The How I Met Your Mother Blog

Personally, I’m getting tired of covering this type of thing. I prefer analysis of the show on the blog, rather than the brainless reporting of information. I’m happy to share these photos though as anything concerning new episodes of the show are exciting at this point. Come back tomorrow for more of the episode discussion that made the pre-strike weeks so awesome around the halls here at Have You Met Ted. In the meantime, what do we think of these pictures?

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For the first time in 14 weeks we have a new episode of HIMYM to look forward to. I’m excited. Are you excited? Tonight’s episode, “No Tomorrow“, shows Ted partying with Barney in a decidedly non-Ted fashion. He seems to have “joined the Dark Side” but maybe he’s just spent too much time with Broda. By the end of the episode, Marshall will have straightened out Mr. Mosby. Tune in later tonight or tomorrow morning for an episode recap.

Tonight’s episode, however, is not the one that’s being talked about in the news. For those of you living under a rock, that would be next week’s episode starring Britney Spears. As the time draws neigh, more details surface. The episode will be called “Ten Sessions” which, I assume, refers to the visits Ted will make to his Dermatologist, Stella, played by Sarah Chalke. Britney will be Stella’s receptionist. It would seem that in classic Mosby fashion, Ted will fall hard for his doctor and try to navigate the tricky course of convincing a girl who’s removing a butterfly tramp-stamp from just above your ass crack that you’re a guy worth dating. While wooing the lady-doctor Ted will be oblivious to the fact that Abby, the receptionist played by Spears, has fallen head-over-heals for him. We’ll watch her go from glasses-wearing mousy dork to a sexier…mousy dork as she vies for Ted’s attention.

Last week I asked if Britney would continue her odd public displays of lunacy on set or if the legendary laid back nature of the How I Met Your Mother world would keep her on an even keel. It seems like the latter has been the case since all reports from on-set have been overwhelmingly positive. A few random snippets from the cast and crew:

With helicopters flying overhead, the writers were hoping for more drama, and even encouraged Jason Segel to try to make out with Britney to increase ratings for the Forgetting Sarah Marshall debut. More

The cast welcomed Britney and all wanted scenes with her. Neil Patrick Harris got his wish, with a episode-ending tag that is both hilarious and leaves a window open for Spear’s character to return in a future episode. Alyson Hannigan unfortunately didn’t get screen time with Britney but tried to befriend her nonetheless. More 

Ranjit will be back next week as well! More

Josh Radnor has moved out of his apartment and bought a house. More

So, have a good St. Patrick’s Day everyone. In honor of Segel’s new writing gig, let’s all celebrate, Muppet style:

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So, it’s true:

Britney Spears’ havoc-wreaking cameo on How I Met Your Mother has already claimed its first victim. A Mother insider confirms that Alicia Silverstone — who was slated to appear in a multi-episode arc as Ted’s dermatologist/lover — has dropped out and will be replaced by Scrubs’ Sarah Chalke.

Pink Is the New Blog reports that Silverstone bowed out because her reps (understandably) feared she would be overshadowed by Spears, who, per my sources, will play an assistant to the dermatologist now being portrayed by Chalke. As a result, I’m hearing Mother bosses Carter Bays and Craig Thomas have reconceived the female doc character. Originally slated to appear in multiple episodes, she’ll now be in just one — mostly because that’s all Chalke’s schedule will allow. The diminished screen time would also seem to eliminate any hope there was of her being Ted’s future yellow-umbrella-carrying wife (aka the “Mother”).

But Mother still has big plans for Silverstone. “[Bays and Thomas] love Alicia,” whispers my mole, “and they intend to create another character for her.”

All of this begs a critical question: Is Spears worth the headache? Provided she brings in enough viewers to get Mother off CBS’ endangered list, I reckon she is!

source

The Alicia Part

We all know how excited I was when I first heard about the Silverstone casting. I still think that she’s note-perfect for this show. The thing I’ve always loved about How I Met Your Mother is its intellect and heart, a heart it often wears on its sleeve. I think this has brought criticism to the show—it’s not as superficial as shows like Friends, and not as acerbic as shows like Everybody Loves Raymond. It’s even been called sappy, which I have never agreed with. I can see Silverstone fitting in well with the sensitive, thoughtful tone of the show as well as rolling with the humor while keeping a certain level of sophistication (something Cobie Smulders has been doing without much credit since day one.)

Alicia Silverstone’s professional persona is rooted in a Gen X sensibility, something else the show has in spades (Ted is the classic wandering soul.) She would have been the perfect familiar face that would have worked on the show the same way Danika McKellar worked in the past. The show’s demographic has, for the most part, fond memories of Silverstone’s previous roles and I think she would’ve been accepted warmly.

The Britney Part

Britney Spears is none of those things. At one time the picture of virtue, how far we fall when we fly too close to the sun. Her recent antics are too numerous to account for here (and are better documented elsewhere). I’ve taken pot-shots at her like everyone else, and whether or not she was an active participant in her own Icarusian fall or merely the victim of those she trusted, we’ll never know. What I do know is that she represents everything about celebrity and pop culture that I try to get away from when watching shows like HIMYM.

That being said, she’s also not an actress. I don’t trust that she’ll be charming, funny, or even necessarily coherent. Mandy Moore did well, but she acts quite a bit, and has a reputation for being motivated and hard working. I’ve read stories of Britney showing up late for video shoots drunk or incapacitated in some way, being surly and difficult to work with, and generally bringing down those around her. I’ve also read that the set of HIMYM is one of the best—laid back, fun, easy going, and very efficient and affable. Which attitude is going to win out? Will the positive aura Pam Fryman has created win out over the venomous tendencies of a deranged pop star? These are the things I’m really worried about.

The Sarah Part

I love Sarah Chalke. I’m a huge Scrubs fan and find her to be a great female character. She’s quirky, awkward, sexy, strange, and filled with neuroses. Much like Silverstone, I think she’s great for the show. The only problem I see is being able to separate Sarah Chalke from Eliot Reed. Plus, an added bonus: she’s Canadian and, I believe, has a bit of a natural accent she tones down for Scrubs. This could play well into the established canon of Canada jokes on the show. If she could be on for more than one episode there could’ve been a side plot that involved her being Robin Sparkles’ biggest fan.

The “Why It’ll be OK” Part

That brings me to my one regret with all of this casting news. Chalke can only appear for one episode, while Spears is rumored to return for several. That means that we won’t just see Spears in the doctor’s office as the assistant and she’ll probably end up dating Ted. I’ll say it here: Britney Spears will not be the mother. I don’t have inside sources, I just can’t imagine this is the outcome. At most, she’d be a Victoria—someone Ted dates for awhile and then breaks up with.

Silverstone’s character (which is now Chalke’s) was supposed to be recurring, maybe even the mother. With her out, the creators are having to re-work the story they wanted to tell. I hate to see scheduling conflict and things like that affect story telling. I’m sure it happens more than we ever hear, but it is an unfortunate compromise for the writers. Hopefully the hint that Silverstone will return is true, and they’ll postpone her arc for the future.

I don’t really understand why, if they had Silverstone cast in a roll they were ready to move forward writing, they’d let her go just to cast Britney in a supporting role. I know that it’ll be good for ratings (I haven’t seen a single news item spread quite so fast online since Heath Ledger died) but is it worth it? Again, we’ll have to wait and see. I have trust in the show, the writers, and the actors to take what seems like lemons and give us some lemonade.

What do you think?

Thanks to readers John d’Arc and Ranier for sharing this news with me.

PS. Sorry for the wonky feed stuff, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to post this as a new entry or just update the old one (I did the former.)

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UPDATE: Expanded edition now available.

I’m going to expand on the latter bit of this post later but did want to confirm the following:

Britney Spears’ havoc-wreaking cameo on How I Met Your Mother has already claimed its first victim. A Mother insider confirms that Alicia Silverstone — who was slated to appear in a multi-episode arc as Ted’s dermatologist/lover — has dropped out and will be replaced by Scrubs’ Sarah Chalke.

Pink Is the New Blog reports that Silverstone bowed out because her reps (understandably) feared she would be overshadowed by Spears, who, per my sources, will play an assistant to the dermatologist now being portrayed by Chalke. As a result, I’m hearing Mother bosses Carter Bays and Craig Thomas have reconceived the female doc character. Originally slated to appear in multiple episodes, she’ll now be in just one — mostly because that’s all Chalke’s schedule will allow. The diminished screen time would also seem to eliminate any hope there was of her being Ted’s future yellow-umbrella-carrying wife (aka the “Mother”).

But Mother still has big plans for Silverstone. “[Bays and Thomas] love Alicia,” whispers my mole, “and they intend to create another character for her.”

All of this begs a critical question: Is Spears worth the headache? Provided she brings in enough viewers to get Mother off CBS’ endangered list, I reckon she is!
source

Thanks to readers John d’Arc and Ranier for sharing this news with me.

More to come!

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I can’t believe this is true:

Suit up, Britney Spears! The pop star is heading back to TV, scoring a guest role on CBS’s How I Met Your Mother, a rep for the show confirms to PEOPLE.

According to TMZ, which first reported the news, Spears’s father and conservator, Jamie, has given his daughter permission to appear on the sitcom since it will not be a long-term or continuous role.

The pop star is no stranger to television comedies: In April 2006, Britney appeared on an episode of NBC’s Will & Grace playing a conservative talk show host alongside Sean Hayes’s flamboyant character, Jack.

source

I was OK with Mandy Moore. I was OK with Enrique Iglesias. I was borderline OK with Vanessa Manilla or whatever her name is. I don’t know if I’m OK with Britney Spears. The show should be better than this. I only hope they can clean her up enough to flap around in front of the camera for a few lines and then never be heard from again. Maybe Barney will bang her then leave her naked in the torch of the statue of liberty or something. I would’ve rather seen Ashlee Simpson than Britney’s dizzy ass.

Let me play devil’s advocate. If it’s ratings we’re worried about for the show (which should never be met by sacrificing quality, but I digress) than Spear’s appearance will surely create waves. Paris Hilton did a “guest spot” on The O.C. way back when and it didn’t offend me deeply. I will trust Bays and Thomas not to do anything crazy. If this gets more people talking about (and watching) the show, so be it.

I can’ t help but think, who’s next? Courtney Love? Kim Kardashian? Lindsay Lohan? Have some decency!

Scary update:

Britney showed up at the FOX Studios lot this morning with only her agent in tow to sit down with the cast of the show for the episode read-thru. I’m told she was “really funny”, “very professional” and that the character might become a recurring character on the show. Additionally, most of her scenes are with the Ted Mosby character played by Josh Radnor. This episode of How I Met Your Mother is the third of the new eps that have been written since the show came back from the Writer’s Strike hiatus and since the first new ep airs next week it may air three weeks after that (the week of April 7th).

Regarding the news that Alicia Siverstone was scheduled to also guest star on HIMYM, I’m hearing that her people have decided to have her pull out of doing so in order to not be overshadowed by Britney’s appearance.

source

As I said in the comments, if this redneck skank makes me miss my sexual renaissance with the Aerosmith girl I’m going to be PISSED OFF.

PS. I never want to do a Google Image Search for “Britney Spears” again. I need to go wash my hands.

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via TVGuide and the very legendary and handsome reader Rainier:

Sources are confirming to me exclusively that the lovely and talented Alicia Silverstone has been cast in a multi-episode arc.

Her character, a doctor, will be a love interest for Ted and she’ll be sticking around for several episodes.

Holy crap. This is awesome. First, she’s perfect. A classic actress in need of a great mainstream comeback role ala Danica McKellar. It sounds like Rainier was right to point out the careful wording when, in The Platinum Rule, Ted says “that was the end of Stella, for now”. How did I miss her in my poll way back when? I, like any other male who went through puberty in the 90s, have an undying love for Ms. Silverstone. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane…

Aerosmith - Crazy

It says the video is unavailable, click on it before you hit play (refresh the page) and it’ll go to Youtube where the video actually plays

Aerosmith - Crying

Aerosmith - Amazing

It says the video is unavailable, click on it before you hit play (refresh the page) and it’ll go to Youtube where the video actually plays

Forget about Liv Tyler, these videos were all about Alicia.

I really can’t wait to see her on the show. She’ll be much better than the string of dubious conquests and skanktrons Ted’s been running with this season so far. Is she hotter than Robin? I might be biased but I say yes.

Now only one question remains, and I’ll leave it to you: Will “Stella” be another Victoria, a relationship that we’ll see start and end, or will she end up as the mother? How will it all play out?

Before people start saying “she can’t be the mom, the kid’s would know, he said her name” let me point you to the very HIMYM-esque Definitely Maybe where the main character tells his young daughter the story of how he met her mother. He changed the names and some of the facts in the story to keep her in the dark. I’m sure old-Ted could do something similar.

And now, some pictures of Alicia, since I know that’s what all of you want. Click through for bigger size.

I suppose that Ted will have to learn to make meatless lasagna if he’s to wed Silverstone.

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via  SpoilerTV

The first new, post-strike episode of How I Met Your Mother is called “No Tomorrow” and will air at 8:30pm on Monday March 17th on CBS. The episode features Ted and Barney partying for St. Patrick’s Day and may see Ted on the business end of a fist. Vanessa Minnillo guest stars (which kind of aggravates me, but we’ll see how she does.)

Promotional photos from the episode. Vanessa looks hot, Ted looks drunk, Barney looks like a leprechaun:

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Which HIMYM guest star would make a good permanent or semi-permanent fixture? Victoria proved in Season One that a sixth person wouldn’t ruin the flow of the show, and there’ve been some good guest stars that could turn in legendary performances if they became full time. Who would you most like to see expand their roll?

For the sake of equality, I’ve separated the votes into boy/girl. It’s not fair to poor Marshall Manesh that he isn’t as cute as Danica McKellar.

Guys:

• Marshall Manesh…Ranjit the cab driver (it’s been awhile)
• Joe Nieves…Carl the bartender (where’s Carl been? more to come)
• Matt Boren…Stuart (of the “Stuart and Claudia” wedding)
• Alexis Denisof… Sandy Rivers (almost guaranteed to return, he’s married to Alyson Hannigan)
• Nate Torrence… Clark Butterfield (Barney’s arch-nemesis in an inter-office war)
• Michael Gross… Alfred Mosby (Ted’s dad)
• Joe Manganiello… Brad (one half of the World’s Greatest Couple)
• Bryan Cranston… Hammond Druthers
• Wayne Brady… James Stinson
• Enrique Iglesias… Gael
• John Cho… (Marshall’s boss)

Girls:

• Jayma Mays…Coat Check Girl (maybe?)
• Danica McKellar…Trudy (always welcome as far as I’m concerned)
• Virginia Williams…Claudia (of the “Stuart and Claudia” wedding)
• Ashley Williams…Victoria (fan favorite and pro-baker)
• Erinn Bartlett… Mary (the paralegal)
• Charlene Amoia… Wendy the Waitress (reader Michael makes a good case for her in the comments)
• Cristine Rose… Virginia Mosby (Ted’s mom)
• Lucy Hale… Katie Scherbatsky (Robin’s little sister)
• Mandy Moore… Amy
• Busy Philipps… Rachel (one wheel of the tricycle, also from Freaks and Geeks)

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We haven’t done weekly polls in a while so I figured we’d come back strong.

If the mother is yet to be chosen and cast, which of the following young starlets would you most like to see be The One for Ted? Think about the characters these actresses normally play and any roles where they’ve been a girlfriend or wife. Choose wisely!

• Shiri Appleby
  Best known as: Liz Parker on “Roswell”
  Last saw her: on “Six Degrees”
  Connection: She was on an old episode of Doogie Howser. Starred with Katherine Heigl in Roswell who worked with Jason Segel in Knocked Up.
• Kristen Bell
  Best known as: Veronica Mars
  Last saw her: on “Heroes”
  Connection: Starring with Jason Segel in Forgetting Sarah Marshall
• Rachel Bilson
  Best known as: Summer Roberts on “The O.C.”
  Last saw her: on “Chuck”
  Connection: She was on an episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” with Alyson Hannigan. Wishful thinking.
• Lizzy Caplan
  Best known as: Sara on “Freaks and Geeks” with Jason Segel
  Last saw her: on “The Class” last year.
  Connection: “Freaks and Geeks”
• Linda Cardellini
  Best known as: starred as Lindsay Weir alongside Jason Segel on “Freaks and Geeks”
  Last saw her: on “ER”
  Connection: “Freaks and Geeks”, worked with Sarah Michelle Gellar on “Scooby Doo” movies, SMG worked with Alyson Hannigan on “Buffy”
• Charisma Carpenter
  Best known as: Cordelia Chase on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”
  Last saw her: on “Veronica Mars”
  Connection: starred with Alyson Hannigan on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
• Emma Caulfield
  Best known as: Anya on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
  Last saw her: she hasn’t done much lately. Now’s the time!
  Connection: starred with Alyson Hannigan on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
• Lacey Chabert
  Best known as: Claudia Salinger on “Party of Five”
  Last saw her: she was in Mean Girls and also did a guest spot on “Ghost Whisperer” recently
  Connection: Starred with Lizzy Caplan who was on “Freaks and Geeks”
• Rachel Leigh Cook
  Best known as: Laney Boggs in She’s All That
  Last saw her: on “Las Vegas”
  Connection: Starred alongside Freddie Prinze Jr. who is married to Sarah Michelle Gellar who worked with Alyson Hannigan on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
• Eliza Dushku
  Best known as: Faith on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
  Last saw her: she had her own show “Tru Calling” and she’s recently appeared on Ugly Betty
  Connection: starred with Alyson Hannigan on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
• Danielle Fishel
  Best known as: Topanga Lawrence on “Boy Meets World”
  Last saw her: in weight loss commercials
  Connection: former teen idol (ala Danica McKellar), needs work, some episodes on Full House with Bob Saget

I tried to choose actresses that are in the right age range and might actually appear on the show. All these actresses are connected to someone on the show by a few degrees.

PS. What’s with all the hot young lady-actors having last names that start with C? That’s kind of freaky.

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Ted’s upcoming date with his doctor leads the gang to give him their own examples of why dating someone you already see regularly is a bad idea.

Kristen Schaal plays the character “Laura”. My first reaction is that the show might be trying too hard to coin phrases and have these little cutesy episodes. Of course, the last time I was worried about we ended up with The Third Wheel (which was awesome). Guess we’ll wait and see.

Anyone a fan of Schaal? I liked her on Flight of the Conchords.

UPDATE: Reader Ike points out that I was, in fact, reading through pineapple-colored glasses and that the episode will actually air next week. Whoops! Look for a recap of the repeat episode tonight (since it’s from season 2) and other archival, old-episode content throughout the week.

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