My Dad Wrote a Porno Podcast Picked Up by HBO for Comedy Special

So your father wrote an erotic novel. Scratch that, not one, but a whole series of pornographic books. You have two options: Run, hide and never come out into civilization again. Or—you can turn it into an explicit yet comedic podcast and profit off of your own misery.

Jamie Morton decided on the latter.

My Dad Wrote a Porno is a cringe-worthy British podcast that has grown into a global cultural phenomenon. Each episode, Jamie reads a chapter from a book written by his real-life dad, who publishes under the pen name Rocky Flintstone, with commentary provided by his friends James Cooper and Alice Levine. The adult books, called the Belinda Blinked series, follow Belinda Blumenthal as she navigates sex, desire, and her new job in the pots and pans industry.

Since it launched in September of 2015, My Dad Wrote a Porno has become an international sensation, amassing over 100 million downloads. Next came the Belinda Blinked apparel and merch, a full-length book, and a series of live shows on both sides of the Atlantic. The Porno tour has spanned the U.K., Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the U.S., including major events such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland and the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Canada.

Now, the hit show is heading to TV with an HBO comedy special version of its sell-out live show.

“My Dad Wrote a Porno shows the extent of just how embarrassing dads can be, in the best possible way,” said Nina Rosenstein, executive vice president of HBO Programming, in a statement Monday. “James, Jamie and Alice transformed a very awkward situation into an undeniably hilarious experience that we’re excited to share with our audience.”

The HBO comedy special will be produced by Done and Dusted; executive produced by Morton, Cooper, Levine and Flintstone; and directed by Hamish Hamilton.

“We’re over the moon and honoured that HBO has decided to help bring Rocky Flintstone’s bad dad-rotica to the world—what are they thinking?!” said Team Porno. “The response to the live show has been incredible so far, so we can’t wait for more people to see it.”

In an interview with Paste last year, Jamie explained, “Nothing can ever prepare you for your dad to write porn.” But it seems like he’s coping well.

The HBO comedy special is expected to be released in 2019.