Upcoming Gueststars
I didn’t want to post about this since I find the subject to be a complete waste of time but I’ve been getting a lot of email regarding the rumors so I thought it was prudent. I’ll be brief however.
Yes, it’s true that three reality TV personalities will appear on How I Met Your Mother playing themselves. You know which three. One is “famous” for being friends with another girl who was lucky enough to live in the town that was the second choice for the setting of a reality show. The other is “famous” for being a jerk to the first. The third is “famous” for making a sex tape and having a huge ass.
Am I upset about this? A little, but not in the way you might think. I don’t really care about seeing them in an episode. The fact they’re playing themselves leads me to believe it’ll be more akin to Heidi Klum and the other Victoria Secret angels’ appearance last year in The Yips as opposed to a character role like Britney Spears. I can deal with that and it won’t really effect my enjoyment of the show.
It bothers me because I hate to see How I Met Your Mother become the entry point to “real” acting for any musician, reality star, athelete, ex-con, cyborg who wants to make it out of their current caste. The show deserves more than that and it’s definitely better than these people. Put MTV’s rejects on Gary Unmarried or any of the other trite sitcoms. Why How I Met Your Mother anyway? It doesn’t seem like this show shares a demographic with Date My Mom’s Ex Husband viewers.
It’s not my problem though and there’s nothing to be done about it. I just hope this doesn’t become a trend.
Also, a bit of housekeeping. Please, please, please refrain from posting upcoming episode spoilers or previews in the comments. Links to these things are fine, just try not to copy and paste. A lot of readers (and at least one of the writers here) likes to stay away from such things and throwing them up in the comments makes that difficult. At least make it a choice to see the spoiler (like with a link.) I don’t want to delete comments so please just don’t do it then I won’t have to.
Thanks!
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natsirt | November 12, 2008 @ 1:21 pm
It seems clear that this has got to be the end for HIMYM. I don’t get this desperate attempt to avoid being cancelled. Just accept you are being cancelled and write episodes with no regard for the consequences (like Arrested Development). The writers essentially have absolute freedom now.
Rachel S | November 12, 2008 @ 1:34 pm
Reality TV Stars and all their antics should stay on Reality TV. That’s what it’s made for. Not HIMYM. If these guest “stars” are going to be playing themselves, why are they in NY? Aren’t they based out of L.A? I guess it will be interesting to see how they write that storyline.
Zac | November 12, 2008 @ 1:46 pm
Are you kidding me? There’s no way they are being canceled! The ratings this season are way up from last season…I’m pretty sure they are at an all-time high. If you don’t believe that, check out zap2it.com or another HIMYM blog http://www.legen-waitforit.com/. The post the ratings usually on Tuesdays. I’m not too worried about this upcoming stunt cast…it will probably be fine.
JackAtak08 | November 12, 2008 @ 1:47 pm
It’s not a desperate attempt at being cancelled. In fact, they are pretty much renewed for next season as it is. Lifetime wanted 5 seasons for syndication so we will atleast see up to the end of 5.
And aside from that, ratings this season are higher than they’ve ever been, and increasing every week! So thats good news.
As for why they are doing this, I’ve got no clue. I personally hate it but I will keep watching anyway.
JD | November 12, 2008 @ 1:51 pm
@natsirt I don’t think this is an attempt to avoid cancellation. The show’s doing fine and with the hefty syndication bid, it behooves the network to keep the show going. For the first time ever I think we can relax a little about the future. Here’s hoping I won’t eat my words.
That being said, I’m not sure of the reason for the guest casting. I assume it’s political somehow, but I don’t know all the inner workings of the network to see how a cross-over like this would have come up.
it’s not the end of the show though, it’ll just be one episode with bad actors who’s names we know.
prof.rose | November 12, 2008 @ 2:40 pm
It’s “affect,” not “effect.”
That’s one of two things that Marshall takes very seriously.
JD | November 12, 2008 @ 3:05 pm
@prof.rose I did that on purpose to see if anyone would get the reference! Top drawer!
Little Barney | November 12, 2008 @ 4:40 pm
I was at first shocked that they were putting these people in the show. but i read the episode preview. dont worry i wont tell.
but they are not playing an important character like abby (britney spears). they are simply making a cameo appearance.
Friends had celebrities in their episodes all the time, but that didnt affect the quality of the show.
Look at it this way, with this lot appearing, HIMYM will be in the media and ratings will shoot up.
I live in the UK, HIMYM hasn’t been on TV since season 2, hardly anybody knows about it, when this new broke out then the british media were talking about HIMYM.
these stunt cast bring new people to the show. with more viewers, the networks are happy.
I don’t mind it and I welcome it.
J | November 12, 2008 @ 5:05 pm
sorry about the spoilers…
that is if you think episode titles are spoilers…
opencasketfortheladies | November 12, 2008 @ 5:27 pm
I don’t know how I feel about this
On one hand it brings in more media attention and new fans, which in turn will bump up ratings, which will allow for more seasons. It will also allow himym to receive the respect it deserves
On the other hand it may lead to the show straying away from its typically awesomeness and turn into something which loyal fans disapprove of, to get new viewers to watch
My mind will be set once I watch these “b-list” stars on this “a-list” show
Danielle | November 12, 2008 @ 6:49 pm
They just added another one.
A playmate from that Girls Next Door.
I am really bummed about this.
Dan | November 12, 2008 @ 7:09 pm
for those of us with the decency and presence of mind to never watch reality TV, who are the guest stars?
opencasketfortheladies | November 12, 2008 @ 7:31 pm
@ dan
well said. I’m not even sure who has been casted, I just classified them as b-list stars as I hadn’t heard of any of them.
JD | November 12, 2008 @ 8:20 pm
@Dan Google it. I don’t remember most of their names. It’s two people from The Hills and Kim Kardashian (sp?)
natsirt | November 12, 2008 @ 8:39 pm
Well clearly I don’t know what I’m talking about.
I feel like the show has left their loyal fans behind in order to get more viewers. This isn’t the HIMYM that I became obsessed with.
Xavier | November 12, 2008 @ 10:22 pm
Maybe someone here can offer an explanation for me…what was Marshall doing between the time he graduated college and when he went to law school?
JD | November 12, 2008 @ 10:36 pm
@Xavier I think Marshall went to law school right out of college. The whole gang is about 30 so if Marshall graduated college around 24/25 and went to law school, he would be finishing up when he was 28/29, right around the time last year when he was taking his bar exam. Seems about right to me but I’ve never been to law school so I don’t know for sure.
Xavier | November 12, 2008 @ 11:33 pm
Law school is a 3 year thing…and he graduated college at 24/25? That seems like an awfully long time for him to be there considering him, Lily, and Ted are all the same age and started together when they were 18
JD | November 13, 2008 @ 12:03 am
I guess that leaves a few years unspoken for. I think that’s the idea we’re supposed to have though. The backstories aren’t really as fleshed out, just basic ideas for each character.
Kell | November 13, 2008 @ 12:17 am
Do you remember when Marshall and Barney are at a bar with Lily and they are fighting over being Ted’s best friend (season 1, Nothing Good Happens after 2am). Marhsall is screaming at Barney, “I used to box in the army… I sent my brothers down to the basement for latrine duty…” or something along those lines. That might make up for the gap, and Carter Bays has said that they will write something about that eventually, that may explain why he graduated later than everyone else. Just a thought?
JD | November 13, 2008 @ 12:19 am
I always assumed that ‘I boxed in the army’ was an adlib in the scene.Marshall seems like too much of a wuss to have served.
natsirt | November 13, 2008 @ 12:36 am
He couldn’t have boxed in the army. I can’t recall the name of the episode but when the gay guy is getting the cranberry off of Lily’s ass Marhsall challenges him to a fight. When Marshall finds out its all ok, he says “Oh thank god I’ve never been in a fight before.”
Tim | November 13, 2008 @ 1:31 am
Why is anyone assuming that the episode featuring these guest stars will be bad?
These writers do really well with guest stars. I trust them to do well with these three.
Eugene | November 13, 2008 @ 3:24 am
hi…i am a HIMYM fan from Malaysia since season 1 =) anyway, i am not that familiar with the 3 reality show stars u all tokin abt cos not all of them are aired in this region. if im not mistaken, one of them is Paris hilton right? wat about the other 2? is it nicole richie? anyway, i am not too bothered with guest stars as guest stars have always been part and parcel of sitcoms like friends, 2 and 1/2 men etc…..the most important thing is how they fit them into the story line and hows the interaction with the usual cast. Ofcos their acting skills come into play too….if its paris hilton, i just hope the writers make things as simplistic as posibble for her as she cant act for nuts!!!
Wingman | November 13, 2008 @ 3:47 am
Here’s my theory for their guest stars so far:
HIMYM is on CBS – which explains Bob Parker and the Price is Right bit.
CBS is part owner of CW (formerly WB) – Which might explain James Van Der Beek.
Fox owns/produces the show – which might explain Wayne Brady (“don’t forget the lyrics”)
CBS spun off from Viacom in 2006. And Viacom owns MTV and VH1, which could explain the musical stars in Season 3 – Britney, Mandy Moore, and Enrique.
Anyway, I don’t mind when they have guest spots, though season 3 was overkill with it. I haven’t noticed that they’ve extensively advertised their guest stars, but rather its just leaked to the media. I prefer to just be pleasantly surprised by them.
Dan | November 13, 2008 @ 4:59 am
I remember the good old days when the episodes were about Ted finding a wife… They shouldn’t call it HIMYM anymore. They should call it SYDD (Stuff your dad did)
natsirt | November 13, 2008 @ 10:52 am
@Dan
I couldn’t agree more.
Nick | November 13, 2008 @ 11:36 am
@ Dan
Amen brother!!!
As for the reality people, I do not watch that crap. I do not know who they are, so I do not think the episode(s) will matter to me.
Let’s get back to Ted finding a wife!!!!
JD | November 13, 2008 @ 11:44 am
@Eugene,
No, it won’t be Paris Hilton or Nicole Ritchie, thank god. It’s some D-list reality stars. Google it, you’ll find it.
HIMYM | November 13, 2008 @ 11:54 am
K, i found the names of the guest stars and i must say, i don’t know these people at all.
But when i saw the pictures of the lady’s i thought those persons are perfect for a very small roll in HIMYM. Like a lot of the girls Barney went out with. Nice looks but no brains.
So i don’t expect much of them. But we will see how they play.
MH | November 13, 2008 @ 12:15 pm
@ Kell
If you watch the DVD and the audio commentary, you will see it is just an ad lib, and NPH couldn’t stay on stage without laughing there, so he walked off.
I’m pretty sure it is just a joke.
Kevin | November 13, 2008 @ 5:50 pm
Anything that could potentially bring in more viewers can’t be a bad thing. All three of these guest stars will be appearing in the same episode, so it’s not like we’re getting a whole season of these lame people or something.
I hope that it is a great episode. These guest stars have the potential to make this episode the most watched of the series. The current record is 10.64 million for “Ten Sessions,” the first episode with Britney Spears. Guest stars clearly attract viewers, and if this episode is a great one it could result in a lot more people watching every week.
What’s wrong with that?
natsirt | November 13, 2008 @ 6:47 pm
What’s wrong with that? Britney Spears made lame what otherwise would have been a great episode.
Tim | November 13, 2008 @ 7:01 pm
Britney was very good in her appearance. Everyone on the HIMYM staff was lavish with their praise of her comedic timing.
ashlee | November 13, 2008 @ 8:45 pm
ok…. i just googled guest stars on how i met your mother. the 3rd link is called Heidi and Spencer Will Guest Star on How I Met Your Mother – TV…
i don’t want to actually say it because it might be considered a spoiler even though i don’t think it is, but does any one else see something strange at the end of the 3rd paragraph? i might not be comprehending it correctly, and i’m pretty sure its a joke, but someone else please check it out and see if you know what i’m taking about. Thank you!
Gravity | November 13, 2008 @ 11:24 pm
Seriously Dan? What a lame comment. The entire series is a long and elaborate story about Ted finding his wife. We already learned in Lucky Penny that Ted is a major believer in one event setting off a big chain, so it’s obvious that would apply as a storyteller. Also, a lot of the episodes in this very season focused on Stella, which would fall into the category of Ted looking for a wife. Since then, we’ve had ONE episode straying from that, and you can’t honestly expect him to be out looking for women after being left at the altar right away.
HIMYM | November 14, 2008 @ 8:05 am
If those guest stars get the viewing ratings up, than it ‘ll be good. But as long as the serie keeps his own identity that’s k. But it’s not good if the series is showing what most people want to see, and wanting to satisfy every viewer. If you know what i mean.
But i think the role of the gueststars are very little, so there is no problem here.
And a bout the britney spearse apparency at HIMYM it wasn’t that bad. When i for the first time i watched those episodes i thought she was doing k.
mothership | November 14, 2008 @ 11:02 am
Please, please, please refrain from posting upcoming episode spoilers or previews in the comments. A lot of readers (and at least one of the writers here) likes to stay away from such things and throwing them up in the comments makes that difficult. I don’t want to delete comments so please just don’t do it then I won’t have to.
Freedom of speech
The Constitution
“I would assume Segel is a democrat”…..slander…smear not to mention putting word in someones mouth…..
Bet you voted for Obama……Communist
Ashlee is the mother….turns out she was being an outlaw only for that night too. You guys never saw that coming did you?
Also you have been deleting comments for a while now….
Dan is the man =)
JD | November 14, 2008 @ 12:07 pm
Mothership has gone fully off the reservation. It’s been a long time coming, but she finally cracked.
Just so everyone knows, I’ve never deleted a comment unless I thought it was spam. Spam being a meaningless comment with a link to someone’s site. That’s the only time. Sometimes if you put a bunch of links in a comment the spam filter will catch it, but I try to watch for that.
Kevin | November 14, 2008 @ 2:25 pm
Wow…
It’s a testament to free speech that Mothership’s comment is still on the board. As JD said, it was just a matter of time before she flew off her rocker.
JD | November 14, 2008 @ 2:47 pm
Just to clarify I updated the post re: spoilers. I don’t care if you post links to a spoiler, then people have the option of clicking on it. Just don’t post the actual spoiler in the comments. That should clear things up.
blah | November 14, 2008 @ 8:05 pm
http://www.tv.com/best-of-2008/genre/index.html?page=2 vote
Wolfgang | November 15, 2008 @ 2:54 pm
I’ll try to put here all my spanish friends and I think about these facts…
Well, I’m sure that it’s not necessary famous actors apperarances in HIMYM. The most episodes of HIMYM there are, the plot quality get down… First season mixed romance with sitcom (very greatful idea), the second one was a huge challenge – the plot must go on with the same interest and hilarious gags. The third it’s like smart effect of “where are we going?”, but the fourth season… Where does it really go?
If it was necessary, it might be good the appearance of famous people like themselves roll, but since the 4th started, the audience has been rising, so what’s the problem?.
Yesterday, a friend tell me “I think that HIMYM it’s going to end, cause there not a clearly direction of the plot, and it’s the really bad thing, I’m becoming to lost the interest…”.
Wolfgang
Pluto | November 16, 2008 @ 10:02 am
Honestly, I don’t care about finding the mother. I think it’s been clear from very early on that the show isn’t just about Ted finding a wife, it’s about the group of friends and their lifes.
As for the guest stars… I don’t mind. It’s okay as long as it’s dealt with in a good way. I like when shows have special guest stars.
mothership | November 16, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
Please explain why I am “off the reservation”
This from the person that has attacked me twice in posts on this site.
And likes to distort things to his interpretation.
Sometimes there are not links to things. Just like this one….remember
http://have-you-met-ted.com/2008/sarah-chalke-returns-for-season-4-and-a-preview-of-season-5/
Why should we not be talking (censoring) things that are show related?
You are being hypocritical because you have posted “spoilers” too!
If you want this to be a dictatorship you should stop taking comments!
You have deleted several of my comments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TheMix | November 16, 2008 @ 4:37 pm
Just as a note. I talked to JD a while back about the spoilers on the site and he was right on board with saying “ok, let’s at least try to make them more covert, so that people (like the guy writing this presently) that don’t want to see them…don’t have to”
Mothership, some people want to engage in discussion more about plot than anything and don’t want to know what’s coming up. There’s a simple and classy solution for that…..don’t write spoilers in here. It’s really not that big a deal. JD’s still saying you can post a link to them…so what’s your big beef here?
As for you having a problem with the way the site is run….there’s a quick solution to that too. Either don’t worry about the comments section, or simply find somewhere else to go. It’s JD’s site, and he can run it any way he sees fit. And as far as I can tell, he’s pretty damn open with it compared to some of the other blogs/forums I visit. If you don’t like it, then leave….simple as that. It’s not a dictatorship, but at the same time readers shouldn’t have to put up with your pointless drivel and spoilers whenever you feel it’s necessary.
Jason
JD | November 17, 2008 @ 11:15 am
My issue with Mothership is that I’ve repeatedly requested the use of a real email address. If you ever used one, this conversation would be in email now and not on the site. Considering the lack of opinion or commentary on the show, the multitude of links to show news, and the refusal to use a real email or send me the links directly I see your participation here as a means to promote yourself and how great you are at finding HIMYM news. That’s wonderful and I’m glad you’ve found something fulfilling online but that’s not the point of the comment system here. I’m not looking for another editor for the site and like to control what content is featured here. I’ve allowed it to continue since I don’t like editing comments (I’ve never intentionally deleted any of your comments. Some may have been caught by spam and other may have been deleted if they were duplicates.)
As far as your other claims, they seem unwarranted and untrue. I’m not going to fight with you online, especially if you aren’t willing to de-anonymize yourself enough to actually have a conversation.
As Jason said, if you feel you’re being treated unfairly, there are plenty of other HIMYM sites at which you can comment. Many of those are much more spoiler/news based where you might find a better fit.
mothership | November 18, 2008 @ 6:33 pm
Not a Father’s Day The Official Site
http://foxshop.seenon.com/index.php?v=foxshop-notafathersday
mothership | November 18, 2008 @ 6:37 pm
http://www.notafathersday.com
That works too