…..
It’s the content and entertainment value of a program that draws the audience, not silly attempts to get attention with profanity in a title.
That’s almost as bad as putting an overly feminine gay in every sitcom to act as a personal assistant or receptionist. I’m not gay, but if I were, I’d be pissed at people laughing at how stupidly gay I was.
This is so sad and pathetic. Further proof of the stupid mentality of network execs they are so desperate for “edgy” that they will buy a show just because it has the word fuck in the title. Fucking idiots is what they are.
The title is NOT racy. No conservative talk and don’t ever use that word again.
I need to polish my pending scripts:
“F*ck This!”
“Go F*ck Yourself!”
“Yo, B*tch!”
“F*ck Me!”
and
“I Don’t F*cking Care!”