'How I Met Your Mother' Can't Get Enough of Britney Spears

The following italicized article is from www.buddytv.com:

The third season of CBS’ How I Met Your Mother was spiced up by none other than pop princes Britney Spears, who is slowly but surely getting her groove back by recently landing three awards including Video of the Year in the recently concluded MTV Video Music Awards. The 26-year-old performer previously guest starred on How I Met Your Mother as receptionist Abby, in one of the show’s highest rated episodes of the season. Late last month, E! Online reported that the pop singer will be back for another round of guest stints on the show, which kicks off with season four on September 22, Monday at 8:30pm.

"We're all so thrilled to have Britney joining us once again," HIMYM creator Craig Thomas told E! Online. "And just to head it off at the pass this time around: Yes, Mom, Britney's very nice and no, I can't get her autograph for you."

Meanwhile, we also previously reported quite a number of juicy tidbits for the show’s fourth season. TV Squad recently spoke to co-creator Carter Bays, who also shared his insights on the new season.

Bays reveals, “the first scene takes place immediately after where we left off and then we move ahead a few months and Barney is out of the hospital because Neil (Patrick Harris) is too good a physical comedian to keep in a body cast.”

Bays adds that for this season, "We sort of knew the story we wanted to tell. We kind of had to adjust the timeline of it dependent on Sarah Chalke's schedule. That was a big factor in how we tell the stories this season but we got it all worked out so it's pretty much going according to plan...we love having Sarah around so we're always trying to make it work."

Also, he promises that this season of How I Met Your Mother will be filled with intriguing surprises.

"We've got some secrets coming up. They're some big events, and it's hard to know how much of it to reveal because we want it to be a surprise," he says. "We said we want to do more stand alone episodes and not make it so serialized this year and I think we've kept that promise although as we started writing, story lines unfold and it's kind of hard not to pick up; if something big happens one week it's hard to not pick up from that the next week and go on with the story."

Catch season 4 of How I Met Your Mother as it debuts on Monday, September 22 at 8:30pm.

Source: Buddy TV

Britney 'Didn't Save' CBS Sitcom

The following italicized article is from www.digitalspy.co.uk:

CBS has denied claims that Britney Spears' appearance on How I Met Your Mother "saved" the show.

Ratings for the sitcom were given a boost when Spears starred as ditzy receptionist Abby in two episodes. It was only after Britney's episodes had aired that CBS announced the programme's renewal for a fourth season.

However, the network's entertainment president Nina Tassler has now insisted: "It was never in danger; we just took a while to make the announcement [of its renewal]."

The show's co-creator Craig Thomas has confirmed that "the door is open" for further appearances from Spears. Her role has also been praised by the sitcom's stars Alyson Hannigan and Neil Patrick Harris.

Source: Digital Spy

Britney Spears Could Do Third 'Mother' Visit

The following italicized article is from www.hollywoodreporter.com:

Three times may be the charm for Britney Spears and "How I Met Your Mother."

With Spears making her second guest appearance on the abruptly popular CBS comedy, the show's co-creator Craig Thomas tells THR.com that Monday's episode was written to leave the door open for the pop singer to make a return appearance next season.

"She was better than the first time and I think the fans will enjoy it because her return answers a larger mystery set up earlier in the series," Thomas said. "So there's a good plot reason why she's there. And when people watch Britney's second appearance on the show they'll see that the door is still open for her to come back."

Spears first visit resulted in "Mother" hitting its highest rating ever. The show has since maintained an elevated audience level compared to last year. Once considered on the bubble for a fall renewal, the critically acclaimed comedy is now considered a lock to return next season.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

CBS Confirms Britney Spears Will Return To ‘How I Met Your Mother’

The following italicized article is from www.accesshollywood.com:

Britney Spears, who proved she’s worth a cool million viewers to “How I Met Your Mother,” is paying another visit to the CBS sitcom.

Spears will reprise her role as bubbly secretary Abby in the May 12 episode, CBS said Monday.

“We’re all so thrilled to have Britney joining us once again,” series executive producer and co-creator Craig Thomas said in a statement.

“And just to head it off at the pass this time around: Yes, Mom, Britney’s very nice and no, I can’t get her autograph for you,” Thomas added, jokingly.

Spears’ appearance in the March 24 episode won her good reviews and boosted the show’s viewership to 10.6 million viewers, in comparison to the 9.6 million who had tuned in the previous week.

When last seen, Abby was flirting with womanizer Barney (cast member Neil Patrick Harris). The new episode, which began production Monday, has Abby and Barney sharing their mutual dislike of Ted (cast member Josh Radnor) and acting on it.

“Desperate to get a rise out of his former pal, Barney pops a surprising question to Abby,” CBS said in a release.

“How I Met Your Mother” stars Harris, Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Alyson Hannigan and Jason Segel (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) as an urban family of 20-something New Yorkers.

The pop star’s camp originally approached the show about taking part, executive producer Carter Bays told The Associated Press earlier this month.

Source: Access Hollywood

It's Official: Britney Is Back on How I Met Your Mother

The following italicized article is from www.eonline.com:

She's baa-aack.

As rumored for weeks now, Britney Spears is indeed returning to CBS' giddy-good comedy, How I Met Your Mother for at least one more episode. It's been confirmed by Fox Studios that Brit-Brit will play the same role, Abby, in the 19th (and penultimate) episode of the season, airing May 12.

"We're all so thrilled to have Britney joining us once again," HIMYM boss Craig Thomas said. "And just to head it off at the pass this time around: Yes, Mom, Britney's very nice and no, I can't get her autograph for you." They begin shooting today.

What's the ep about? Well, according to Fox: "In 'Everything Must Go,' Barney and Abby realize that they have one thing in common: their mutual hatred of Ted. The new 'couple' decides to go to the bar to flaunt their new relationship in Ted’s face. Desperate to get a rise out of his former pal, Barney pops a surprising question to Abby."

In the words of Long Duck Dong, he's getting maweeed?! Can't be, right? Our beloved Barnana is TV's most beloved antimonogamist!

And more importantly, where does this leave the blossoming Barney-Robin romance? Could this lead to a (please, oh please) Robin-Abby smackdown? My money's on the superfamous, internationally renowned pop star to come out victorious: Miss Robin Sparkles.

As for the tiff between Barney and Ted, as we previously reported, yes, the boys will have a falling out, and yes, Barney will be picking up a new wingman—to be played by Will Forte of Saturday Night Live. But given that Ted refers to Barney as "Uncle Barney" in the future while storytelling to his kids, I'm thinking it all works out just fine...

How do you fans feel about Miss Spears coming back to the show? Good, yes? For the prospects of a much, much, muuuch deserved fourth season of this show we fans hold so dear? I'll take that new season any way we can get it...Comment below!

P.S. Here's an excerpt from the Britney episode script, just to get your HIMYM butterflies hopping...

Barney: Oh, wow, Ted, long time no see. I guess you're wondering why I haven't called in a while. See, I'm kind of done with the whole having a life and being awesome thing. Now I'm all about staying in, wearing loose-fitting clothing, and watching bad movies my girlfriend makes us watch.

Ted: That so?

Barney: I'm sorry, have you guys met my girlfriend, Abby? She's my girlfriend, and I just love her love her love her. We're in love, just like Tom and Katie. [Jumping up] I'm in love! And there's nothing about it that makes everyone around me uncomfortable or annoyed!"

Bwahahaha! I love this damn show.

Source: E! Online

Britney’s Returning to HIMYM for May Sweeps

The following italicized article is from www.justjared.com:

It’s official! Britney Spears will be returning to the CBS comedy, How I Met Your Mother, for an episode scheduled to air May 12.

“We’re all so thrilled to have Britney joining us once again,” executive producer and co-creator Craig Thomas says. “And just to head it off at the pass this time around: Yes, Mom, Britney’s very nice and no, I can’t get her autograph for you.”

Brit Brit will be reprising her role as Abby, a receptionist at a dermatologist’s office. Production on the episode begins today!!!

Neil Patrick Harris must be overjoyed!

Here’s the synopsis of the episode, “Everything Must Go”: “Barney and Abby realize that they have one thing in common, their mutual hatred of Ted. The new ‘couple’ decides to go to the bar to flaunt their new relationship in Ted’s face. Desperate to get a rise out of his former pal, Barney pops a surprising question to Abby. “

Source: Just Jared

Britney Back On Set!

The following italicized article is from www.ok-magazine.com:

On March 24, beleagured pop star Britney Spears made her How I Met Your Mother premiere as Abby, the quirky, love struck receptionist. The episode was met with the show's highest ratings to date.

Today Britney marks her return to the show's set when she tapes another episode of the show. The episode finds Britney (Abby) and Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) still dating and hoping to use the relationship to anger their mutual nemesis, Ted. Word is Barney will even a pop a question to Abby.

The show's executive producer and co-creator, Craig Thomas, said, "We're all so thrilled to have Britney joining us once again. And just to head it off at the pass this time around: Yes, Mom, Britney's very nice and no, I can't get her autograph for you."

A couple weeks back, NPH said that he didn't want to use casting as a way for the show to gain attention. He quickly apologized about the statement. Britney's episode will air on May 12.

Source: OK Magazine

Production Begins on Britney Spears’s HIMYM Episode

The following italicized article is from www.people.com:

Britney’s back!

Production on a new episode of How I Met Your Mother — guest starring the pop star — begins Monday.

In an episode set to air May 12, Britney Spears will reprise her role as Abby, producers officially announced Monday. Titled “Everything Must Go,” the episode finds Spears and Neil Patrick Harris’s character, Barney, flaunting their “relationship” in front of Josh Radnor’s character, Ted. Desperately seeking a response, Barney pops a surprising question to Abby.

Earlier this month, PEOPLE reported that Spears would return to the sitcom after charming the cast and crew. A show source described Spears’s return as a “mutual decision to work together more.”

In a new statement, How I Met Your Mother’s executive producer and co-creator Craig Thomas said, “We’re all so thrilled to have Britney joining us once again. And just to head it off at the pass this time around: Yes, Mom, Britney’s very nice and no, I can’t get her autograph for you.”

Spears’s initial guest turn — on a March 24 episode — earned critical praise and the show’s highest ratings.

Source: People

Britney Spears Returning to HIMYM

The following italicized article is from www.usmagazine.com:

Britney Spears is returning to How I Met Your Mother.

The singer, 26, will reprise her guest role as a dorky receptionist named Abby on the May 12th episode of the CBS sitcom.

"We're all so thrilled to have Britney joining us once again," executive producer Craig Thomas told Entertainment Tonight.

Spears helped the show earn its highest ratings ever when she appeared on March 24 episode.

After her first stint on the show, she said the work was "so terrific."

"Everyone, including the cast, the crew and the producers, has been wonderful and Abby is such a fun girl to play," Spears said. "I'm having a blast!"

Source: US Weekly

Britney Spears Returns to 'Mother'!

The following italicized article is from www.etonline.com:

ET confirms that BRITNEY SPEARS will be returning to the CBS comedy "How I Met Your Mother," for an episode scheduled to air May 12.

"We're all so thrilled to have Britney joining us once again," executive producer CRAIG THOMAS says. "And just to head it off at the pass this time around: Yes, Mom, Britney's very nice and no, I can't get her autograph for you."

Britney will be reprising her role as Abby the receptionist. Production on the episode begins today.

Source: ET Online

Britney Buys Villa With Bar

The following italicized article is from www.express.co.uk:

BRITNEY Spears has bought a £3million mansion where she hopes to recover from her wild drink and drugs binges – and it comes with its own Irish pub.

The singer plans to move into the property overlooking the Pacific Ocean with her mother Lynne and father James, who still has legal control over her assets.

Britney fell in love with the five-bedroom, six-bathroom home – which also has a guest house, pool and spa in its manicured half-acre grounds – before Christmas.

She was taken on a tour by estate agents Vintage Properties Inc and was “blown away” by the house, according to a source.

She was also “tickled pink” that architect and designer Steven Reiman had turned a huge bar area off the main lounge into an Irish-themed pub.

Her parents believe that the mansion, part of a gated enclave in the upmarket southern Californian city of Hermosa Beach, is the perfect bolt-hole for her to continue her recovery and plan her comeback.

A source close to the family revealed: “All of Britney’s homes are fully stocked with alcohol. I doubt Lynne and James will even tear the pub apart, because they’re beginning to trust her now.”

In return Britney, 26, has also learned to trust her father’s handling of her finances which, like her life, had spiralled out of control with as much as £30million blown in the past 18 months alone.

James managed to negotiate more than a million dollars off the asking price of her new “recovery retreat”. When she first viewed the property late last year, it was on the market for £4.5million.

Since then, with southern California’s housing market in the doldrums, the price had already come down by about £750,000.

But the family friend said: “James and a lawyer who is working on Brit’s behalf managed to get the sellers to slice another really nice chunk off for a cash deal. Brit is thrilled and can’t wait to move in.”

Another huge factor in choosing the Hermosa Beach mansion, which has panoramic views from every level, is that it is situated high on a bluff overlooking the ocean and is only accessible via a permanently manned security gatehouse.

“It will be virtually impossible for paparazzi photographers to spy on her or for her old crowd of so-called friends, whom James wants rid of, to get close,” said the friend.

Although it is in an area of relative tranquillity compared with her Beverly Hills mansion, Britney’s new pad in Hermosa Beach is barely 20 miles from Los Angeles. Her parents are anxious that she remains close to the action as they help her try to rebuild her shattered career.

Tomorrow night she will appear as a dermatologist’s feisty receptionist in the American television sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

Since being under her parents’ wing again, Britney has astonished those around her with a new work ethic.

Craig Thomas, who created the prime-time CBS show, told the Sunday Express: “She asked for a guest role to keep up her acting chops and a deal was in place by the next day. I have to say I found her funny, a real joy to work with, and as far as I’m concerned our door is always open to her.”

Britney is also said to be anxious to be a good sister to her younger sibling Jamie Lynn, who is due to give birth soon after her 17th birthday next month, and a good aunt to the baby.

Although Britney still only has limited visitation rights to her own sons – Sean Preston, two, and one-year-old Jayden James – she seems to be looking forward to the new arrival as much as her sister.

“Burying all those feuds with her mum and dad that were fuelled by her partying habits has given her a clear sense of family values again,” said the source.

“Now everyone is praying that her new home is going to be the sort of safe haven for family life her old ones never were.”

Source: Sunday Express

Certain parts of this article made me laugh so hard!

'HIMYM' exec producer shares the Britney experience

The following italicized article is from www.ew.com:

Given the relatively mind-blowing announcement Monday that Britney Spears would be taking a break from custody hearings and hospital visits to guest star on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, we, along with the rest of everyone, were curious as to how that all went down. Spears will appear March 24, in the comedy's post-strike season's second episode, as the receptionist for Ted's tattoo-removal doctor (and new love interest), Stella. HIMYM co-exec producer Craig Thomas was kind enough to give EW.com the scoop on how it all went down, describing the tabloid target as a low-key scene stealer who just wanted to do a good job.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You have Britney Spears on your television program.
CRAIG THOMAS: We do.

How did that happen? Did she really call you?
We were in the middle of a rewrite of the episode that’s shooting this week, and I kid you not when I tell you, the character we were writing a week ago today could not be, like, a nerdier, mousier, shier, sort of adorable little side character in the episode. Not the main character in the episode whatsoever. We were starting to audition people, didn’t find anyone perfect. And then we get a phone call, like Thursday, midday: “Britney Spears read the character breakdown and she likes the show and she wants to play the part.” When you’re writing that role and you’re describing it as a nerdy receptionist, Britney Spears is not the first name that comes up. But when we talked to her people, they were like, “Yeah, she just wants to do something small and funny and get to come in and play a character.” She wanted to act. And it all started to make more sense. They wanted to see a script right away, so like last Thursday evening -- we weren’t even done with our rewrite, and her people were gonna see her at like 6:30 for dinner. So we just sort of hit print and sent it over to her and figured she’d either like it or not. And turns out she thought it was really funny, and it was confirmed 24 hours later that Britney Spears was doing the show. It happened very quickly, and it was out of nowhere, and we did not seek it out at all. But ultimately, it has worked out rather nicely.

When you say “her people,” who are you talking about?
This was her acting agent. I think she was looking at a couple different shows, and ultimately she responded to this show the most.

There’s this perception that she’s not doing anything lucid, and so the notion that she’d have a master plan just seems incongruous.
I don’t know. She seemed to have a very clear idea of what she wanted to do.

You didn’t mind casting her sight unseen?
Greg Malins [a consulting producer on HIMYM] was at Will & Grace when she did an episode there. And from the moment he heard about this — I mean, we were literally sitting around the table in the writers’ room, rewriting the script, and our assistant Matt comes in and says, “You’re not gonna believe this, but they’re pitching Britney Spears for this role of Abby.” Malins, from moment one, was saying, “Just watch. She’s gonna be great. She’s gonna steal scenes.” He should have made some sort of bet on this. He would have made money.

Is Neil Patrick Harris [Barney] okay with that? He likes to be the one stealing the scenes.
He got the script Saturday, but he was promoting Harold and Kumar at South by Southwest. He read the script from afar and just texted Carter and I, like, “Please, please, please give me a scene with Britney!” He didn’t have one in the original script, but we came up with a tag at the end of the episode that’s just between him and Britney’s character, and sure enough, it’s hysterical. When you watch it you sort of feel like it leaves the door open for Britney’s character to come back, too.

How much focus is her being around stealing from the business of making the show? Has it been a zoo over there?
Not at all. It hasn’t felt like having one of the most famous people in the world on our set at all, because there’s no paparazzi on the lot, there’s no photographers, there’s no press. Her mom and dad stopped by for a few minutes and were really nice. She’s just been low-key and has wanted to do a good job. We all very quickly forgot that it was supposed to be this big huge deal. It sort of feels normal. Like, a guest actor coming into our show and doing a nice job and being cool about it. It had none of the Britney Spears that you see in the press, this experience.

Talk a bit about the episode itself.
It's a very sweet, romantic comedy episode. I think it’s maybe the best one of those we’ve ever done, actually. Josh Radnor [Ted]: very good at that stuff. This one may be the best episode of season 3, I think. And on top of that, it’s gonna get a lot of extra press, because Britney’s on the show.

But besides Britney’s cameo, you think the episode will make viewers hang around?
I think people will be surprised to see Britney playing this role, and I think people will enjoy that she’s really good in it. But aside from that, it just has to be a great How I Met Your Mother episode. Hopefully, extra people will watch, but we really want to make our fans happy, too.

You're still on the bubble for next season. If you can’t get the audience in with this carrot, is CBS going to think even harder about renewing the show?
Boy, that’s a tough question. Obviously, it would be great if more people watched and said, “Hey, that’s a great show!” But all we can do is make great episodes. So it’s hard to think about that. I think we’ve given a great episode for CBS to sell to people and, hopefully, bring extra folks in.
And have them stick around.Let’s hope.

Has the cast hazed Britney at all, or are they giving her a pretty wide berth?
Alyson [Hannigan, Lily] was really bummed out that she does not have a scene with her. Alyson really seemed to love Britney, and I think they hung out a bit on Monday and Tuesday, and then at the end of the day Tuesday, Alyson really wanted to become friends with Britney, but she was lamenting the fact that she doesn’t think she made quite enough inroads to do so. I think Britney felt comfortable here.

Yeah, but I was on-set the day Mandy Moore was there, and everyone was still sort of staring. Britney is Mandy Moore times a hundred. Everyone’s looking for signs of the crazy.
Yeah, I mean, it didn’t seem like that big a deal to our cast. They liked her and wanted to befriend her. The only sign that Britney Spears was on our set, the only thing that was a little odd was that there were helicopters flying over our soundstage. Thank god, not close enough or loud enough to affect filming. The paparazzi can’t come on the Fox lot, so the helicopters, I guess, were hoping to shoot her on the 10-foot walk from the door to her trailer -- because apparently, that would be a really great photo? So we joked that Jason Segel [Marshall] should just try to run up to her and kiss her as though they’re dating and see if it gets a $10-$15 million bump for Forgetting Sarah Marshall [which features Segel] when it opens in a few weeks.

So has your experience with this made you think that all this tabloid hoo-hah is being reported incorrectly, or that Britney’s just both of these people at once: the train wreck, and the competent comedic actress?
Boy, I feel like I don’t know her well enough to really comment on that. All I can say is that various friends and family have been emailing me, like, “What’s going on?? Has it been weird?” And it hasn’t been weird at all. It seems like she just wanted to come in and play a funny small part, and that’s just what she’s done. There’s been no real connection to the paparazzi part of her this week.

Craig, have you been hypnotized?
I swear to god! I see no evidence of that whatsoever. You do feel, though, when you realize there are literally helicopters following this girl around -- like, “What is WRONG with the people in those helicopters? Why can’t people leave this girl alone?” It seems pretty absurd. You can’t help but feel sympathy for how weird that must feel.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

HIMYM Boss Tells Why Jason Segel Wants to Make Out with Britney and More

The following italicized article is from www.eonline.com:

Attention Britney Spears: You may want to watch out for Jason Segel.

It seems that the funny and charming star of How I Met Your Mother may have some ulterior motives while shooting with the starlet this week. "Segal thinks he should just run up to her and try to make out with her," laughs HIMYM show runner Craig Thomas.

Why? Well, you'll have to read on to find out! 'Cause I just cornered Craig for a one-on-one interview, in which he evaded the overhead helicopters (no joke!) to give me the full 411 on Britney's guest stint, how it happened, what it means for the show, what it means for Josh Radnor's ass crack (seriously), what happened with Alicia Silverstone and whether Britney will be back.

Here's a hint: "We would love to have her back. This episode ends with a really funny tag that I think sets up how you might see her coming back."

Which raises the question...Could Britney be the Mother?! (Yes, I went there!)

Read on for the scoop!

Hey, Craig! So what’s your week been like? Anything special?
Just a normal week. You know, typical. Same old nose to the grindstone. No helicopters flying over our sets trying to take pictures or anything like that. Or...wait! That’s exactly what’s happening.

Oh my God, are there really helicopters?
I kid you not. I’m not sure if I’m accurate in saying plural, but there was at least a helicopter. At least one, perhaps more.

Wow, it's like the O.J. chase or something. Right in your own backyard!
I know. Hoping for what? Hoping to get a shot of her walking 15 feet to her trailer. I think they got way more shots of Jason Segel smoking.

What you guys should do is just put a blond wig on everyone at Fox Studios to mess with them. That is great. Another thing is, Segal thinks he should just rush up to her and try to make out with her. He has a movie coming out and it could be, like, a $10-15 million bump in the opening weekend. Even if she’s like “Get off me! What the f--k are you doing?!”

And suddenly Jason's movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall is the biggest movie of all time!
Yes!

I've seen it. It's very funny. So honestly, what's it been like working with Britney?
It’s been—I would describe it as surprisingly low-key. Just nice and normal and everything has been really calm. She’s good. We always do a run-through, which is always a little bit of an awkward endeavor at How I Met Your Mother, because we always have like 60 scenes, and it’s like this crew of people and executives and stuff walking around this set. And Britney really nailed it. She was really funny, and she really had kind of her own take on the character.

I’m sure it helps that your set is so homey and drama free.
I think we’re developing that reputation over time, because I know some other clients of her agent have worked on our show, and they’ve sort of passed that on to the agent and to her that it’s a really low pressure environment. She knows she's not in front of a live audience, and we just try stuff, and we do it. We do takes a bunch of times and get different versions and get it to be as good as it can, and I think that really appeals to her.

So what did you think when Britney’s people asked if she could guest star?
I’ve got to say, I mean, from my writing perspective—everything is a little more last-minute than you want it to be, because we just had a week of prep for nine episodes that were unwritten. So it’s pretty crazy. And last week we were rewriting the script, and the role is like this messy, nerdy, adorable, spazzy receptionist who has a huge crush on Ted, and we’re talking about actresses who are sort of that type. You know, nerdy and messy and then it became...Britney Spears.

It is shocking when you’re writing a role like that, that’s probably the last name that would come into your head. But Britney came in and just embraced this role, it’s not like we had to change the idea of the role to fit her. She came in, wanted to act, wanted to play a character, and that’s just what she’s done. It’s been really good.

Did you have any hesitations at all about casting Britney?
Of course, you know, we have to think about it from a business perspective, too. You can’t say no to it when Britney Spears comes to you and says “I want to do a small, funny part on your show, and not have it be a big deal and you have to write me as the big star.” It’s like, of course you have to say yes to that. You don’t know what’s going to happen necessarily, but you say yes to it, and you’re excited about it. Then it’s turned out to be so kind of effortless and fun and just a really great week, so it paid off, it just really paid off.

What is the episode about?
I think it's the best romantic-comedy episode we've ever done. Abby [Britney] has a crush on Ted, but he’s completely oblivious to it, because he’s going after her boss, the dermatologist who is removing Ted’s tattoo from earlier in the season. That’s who Sarah Chalke is playing. Sarah Chalke is playing the dermatologist who’s removing his butterfly tattoo just above his ass crack. And the episode recounts the high degree of difficulty trying to impress a woman who is removing a butterfly right above our ass crack. And he’s smitten with her and just from a love-at-first-sight kind of moment with Sarah Chalke.

Can you talk about what happened with Alicia and Sarah stepping into the role?
Alicia doing the show was kind of a leak by TV Guide or something before it was a done deal. And then her thing just kind of shifted, she wasn’t available for this week. As I said, everything’s been so last-minute. We still would love to work with her at some point, and we’ve talked to her a couple of times. I would not rule out seeing her in a future episode, but it’s great, because Sarah was available, since Scrubs hasn’t started back up, and we’ve always, always, always wanted to work with her. We didn’t plan on making her be a doctor again. Sort of like Sarah is falling into this weird sort of realm like how Tony Danza has to play a character named Tony. Sarah Chalke, for some reason, must play a doctor.

Like she's not recognizable without the scrubs on.
She literally, I’m even making this up, brought her own Scrubs lab coat. She’s cool, and it’s tailored to her. Sarah Chalke is so great she shows up in her own costume.

That’s awesome! So what are the chances that Britney might come back for more episodes?
You know, it’s been a complete pleasure to work with her, and we would love to have her back. This episode ends with a really funny tag that I think sets up how you might see her coming back. I don’t want to give anything away.

She’s the mother, isn’t she?
You know what, we don’t rule out anything on this show.

How crazy would that be? Think about that, you came up with the concept so many years ago and now, all of a sudden you guys just say, let's just make the Mother Britney Spears.
Yeah, and the spinoff is How I Met Your Father, and it’s all from Britney Spears’ perspective and then you do five years of that.

I love it!
You know what, she seems to be having fun. I don’t rule anything out. I think people will be really surprised by how different the character is from the public perception of Britney Spears and also just how good she is at doing it.

Source: E! Online

Britney Spears Speaks Out on TV Role:

The following italicized article is from www.usmagazine.com:

Britney Spears is glad to be back on TV.

"Working at How I Met Your Mother has been so terrific," Spears said in a statement obtained by Entertainment Tonight.

The singer is scheduled to play Abby, a dorky receptionist, on the March 24 episode.

"Everyone, including the cast, the crew and the producers, has been wonderful and Abby is such a fun girl to play," Spears said. "I'm having a blast!"

She filmed scenes yesterday in L.A. Her mom Lynne was spotted visiting her trailer.

"Britney’s not playing a version of herself," Mother creator Craig Thomas tells Us. "I think that’s part of what appealed to her."

He said she agreed to the part just one day after reading the script.

It is Spears' first return to the small screen since a 2006 cameo on Will & Grace.

Source: US Weekly

Watch Britney Spears' New Music Video

The following italicized article is from www.usmagazine.com:

Britney to the rescue!

The singer takes on cyborg-esque attackers in her animated new music video "Break the Ice," which premiered Wednesday.

"Since Britney has been otherwise occupied, this was a creative and fun way to do her next video," a source told Usmagazine.com.

For those who want to see Spears in person, the singer is scheduled to play a dorky receptionist on the March 24 episode of CBS' How I Met Your Mother.

"Britney’s not playing a version of herself," Mother creator Craig Thomas tells Us. "I think that’s part of what appealed to her."

She was spotted on the sitcom's L.A. set, along with her mom, Lynne, today.

Source: US Weekly

Britney Spears’ Mother Visits Her on TV Set

The following italicized article is from www.usmagazine.com:

Britney Spears began shooting her guest role on CBS' How I Met Your Mother this afternoon in Los Angeles.

With her hair in a ponytail, Spears — whose new video premieres online tonight — wore a blue shirt, black heels, glasses and a secretary-style skirt.

The singer's mother, Lynne, was spotted walking into her daughter's trailer around noon.

Show creator Craig Thomas revealed exclusively to Usmagazine.com that Spears will play a receptionist who falls for Ted (Josh Radnor) on the March 24 episode.

At a table read on Monday, Spears was "really laughing a lot," he said.

Thomas told Us Spears said yes to the gig a day after reading the script.

Source; US Weekly

New Britney Spears Music Video to Premiere Tonight

The following italicized article is from www.usmagazine.com:

Britney Spears' latest music video is set to premiere at 6:30 EST tonight at blackoutball.com.

In "Break the Ice" – the third single from Spears' Blackout album – an animated Spears works her way through a futuristic environment.

"Since Britney has been otherwise occupied this was a creative and fun way to do her next video," a source told Usmagazine.com.

For those who want to see Spears in person, the singer is scheduled to play a dorky receptionist on the March 24 episode of CBS' How I Met Your Mother.

"Britney’s not playing a version of herself," Mother creator Craig Thomas tells Us. "I think that’s part of what appealed to her."

Source: US Weekly

Britney - I'll Be Your Nurse, Ya'll!

The following italicized article is from www.tmz.com:

For someone who's in need of constant supervision, Britney Spears' new sitcom spot is just a smidge ironic – she'll be playing a nurse.

"How I Met Your Mother" creator Craig Thomas tells Usmagazine.com that Brit is playing a nurse at a dermatologist's office who falls in love with the main character, Ted, when he comes in to have a tattoo removed. Thomas says he and his writers rewrote the show in 40 minutes to work Brit into the story.

Meanwhile, what was "Mother" co-star Neil Patrick Harris' reaction to the news? "I was shocked that Madame Spears was willing to come and do some acting," he tells ET.

Source: TMZ

Britney Spears: Animated in New Music Video!

The following italicized article is from www.usmagazine.com:

Britney Spears' next music video is pure animation.

In "Break the Ice," an animated Spears works her way through a futuristic environment.

"Since Britney has been otherwise occupied this was a creative and fun way to do her next video," a source tells Usmagazine.com.

The concept for the treatment was Spears' own idea, UK newspaper The Sun reports.

"Break the Ice" is the third single from Spears' Blackout album.

Spears is scheduled to play a dorky receptionist on the March 24 episode of CBS' How I Met Your Mother.

"Britney’s not playing a version of herself," Mother creator Craig Thomas tells Us. "I think that’s part of what appealed to her."

Source: US Weekly

Britney Spears "Was Laughing A Lot" on How I Met Your Mother Set

The following italicized article is from www.usmagazine.com:

Usmagazine.com has confirmed that Britney Spears will guest star on the March 24 episode of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

The pop star, 26 will play Abby, a receptionist at a dermatologist’s office who falls for architect Ted (Josh Radnor) when he comes in to have a tattoo removed. (It is Spears' first return to the small screen since a 2006 cameo on Will & Grace.)

In Abby’s first scene, she bursts in during Ted’s painful session.

“Doctor, are you all right? I heard a woman screaming!” Abby says. Seeing Ted, she giggles.

Us spoke exclusively to show creator Craig Thomas about Spears, who attended a table reading with the cast on Monday.

Tell Us how this all came about.
Britney’s people ended up coming to CBS and expressing interest in our show, and we were thrilled: ‘Britney Spears watches our show!’

They said she was a big fan of the show?
They said she was looking for a small part on a funny show, and she checked out our show and liked it. They were really receptive to the idea of bringing Britney in and just doing a funny role for her. It all came together really quickly – it was kind of shocking.

How quick?
We heard that they read about the part on Thursday. We were literally in the middle of a re-write of that script, and they said, ‘Oh, we’re having dinner with Britney tonight, and she likes the show. Can you get her a script a half-hour from now?' So we just sort of busted ass for the next 40 minutes, hit print and showed her our in-progress rewrite of the episode. She got in and thought the character was really funny and said yes the very next day.

So the script came before you knew Britney would be attached to it?
That’s right. They thought the part was a great thing for Britney to do, just to keep her acting chops up and come have fun with us for a week.

Describe the role.
The episode's about Ted, our main character. Ted went crazy one night earlier in this season and got an embarrassing butterfly stamped right above his ass. Not his proudest moment. So he's now in the predicament of having to remove this tattoo, so he goes to a dermatologist to remove it and gets a big crush on his dermatologist. What he's sort of oblivious to, as he’s pursuing this dermatologist, is that the dermatologist’s receptionist (Spears) is falling in love with him. It's a fun, romantic comedy episode.

So Britney's character is kind of mousy?
She is just trying to get Ted’s attention and keeps on screwing up, saying awkward things. Ted’s absolutely oblivious. Go, Josh Radnor — he has Britney Spears chasing after him in this episode!

So it worked out pretty well that you happened to have this part.
I think it was great because it was the size and shape of what they wanted [her] to do. They were very explicit about wanting to do a funny, smaller part that Britney could come in and have a good time with. So I think it just fit what they were looking for. Britney came in [Monday], we did the table read. She did a great job, and we all had a lot of fun.

What happened at the table read?
She showed up a little bit early — the table read is at 10 a.m. — so she could talk to us and our director. It was great because we all got to know each other. We described what a fun, low-key environment our set was, and it seemed like that was exactly what she was looking for.

Who did she show up with?
She showed up with her acting agent, an assistant — not many people.

Was the acting agent the one who originally approached you guys?
Yeah, the person we interacted with was her acting agent.

How did the cast get along with her?
Great, they seemed to click. She seemed to fit right in! She was having a good time. She was laughing. And it’s a very sweet, romantic episode, so the vibe in the room was just very fun. Everyone was having a good time, and I think she had a good time.

When will she be filming these scenes?
It’ll be one of the days of this week: Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. It’ll be a day-and-a-half during those three days, but we don’t have the full schedule yet, so we’re not sure.

Is she going to talk differently, dress differently?
It’s a character, for sure! Britney’s not playing a version of herself. I think that’s part of what appealed to her: She gets to play a character who’s not her.

Have you ever seen her act?
Yeah. One of our executive producers was an EP on Will and Grace at the time that she was there, and he thought she was great. I remember seeing that episode, and she was great. Also, she’s hosted SNL. Britney’s really funny! We’ve seen her display her comedic chops before, so we’re thrilled to have her bring that to our show.

Is this going to be a recurring character?
You never know! We don’t rule anything out.

Do you know when this episode will be airing?
The episode is going to be on March 24.

Are you prepared to deal with the paparazzi on-set?
I don’t know that anyone’s going to get through! The table read this morning was so low-key — you wouldn’t even believe it! There weren’t a bunch of people there, no paparazzi. She seemed to have a great time, and we had a great time working with her. It was just like really a normal table read.

How long was she at the table read for?
She was probably here for an hour-and-a-half.

Did she give the impression that she knew the characters?
I think she did. She was really laughing a lot during the table read and seemed to understand the characters. When we were trying to get her to come on, we sent her that early version of the script and a few episodes. So she brushed up on watching those episodes again and read the script. We heard that she really liked all of it. We were thrilled that, less than 24 hours later, she was doing the show. That must mean that she liked the script!

That’s a pretty good sign.
I think it’s going to be one of our best episodes of season three!

Source: US Weekly