Quincy Smith, the president of CBS Interactive, is discussing the company’s Web strategies. He notes that Britney Spears’ March appearance on “How I Met Your Mother” registered about four million impressions online. Her appearance this week has added another three million views so far. The logical conclusion of Mr. Smith’s team: “Ask Britney to appear on every show we have!” (source)

Next week is the season three finale, “Miracles”, airs Monday at 8:30 eastern.

Dec 11, 2007 3:26 PM
Letter to the Fans from the Producers

LETTER TO THE FANS

Hello HIMYM fans. Motherheads? Howsiers? What are you calling yourselves these days? So first things first, thank you for the incredible support you guys have given us over the years. We mean it. When you create a show, you never think you’re doing anything more than telling a funny story. But apparently we’ve created a community, and it seems to be a community of pretty decent people. It’s a community we’d probably want to have a beer with. Our fans seem cool and smart and funny, and it drives us to want to make the show better, to never let it stagnate, to always push ourselves to try something interesting and new. So thank you.

Anyway, we’d like to take a little moment here to come out from behind the desk, cool-11th-grade-english-teacher-style, roll up our sleeves and “rap” at you guys for a bit. We want to talk about the strike. By now you probably know what strike we’re talking about, but if you don’t, watch this movie: http://youtube.com/watch?v=oJ55Ir2jCxk

What it boils down to is this: Tonight’s episode of “How I Met Your Mother” is the last new one for a while. Starting next week, we grimly trudge off the map and into the desert of reruns and reality TV.

We can’t tell you how difficult this last month and a half has been for us, both personally and professionally. We work with the best people in this business – the best at their jobs, the best at being nice and decent human beings – and the thought of all of them out of work over the holidays is almost too much to bear. We miss them all every day.

That’s by far the suckiest part of the strike – nothing tops that. But there’s other suckiness, such as the suckiness of having to put this story on pause. We love our show. We love the stories we get to tell. And this year on How I Met Your Mother, we think the story is particularly great. A very juicy, breathtaking, funny, and (to use our director Pam’s word) yummy story was just starting to unfold as the ax began to fall. We’re very excited about the second half of this season, and not bringing it to you right now, factory-direct, sparkling-new, is simply killing us.

But enough with our problems. The reason we’re writing today is to beseech you guys, the fans of this show, to bear with us. The love and support you’ve shown us over the last two and a half seasons has been truly surprising and awesome, and we hope you’ll rejoin us when this whole mess is over with. But for now, this is going to have to be a long distance relationship. We know you’ll get lonely, and Mario Lopez is such a good dancer… but come on, hang in there. Sure, long distance doesn’t ever work for anyone, but we’re different. What we’ve got is special. We can make this work.

But in the meantime, if you want to help us end this strike quickly, please visit www.fans4writers.com. That site explains exactly what the WGA is asking for, exactly why it’s completely reasonable, and exactly how you can show your support.

And just in case the strike goes on so long that the medium of television goes out of business forever and we never get to make another episode, the mother is the coat check girl.

Happy Holidays!

Carter Bays and Craig Thomas

“On Monday, CBS adds a new series to television’s top rated comedy lineup.  HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, with a young and loyal audience, returns at 8:00 PM, paired with the new genius comedy THE BIG BANG THEORY at 8:30 PM to form a young adult comedy block.  From 9:00-10:00 PM, CBS returns television’s top comedy, TWO AND A HALF MEN, followed by the Number One new comedy, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT.  At 10:00 PM, CSI: MIAMI, the night’s Number One scripted series, returns for its sixth season. ” [emphasis mine]

They sure do have the loyal part right… and probably the young too.

I’m not whooting and hollering yet, but I am certainly breathing a bit easier.

Question: Do you know anything about whether How I Met Your Mother is returning next season?— Una

Ausiello: Only that it’s still on the bubble. If it’s any comfort — and it probably isn’t — the season finale could easily function as a series finale (for reasons I won’t go into because not even I’m that much of a spoiler whore).

This is the guy who got us all riled up about HIMYM getting canceled and despite all the recent news about this not being true he continues to keep us on the edge of our seats.  Either he has better info than the rest of the TV critics or he just likes blowing smoke up our arses.  I’m voting for the latter.

Save Our Show Results… WE BEAT SCRUBS :O!

1. Gilmore Girls: 2.2 million
2. Veronica Mars: 1.9 million
3. One Tree Hill: 950,802
4. Supernatural: 413,014
5. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: 120,312
6. Crossing Jordan: 30,552
7. Friday Night Lights: 23,195 (six more scripts have been ordered)
8. How I Met Your Mother: 21,761
9. What About Brian: 14,003
10. Jericho: 13,328
11. The Class: 13,238
12. Medium: 11,811(six more scripts have been ordered)
13. Scrubs: 9,248
14. 30 Rock: 5,189 votes (already picked up by NBC)
15. Close to Home: 2,433
16. Six Degrees: 1,711
17. The Nine: 1,126

So what do you guys think of this whole situation? Do you think the petition, the post cards, the phone calls and letters helped save our show, or do you think we all prematurely freaked out a bit? I personally think it was more of a freak out. We based our assumptions on some guy’s “insider info” where he didn’t come out and say exactly what he knew. Rather he left it hanging so that he could stir up more traffic on the interwebs, in doing so, ticked off more than one person I know. Now I also think that our efforts were strong and even if they aren’t responsible for getting season 3 on the air, I’m counting it as practice for when HIMYM is in real danger of going off the air. We’ve done good. We aren’t out of the hot water yet, but at least I am feeling a bit more relaxed.

[Thanks Thomas for sending this in]

So if you haven’t gone and read the Carter Bays interview, read it here now (TVGuide.com isn’t allowing direct linking so I just copied the contents to a textfile). Carter gives us some insights on to filming the show, writing the “Robin Sparkles” episode, and most of all drops this hit about a season 3.

TVGuide.com: OK, the last topic here, of course, is Season 3. What’s the latest temperature reading?
Bays: Oh, I feel very good about it. I’m not worried. It is nerve-racking, like waiting to get asked to the prom, but I think this show has such a strong fan base and it’s been getting such good responses….

TVGuide.com: It gets such critical acclaim and the fans are so avid, it’s almost surprising that the pickup hasn’t been handed down yet.
Bays: Yeah, but it will make it that much more exciting when they announce it in May.

So here’s to hoping that HIMYM doesn’t end up siting alone at home eating pancakes on prom night!

I sent CBS a complaint tonight…please see below.

I just want to say that I have heard that my FAVORITE show on CBS, “How I Met Your Mother”, is going to be cancelled. I really enjoy the show and if a third season doesn’t scome on, I will not watch any more shows on CBS. That includes CSI, CSI:Miami, Cold Case, and any other shows that my wife and I may watch. I am very upset that anyone wants to cancel this show. There are several people that watch the show. Some of your people may think that the show is not funny, but there are several people that watch the show and think it is hilarious!! There is even a blog!!! Visit howimetyourblog.com to see people that really enjoy the show. I am very upset that someone thinks that my favorite show isn’t funny. Is this person in their seventies or something??? I am 23 years old and How I Met Your Mother is a really good show for viewers in my age group and older. Please do not cancel the show!! It is the best ever and if it doesn’t come on for a third season, my wife and I will stop watching any CBS show.

Thanks!

~~~~~~~
I don’t know that it will help, but I hope it does.

I’m with Dallas and the others of you that have said HIMYM is the only show you watch on CBS, and I can also say that if HIMYM gets canceled it will be my last. How about you? If CBS cancels HIMYM are you going to boycott them?