"How I Met Your Mother" Cast Gets Salary Bumps

Last March, when CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" returned from its strike-induced hiatus with Britney Spears' headline-grabbing appearance, the sitcom began a ratings momentum that carried over to the show's current 4th season. Now, the time has come to reward the cast with more Benjamins.

According to a Hollywood press report this morning, the cast of "How I Met Your Mother" will get a deal retroactive to the beginning of the current season, bringing their salaries up to $90,000-120,000.

Although this will either double or triple their current salaries, the salaries will remain much lower than what other successful sitcom stars are making at this time. Then again, some "Mother" stars have been complete unknowns when the series began in 2005.

Just a couple of years ago, the show was considered "on-the-bubble" and it faced possible cancellation. With the current ratings momentum and this deal (which also extends the stars' contracts for an 8th year), that threat appears to be a thing of the past.

I couldn't be happier. "How I Met Your Mother" is one of the funniest and most cleverly written comedies on television at this moment, and its stellar cast makes the show a true gem.

"How I Met Your Mother" Returns on Monday

CBS' brilliant sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" is back this Monday (don't you just hate these Christmas breaks?) and there will be at least 2 fresh episodes in January. Here's a little taste of what to expect.

When Ted and Robin become "friends with benefits" to deal with conflicts they're having around the apartment, Barney tries to resolve the issues so they'll stop hooking up.

Meanwhile, "reality" stars get too real for Marshall when they taunt him from the pages of his magazine. The episode "Benefits" airs on Monday, January 12. Then a week later, watch out for an all-new episode titled "Three Days of Snow."

"How I Met Your Mother": Season 4 Spoilers

"Mother's" back! And so is Sarah Chalke! But is she THE mother? We may find out in the 4th season premiere on Monday, September 22 at 8:00pm on CBS as Stella responds to Ted's proposal from the May season 3 ender of "How I Met Your Mother."



Also in the episode, the legen-waitforit-dary Neil Patrick Harris continues to romance Cobie Smulders, as his womanizing character Barney realizes that he is in love with Robin.
The following week, Regis Philbin makes an appearance as himself.





Now, get this - in episode #4 simply titled "Stella" (set to air in October) we also meet Stella's sister Nora who is getting married and will be more than condescending to Ted.

For this reason, Ted wishes that his and Stella's wedding kicks her sister's wedding's ass. Oops. I guess we now know how Stella responds to Ted' proposal. But wait, it gets even more interesting.





Stella's sister and her fiance break off their engagement days before the wedding, so Stella suggests she and Ted buy the wedding off Nora and marry the same Sunday. Will Stella and Ted tie the knot?

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How I Met Your Mother Cast Talks Season 4

Four cast members of CBS' clever flashback-laden sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" (Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris, Cobie Smulders and Josh Radnor - Jason Segel was off filming a movie) appeared at an Emmy event in Manhattan, earlier this week. What did they and the show co-creators Carter Bays and Pam Fryman reveal about the show and its upcoming season?

* Alyson Hannigan loves having to constantly wear different wigs and argues with the producers that Future Ted is absent-minded and can never remember exactly what Lily's hair looked like at a given point,

* The cast and crew have just as much fun mocking Cobie Smulders' being Canadian as the characters have mocking Robin,

* Barney and Robin as a couple wasn't part of the original plan, but once they saw how Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smulders played off each other in "Zip, Zip, Zip" (the Laser Tag episode), the writers started contemplating it.

* The writers know exactly what the last episode will be, but they would never ask CBS for a fixed finale date as did the writers of 'Lost',

* Sarah Chalke will be back as Stella next year, but they would not reveal if she will be seen much (therefore, if she is indeed 'the mother'),



* The writers keep a bible of all the different references made on the show, giving them opportunities to do a callback to some earlier episodes,

* Future Ted as an unreliable narrator gives the writers some wiggle room in terms of continuity,

* Cobie said she and the producers have half-seriously considered doing a Robin Sparkles mall concert tour, but it would have to be only in Canadian malls,

* The writers are open to bringing Britney Spears back on the show, but they hadn't put a lot of thought into "how Abby fits into the larger picture of season 4" yet,

* The mother has already appeared on the show, she was the woman holding a yellow umbrella, and she was played by Pam Fryman,



* The writers have an amazing plan for the goat, which will resolve the 30th/31st day birthday confusion from "The Goat" episode,

* Carter regrets having Future Ted say at the end of "The Pineapple Incident" that he never did find out what the pineapple was about, because he'd really like to tell that story. Perhaps the story could be told by Future Marshall,

* Future Ted is telling this story over a single day,

* Lyndsy Fonseca and David Henrie who play the kids, filmed very important bits of dialogue in early season 2 and know who the mother is,

* Although babies normally kill sitcoms, Marshall and Lily may have kids as this is a show about the major milestones in people's lives as they move from their 20s into their 30s.

"How I Met Your Mother" begins its 4th season September 22 at 8:30/7:30c on CBS.

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"How I Met Your Mother" Renewed for Season 4

Well it was about damn time! Deadline Hollywood Daily reports that "How I Met Your Mother" has been renewed for a fourth season and CBS is expected to make an official announcement when it presents its fall schedule at the Upfronts on Wednesday.


Although CBS claims the network quietly reassured the sitcom producers a couple of weeks ago that it would bring the show back in the fall, a show insider claims no one on the set knew that for sure and they felt disappointed the network waited until the Upfronts.

CBS renewed a number of its hit series in a special press release issued in February, days after the end of the writers' strike. HIMYM which had been considered "on the bubble" before the strike was not on the lit, but returned strong in a new timeslot in March.



Although the Britney Spears buzz and the later timeslot gave the show the necessary ratings boost to warrant a 4th season renewal, CBS execs who are allegedly not too fond of the show waited until the last day to announce the renewal.

The show is expected to return in its new timeslot, Mondays at 8:30pm, leading out of "The Big Bang Theory."

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VIDEO: Alyson Hannigan on Britney

"How I Met Your Mother" star Alyson Hannigan says they have the best writers in television. Well, you got that right, sunshine! Your comedy is hilarious and so are you, Lilly dearest. Former "Buffy" star talks about Britney, the show's charity website and next week's season finale. Judging by the fact there will be a cliffhanger, I hope season 4 renewal is a shoe-in.



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VIDEO: Britney Spears to Return to "Mother" Again and Again?

If you're a fan of CBS' buzzworthy comedy "How I Met Your Mother," but don't really like Britney Spears, you may not be happy to hear the bubblegum pop star could be back if the legen... wait for it... dary! show is renewed for a 4th season. But given all the guest stars abuse on shows like "Will & Grace" I say taking Spears' stunt and turning it into a plot-advancing device is pure genius.

As far as I'm concerned Craig Thomas and his writers have once again proven this gem of a show is built on great content. Even if there may be celebrity guest star stunts to occasionally give the comedy a ratings bump it deserves, the quality has not been compromised as it remains one of the most hilarious half-hour laughers on television today.

Check out the stills & spoilers from Britney's 2nd HIMYM episode.

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Britney Spears on "How I Met Your Mother" Again

Fallen pop princess Britney Spears is back on TV's coolest sitcom, "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS this Monday night. Here is a little taste of Brit Brit's latest attempt to rebuild her career.

Barney (the hilarious Neil Patrick Harris) and Abby (Spears) will realize that they have one thing in common - their mutual hatred of Ted (Josh Radner). The "couple" decides to go to the bar to flaunt their new relationship in Ted's face.

Spears, who approached the show producers herself with the proposal to make an appearance on the show, gave "How I Met Your Mother" a solid ratings boost pushing their audience well over 10 million viewers in March.



Although CBS has been reluctant to renew the sitcom for a fourth season (the network honchos are allegedly not too fond of it), given all the buzz and ratings improvements, they may have no alternative when they announce their fall line-up at an Upfronts event in New York on Wednesday.

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Britney To Do "Mother" Again?

This week's amazing Barney-centric episode of CBS' comedy "How I Met Your Mother" was sheer proof that this hilarious sitcom can be at the top of its game without any celebrity guest star gimmicks. And yet, the producers are negotiating with Britney Spears to return for at least one more episode this season as Ted's stalker and Sarah Chalke's receptionist.


Hoping to prove that the only thing better than a good thing is overdoing the good thing, the troubled pop star is about to help herself stay in the positive limelight for a little bit longer and, hopefully, help the buzzworthy sitcom boost its ratings and earn a 4th season pick-up.



Not that the show which had been on the bubble before its return on St.Patrick's Day needs much help. This has creatively been a gem of a season and the ratings have recently perked up thanks to a little switch with the rookie sitcom "The Big Bang Theory." Rumor has it, the show will be back in the fall after all.

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James Van Der Beek to Guest Star on CBS' "How I Meet Your Mother"

Is CBS' sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" about to steal the "Will & Grace Award" from ABC's dramedy "Ugly Betty" for the ridiculous number of hot celebrity guest stars making an appearance on the show? I certainly hope so.

Just a week after Britney Spears helped the Monday night comedy reach its season high ratings and best 18-49 numbers ever, E!Online has confirmed former "Dawson's Creek" star James Van Der Beek will make a guest appearance on the show as well.



Van Der Beek also appeared in "Ugly Betty" last fall playing an idiot Mode advertiser who had a problem with Alexis (Rebecca Romijn) being a transsexual.



In "How I Met Your Mother" Van Der Beel is supposed to play the crush of the local news anchorwoman, former Canadian pop star and Ted's ex-gal Robin played by Cobie Smulders in the upcoming "Robin Sparkles" episode.

Last year Van Der Beek starred with Lucy Lawless and Eddie Cibrian in the failed ABC pilot "Football Wives" based on the popular (now canceled) British soap of a similar title.

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Weekend Ratings (March 22-24, 2008)

Britney Spears helped CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" score its best ratings ever among adults 18-49 and a new season high in total viewers. The sitcom also outperformed its lead-in "The Big Bang Theory" by 2 million viewers. Check out Monday's figures along with the rest of the weekend ratings, after the jump.

On Saturday night, CBS' coverage of NCAA Basketball helped the Eye network beat ABC's traditional Easter rerun of the religious-themed "The Ten Commandments," as well as FOX's veteran reality line-up which normally wins the night.

But on Sunday night, Oprah Winfrey and the rest of ABC's reality line-up ensured that the Alphabet network beat CBS in both total viewers and adults 18-49. Nevertheless, NCAA Basketball was still stronger than "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," the hottest show on ABC's line-up.

Finally on Monday, in addition to record ratings for "How I Met Your Mother," CBS was on the top of its game also in the 10:00pm slot when "CSI: Miami" returned with its 2nd largest audience of the season.


SATURDAY:


ABC:
8:00pm MOVIE: The Ten Commandments (R) (7.91 million)

CBS:
8:00pm NCAA Basketball (8.99 million)

NBC:
8:00pm Celebrity Apprentice (R) (2.38 million)
9:00pm Law & Order: SVU (R) (5.20 million)
10:00pm Law & Order (R) (5.61 million)

Fox:
8:00pm Cops (5.42 million)
9:00pm America's Most Wanted (5.94 million)


SUNDAY:


ABC:
7:00pm America's Funniest Home Videos (R) (8.11 million)
8:00pm Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (11.14 million)
9:00pm Oprah's Big Give (9.92 million)
10:02pm Here Come the Newlyweds (6.94 million)

CBS:
7:00pm NCAA Basketball (11.98 million)
8:00pm 60 Minutes (10.26 million)
9:00pm Big Brother 9 (6.38 million)
10:00pm Cold Case (R) (6.10 million)

NBC:
7:00pm Dateline (6.10 million)
9:00pm Law & Order (R) (7.68 million)
10:00pm Law & Order: SVU (R) (8.02 million)

Fox:
7:00pm King of the Hill (R) (2.43 million)
7:30pm American Dad (R) (2.66 million)
8:00pm Simpsons (R) (4.78 million)
8:30pm Unhitched (3.14 million)
9:00pm Family Guy (R) (4.55 million)
9:30pm Unhitched (3.05 million)

CW:
7:00pm America's Next Top Model (R) (1.20 million)
8:00pm Everybody Hates Chris (992,000)
8:30pm Aliens in America (934,000)
9:00pm The Game (1.27 million)
9:30pm Girlfriends (R) (1.19 million)


MONDAY:


ABC:
8:00pm Dancing With the Stars (20.3 million)
10:02pm The Bachelor: London Calling (8.0 million)

CBS:
8:00pm The Big Bang Theory (8.63 million)
8:30pm How I Met Your Mother (10.62 million)
9:00pm Two and a Half Men (14.25 million)
9:30pm The New Adventures of Old Christine (9.87 million)
10:00pm CSI: Miami (15.8 million)

NBC:
8:00pm My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad (4.27 million)
9:00pm Deal or No Deal (9.99 million)
10:00pm Medium (8.82 million)

Fox:
8:00pm House (R) (7.61 million)
9:00pm New Amsterdam (6.28 million)

CW:
8:00pm Gossip Girl (R) (1.1 million)
9:00pm Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious (1.55 million)

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TV Ratings: Monday (March 17, 2008)

Is all that Britney Spears buzz already paying off? The return of CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" last night scored 9.73 million viewers, 22% above the current season average, exceeding "The Big Bang Theory's" 9.11 million, despite airing opposite ABC's monster hit "Dancing with the Stars."

Speaking of "Dancing with the Stars," the reality contest kicked off its 6th cycle with 20.90 million people tuning in. The numbers were very similar to the 21.19 million people who watched the 5th season opener on September 24, 2007. British-flavored lead-out "The Bachelor" scored 8.96 million.

Things are not looking great for FOX's back-to-back freshman dramas, although "New Amsterdam" still manages to exceed "Canterbuty's Law" by a large margin, so that's always a plus. Compared to last year's time slot occupant "24" though, the show has failed to meet advertisers' expectations.

ABC:
8:00pm Dancing With the Stars (20.90 million)
9:32pm The Bachelor (8.96 million)

CBS:
8:00pm The Big Bang Theory (9.11 million)
8:30pm How I Met Your Mother (9.73 million)
9:00pm Two and a Half Men (14.03 million)
9:30pm The New Adventures of Old Christine (11.45 million)
10:00pm CSI: Miami (R) (9.66 million)

NBC:
8:00pm My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad (4.68 million)
9:00pm Deal or No Deal (9.93 million)
10:00pm Medium (9.89 million)

Fox:
8:00pm Canterbury's Law (5.66 million)
9:00pm New Amsterdam (7.30 million)

CW:
8:00pm Gossip Girl (R) (1.25 million)
9:00pm Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious (1.57 million)

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Britney Spears on "How I Met Your Mother"

Britney Spears has taped her appearance in the March 24 episode of CBS' buzz-hungry sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" (which returns with an all-new, post-strike, St.Patrick's Day-themed episode tonight, yay!) and according to star Neil Patrick Harris, she was very professional. Phew!


As you may have heard, Alicia Silverstone, who was slated to appear in the sitcom in a multi-episode arc, bailed out when she learned that Spears was coming on board to play her assistant. Silverstone was supposed to play Ted's new lover/dermatologist, a role that went to Scrubs' Sarah Chalke.


Harris phoned into the Ryan Seacrest show to talk about Britney, who allegedly wanted to appear on the sitcom. I'm not sure whether Britney really is a fan of "How I Met Your Mother," but the buzz she has generated for this hilarious show over the past week has most definitely been welcome.



According to rumors "How I Met Your Mother" is once again on the bubble and CBS has yet to confirm whether the show would return for a 4th season. This year the show has averaged 7.97 million viewers, down from last year's 9.9 million. The ratings have however been heavily impacted by the absence of new episodes in early 2008.


Tonight the show moves to its new, post-Big Bang Theory slot at 8:30pm. Will the move and the Britney stint help spike up the ratings? I certainly hope so.

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Alicia Silvestone Joins "How I Met Your Mother"

Actress Alicia Silverstone has joined the cast of CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" as a romantic interest for Ted Mosby. The comedy which has yet to be renewed for a 4th season returns March 17 with a St.Patrick's Day-themed episode.

In the episode, Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) persuades his best buddy Ted (Josh Radnor) to commit a crime in order to seduce a sexy girl called Ashlee. Little does Ted know his dream lady is married.

As for Silverstone's character, TV Guide speculates she may end up playing "The Mother" who has already appeared hidden behind an umbrella in the closing moments of this season's opener.

"How I Met Your Mother" is considered to be "on the bubble" and the 9 post-strike episodes which CBS will air in the new time slot (Mondays at 8:30/7:30c, following "The Big Bang Theory") may be the show's last.

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"How I Met Your Mother" Season 3 Promo Stills

AUGUST 8, 2007: CBS has released fresh promo stills for the upcoming 3rd season of their flashback-laden hit comedy "How I Met Your Mother" which kicks off on Monday, September 24. New stills of Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan and Neil Patrick Harris are only a click away.

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