My Dad Wrote a Porno– this terrifying statement has spurred an internationally beloved podcast, and now a hilarious comedy special airing on HBO tonight. Hosted by Jamie Morton, James Cooper, and Alice Levine, the taped live show was recorded in March at the Roundhouse in London.
“One half erotica, one half business manual,” as Levine describes, the show is centered on Belinda Blinked, a series of erotic novels written by Morton’s father under the nom de plume Rocky Flintstone. The special centers on Morton reading the infamous “lost chapter” of Belinda Blinked, with Cooper and Levine adding comedic side commentary questioning Morton’s father’s understanding of the female anatomy and his unique turn of phrase. Throughout the show, audience members are encouraged to partake in ironic drinking games and reenactments of sexual positions with props mirroring some of Flintstone’s more questionable metaphors– think “nut-shaped nipple.”
The intimate subject matter is no problem for college friends Morton, Cooper, and Levine. The trio met at the University of Leeds through the Student Television Society because they were all “massive geeks,” as Morton lovingly described. “We spent three years creating our own tv and short films so by the time we graduated we were so used to making stuff, we carried on at weekends and after work,” Morton explained. “The most–and let’s be honest, only–successful thing thus far has been the My Dad Wrote A Porno podcast.”
Morton, Cooper, and Levine have all previously worked on an array of UK reality TV shows, including The Apprentice, The X Factor, The Voice UK, and Big Brother-spinoff, Bit on the Side. Their collective backgrounds in radio and TV contributed to the beginning of the podcast. “We all have very complementary skill sets–I’m a director and editor, James [Cooper] is a BAFTA-nominated producer, and Alice [Levine] worked as a radio host–so we were able to pool our experiences and resources to create a show that we had full ownership over,” Morton said.
Alice Levine, Morton, and James Cooper onstage for their HBO special
Morton’s discovery of his father’s literary porn project was a welcome surprise. “My dad retired from his building business and decided to write a novel in all the new time he had in his life,” Morton said. “I was fully on board with this retirement plan until I discovered it was porn. He emailed me the first book one day out of the blue and that’s how I found out.”
Once the shock dissipated, Morton saw an opportunity. “I was so confused and appalled, but curiosity got the better of me and I had to read it. It quickly became clear it was the most unintentionally hilarious book ever written so I immediately had to share it with James [Cooper] and Alice [Levine]. We read it down the pub and quickly decided the world had to hear it. So the podcast was born.”
The My Dad Wrote a Porno podcast has since been hailed a celebrity-favorite, with more than 160 million downloads since its premiere in 2015. Centered on the world of Belinda Blumenthal, the series follows its sex-crazed protagonist as she travels the world as a saleswoman for the fictional Steele’s Pots and Pans cookware company. Morton’s father is even a fan of the show, with ‘Rocky Flintstone’ even a producer of the HBO special. “Dad’s the biggest fan of the podcast. We would never had made it if he wasn’t 100% on board,” Morton explained. “He’s such a wind up merchant and has such a great sense of humour that he loved the idea from the beginning. The hardest part wasn’t convincing him to let us do it, it was explaining what a podcast was!”
The podcast features Cooper, Morton, and Levine reading and discussing a chapter from the Belinda Blinked novels. The transition into live touring shows allowed for the text to be enhanced even further. “It has given us the ability to explore Dad’s writing in a visual way, which is impossible in a podcast,” Morton discussed. “We knew very early that we’d love to explore audience interaction so it was just a question of how we could include them that felt organic and purposeful.”
Jamie Morton questions his father’s writing style in “My Dad Wrote a Porno” Photo by Liam Daniel/HBO
Participation is key in keeping the show fresh, as Morton explained, given the possibility for spontaneous hilarious quips. For the particular segment read in the HBO special, Morton knew it called for audience reenactments. “It was clear that what dad had written was impossible, so acting it out felt almost essential!” Morton joked.
The move to performing onstage also required the trio to emphasize the simplicity of their performances while remaining as true to the podcast as possible. “We’re always wary of losing the essence and tone of the show so focusing on our relationship as we read has to be paramount,” Morton said. “For me personally, this is the first thing I’ve ever done on TV so it was kind of a jump in with both feet and sink-or-swim situation. I think that was probably a good thing because it meant I just had to be myself and our authentic rapport is the heart of the show.”
Arguably, their friendship and natural comedic chemistry is what makes the show so endearing. “We knew our concept was susceptible to being a flash in the pan so it was essential we approached it as professionally as possible,” Morton mused. “It’s one of the things we’re proudest of actually; how we’ve not only sustained My Dad Wrote A Porno, but have grown it consistently and built it into a global brand.”
Their brand extends into philanthropic endeavors too, with proceeds of ticket sales from the March tapings for the HBO special donated to MIND, a UK-based charity for mental health awareness and support– a suggestion made my Morton’s father, Rocky Flintstone himself. “We have many listeners who get in touch with us about how the podcast has helped them through some really tough times and aided with their mental health,” Morton explained. “We are always so moved by their bravery to speak publicly about their experiences so we wanted to honor them in a way that felt substantive. Therefore, MIND seemed like the perfect charity to partner with.”
As for the future of My Dad Wrote a Porno, well, Morton’s dad is still writing pornos. “Dad has been writing away for years and is constantly sending me stuff, so we aren’t in any danger of running out of Belinda adventures,” Morton exclaimed. “Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing!”
My Dad Wrote a Porno premieres Saturday, May 11 on HBO at 10 p.m. The HBO comedy special is produced by Done and Dusted; executive produced by Lisa Clark, Hamish Hamilton, Simon Pizey, Jamie Morton, James Cooper, Alice Levine, and Rocky Flintstone; directed by Hamish Hamilton.
