Jump to content

How I Met Your Mother: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m Undid revision 532099301 by 173.25.31.142 (talk)
No edit summary
Line 40: Line 40:
| production_website =
| production_website =
}}
}}
'''The final secret is revealed. [[Julia Jones]] is the Mother.'''

'''''How I Met Your Mother''''' is an American [[sitcom]] that premiered on [[CBS]] on September 19, 2005, created by [[Craig Thomas (screenwriter)|Craig Thomas]] and [[Carter Bays]], and directed by [[Pamela Fryman]].
'''''How I Met Your Mother''''' is an American [[sitcom]] that premiered on [[CBS]] on September 19, 2005, created by [[Craig Thomas (screenwriter)|Craig Thomas]] and [[Carter Bays]], and directed by [[Pamela Fryman]].


Revision as of 08:05, 9 January 2013

How I Met Your Mother
File:Howimetyourmother.jpg
GenreSitcom
Comedy-drama
Created byCarter Bays
Craig Thomas
Starring
Narrated byBob Saget (uncredited)
Opening theme"Hey, Beautiful" by The Solids
Country of originTemplate:TVUS
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons8
No. of episodes172 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time22 minutes
Production companiesBays & Thomas Productions
20th Century Fox Television
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 19, 2005 (2005-09-19) –
present (present)

The final secret is revealed. Julia Jones is the Mother.

How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays, and directed by Pamela Fryman.

Set in Manhattan, How I Met Your Mother follows the social and romantic lives of Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) and his friends Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel), Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders), Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan), and Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris).[1] As a framing device, the main character, Ted,[1] using voiceover narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and his daughter the events that led to his meeting their mother.

Known for its unique structure and eccentric humor, How I Met Your Mother has been a critical success, having received positive reviews throughout most of its run. The show has been nominated for seven Emmy Awards, winning six. In 2012, seven years after its premiere, the series won the People's Choice Award for Best TV Network Comedy and Neil Patrick Harris won the award for Best Male Comedy Actor.[2]

On December 21, 2012, the show was renewed for a ninth season, after the cast members signed new deals with the network.[3][4]

Production

How I Met Your Mother was inspired by Carter Bays' and Craig Thomas' idea to "write about our friends and the stupid stuff we did in New York."[5] The two drew from their friendship in creating the characters. Ted is based loosely on Bays, and Marshall and Lily are based loosely on Thomas and his wife.[6][7] Thomas' wife Rebecca was initially reluctant to have a character based on her, but agreed if they could get Alyson Hannigan to play her. Hannigan was looking to do more comedy work, and was available.[6]

MacLaren's, a bar in the middle of New York, in which some of the show is set, is based on a bar named McGee's.[8] It has a mural that Bays and Thomas both liked and wanted to incorporate into the show.[9] The name for the bar is from Carter Bays' assistant, Carl MacLaren; the bartender in the show is also named Carl.[10]

Each episode is usually shot over three days in the Los Angeles-based Soundstage Studio 22[11] and features upwards of 50 scenes with quick transitions and flashbacks. However, the "Pilot" episode was filmed at CBS Radford.[12] The laugh track is later created by recording an audience being shown the final edited episode. Thomas claims that shooting before a live audience would be impossible because of the structure of the show and the numerous flashforwards in each episode and because doing so "would blur the line between 'audience' and 'hostage situation'."[13] Later seasons started filming in front of an audience on occasion when smaller sets are used.

The theme song is a portion of "Hey Beautiful" by The Solids, of which Bays and Thomas are members. Episodes from Season 1 generally started with the opening credits. A cold opening has been used since Season 2. Viewers then occasionally see Ted's children on a couch and hear him talking to them, telling the story of how he met their mother. Alternatively, scenes from previous episodes or shots of New York City with Ted narrating over the top are shown. Thomas has explicitly said Future Ted is an unreliable narrator since he is trying to tell a story that happened over 20 years earlier;[14] this has been a plot point in several episodes such as "The Goat", "Oh Honey", "How I Met Everyone Else" and "The Mermaid Theory". Nevertheless, Thomas has also emphasized maintaining a coherent and consistent universe, and trying to avoid continuity errors, based on his experiences of being a fan of other shows.[15]

A scene directly relating to the identity of the mother, involving Ted's future children, was filmed near the beginning of Season 2 for the show's eventual series finale.[16] This was primarily done because the teenage actors portraying them will be adults by the time the final season is shot.[17]

During the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, How I Met Your Mother shut down production; but, when the strike ended, the show returned on March 17, 2008, with nine new episodes.[18] A change in timeslot was also announced, to 8:30 pm ET/7:30 pm CT, flip-flopping from the summer schedule with The Big Bang Theory.[19] CBS renewed the show for a fourth season on May 14, 2008,[20] which premiered on September 22, 2008.[21]

In September 2008, it was announced that Lifetime Television had purchased the right to rerun How I Met Your Mother at a rate of about $725,000 per episode.[22] The four-year syndication contract stipulated that the studio deliver at least 110 half-hour episodes by the year 2010, and allowed for up to eight seasons of the show. At the end of the fourth season only 88 episodes had been produced, and a further 22 episodes were required, ensuring that there would be a fifth season.[23] On May 19, 2009, the fifth-season renewal was announced.[24] On May 20, 2009, CBS announced that How I Met Your Mother would again be aired at 8 pm, leading into the new comedy Accidentally on Purpose. On January 12, 2010, the show hit the milestone of its 100th episode. It was also announced that the series would return for a sixth season on CBS.[25] In response to being syndicated, Thomas said, "We're thrilled that it will live on in other forms," and they were proud of the show and it was great to see the strong demand.[26]

On September 13, 2010, reruns of the series began airing on local U.S. broadcast television stations and on Chicago-based cable superstation WGN America. Featured in these airings are vanity cards previously unseen in the CBS and Lifetime airings due to marginalized credit sequences used by the two networks. Shown in between the closing credits and the production company credits, these vanity cards show portions of "The Bro Code", a list of rules frequently referenced by Harris' character, Barney Stinson, on how men should interact with each other, with an emphasis on activities involving pursuing members of the opposite sex. The opening theme song for the syndicated reruns is also slightly edited, running shorter and not using all the pictures seen in the opening montage that runs on DVD and the original CBS broadcasts. The episodes are also slightly edited, leaving out a few details.

One of the series' ongoing traditions involves giving guest roles to actors from various Joss Whedon productions, many of whom co-starred with Hannigan on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Bays attributes this to their being "huge fans" and to those casts representing "a big talent pool".[27]

Another tradition involves the use of euphemisms for culturally sensitive issues. These include "eating a sandwich" for smoking marijuana, "reading a magazine" for being in the toilet, "thumbs up" for giving the middle finger, as well as "playing the bagpipes" for loud, raucous sex acts. These euphemisms, among others, have been used extensively throughout the show and have even been used as central plot themes, such as the episode "Benefits" in Season 4.

On March 4, 2011, CBS announced that the show had been renewed for two more seasons,[28] with the seventh season premiering with back-to-back episodes on September 19, 2011.[2]

On July 27, 2011, it was announced that the FX channel had picked up the show for syndication. FX began airing the show on September 5, 2011.[29]

Although cast members have stated that the show will not run longer than eight seasons,[30] a ninth season was secured in December 2012 amidst tense negotiations with the studios and the actors - especially Jason Segel, who had wanted to move on to other ventures after the eighth season.[3][4]

Cast

Main article: List of How I Met Your Mother characters
The main cast at a celebration of the 100th episode of the series. From left: Neil Patrick Harris, Cobie Smulders, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan and Josh Radnor.
  • Josh Radnor as Ted Mosby, an architecture teacher and the central character of the series. Ted moved to New York City with his friends Marshall and Lily after graduating from Wesleyan University. In New York he met Barney and Robin, who became part of the group. Ted is on a quest for happiness and "The One," the woman he will marry. Ted is the more mature of the group, preferring more elegant and high class interests than the ones his friends possess. He goes to great lengths to profess his love to the women in his life, but they all falter after awhile. Despite these qualities, Ted often acts immature, such as partaking in wild activities with Barney. He is a big Star Wars fan and is often heard quoting the films. Ted is from Shaker Heights, Ohio, but considers himself a true New-Yorker, showing a massive hatred for the neighbouring New Jersey.
  • Jason Segel as Marshall Eriksen, an environmental lawyer and Ted's best (often disputed by Barney) friend. Marshall is married to Lily, whom he has been in love with since his freshman year of college, and they serve as an inspiration for Ted to find his true love. Marshall, like Ted, was born outside of New York (St. Cloud, Minnesota), but considers the city his home.
  • Cobie Smulders as Robin Scherbatsky, a news anchor and Ted's ex-girlfriend. Robin emigrated from Canada to take a job in a news station and met Ted at MacLaren's, setting him on his journey to find "The One." Though they harboured genuine feelings for one another, their interests were completely different. Ted wanted children, but Robin despises them and refuses to have any. She smokes cigars and drinks scotch, causing Barney to fall for her. They later embark on a relationship that eventually sees them marry.
  • Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson, an employee at Goliath National Bank and Ted's "bro." Due to his father leaving him as a young child, Barney has abandonment issues and clings to his friends. He is a serial playboy, using his wealth to seduce females for sexual intercourse, with no intentions on engaging in a relationship. He falls in love with Robin and becomes engaged to her, their wedding being the day upon which Ted meets the mother of his children. Barney is one of two of the group who was actually from New York (Lily being the second).
  • Alyson Hannigan as Lily Aldrin, a kindergarten teacher and Marshall's wife. Lily is the group's moderator, always there to resolve a conflict and a shoulder to cry on. Barney goes to her as a confidant, though she is terrible at keeping secrets. She met Marshall in college and they have been together ever since, only breaking up once. Though coming off as sweet and cute, Lily is quite fierce and sexually ravenous, similar to Barney's desires. During Season 7, she becomes pregnant and has Marshall's and her first child, Marvin Waitforit Eriksen. Like Barney, she is the only other true New Yorker.
  • Bob Saget (voice only) as Future Ted Mosby (uncredited), Ted's future self telling his children the story in the year 2030 of how he met their mother.

Season synopsis

Main article: List of How I Met Your Mother episodes

Season One

Main article: How I Met Your Mother (season 1)

In the year 2030, Ted Mosby (voiced by Bob Saget) sits his daughter and son down to tell them the story of how he met their mother.

The series begins in 2005 with Ted (Josh Radnor) as a single, 27-year-old architect living with his two best friends from his college years; Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel), a law student, and Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan), a kindergarten teacher and aspiring artist. Lily and Marshall have been dating for almost nine years when Marshall finally proposes. Their engagement causes Ted to think about marriage and finding his soul mate, much to the disgust of his self-appointed best friend Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris), whom he met in the restroom at a bar four years earlier. Barney is a serial womanizer who concocts elaborate con games, usually involving costumes and fake identities, designed to bed women, whom he discards immediately afterward.

Ted begins his search for his perfect soul mate and meets an ambitious young reporter from Canada, Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders), with whom he quickly falls in love. Robin, however, doesn't want to rush into a relationship and the two decide to be friends. Future Ted reveals that Robin is not the mother after referring to her as "Aunt Robin".

Ted begins dating a baker, Victoria (Ashley Williams), whom he meets at a friend's wedding, causing Robin to become jealous and realize she does have feelings for Ted. Victoria, having been offered a fellowship in pastry-making, moves to Germany; and she and Ted try a long-distance relationship. Once Ted learns Robin has feelings for him, he tells her he broke up with Victoria, even though he hasn't. They almost have sex when Victoria calls and Robin answers, mistaking Ted's phone for her own. Ted and Victoria then break up and an angry Robin distances herself from Ted, but they eventually make up and decide to date.

Meanwhile, Lily begins to wonder if she's missed any opportunities because of her relationship with Marshall, and decides to pursue an art fellowship in San Francisco, breaking up with Marshall in the process. The season ends with Ted coming back to the apartment, the morning after spending the night with Robin for the first time, to find Marshall sitting in the rain with Lily's engagement ring, devastated by their sudden break up.

Season Two

Main article: How I Met Your Mother (season 2)

Ted and Robin are now a couple; meanwhile, a heartbroken Marshall tries to continue his life without Lily. After enduring numerous emotional breakdowns, Marshall's friends step in, and Barney, using sly catch phrases and pick up lines, tries to get Marshall back in the dating game. Later, Lily, after finally realizing she is not meant to be an artist, returns to New York. She is reunited with Marshall, and their engagement is reinstated. When Robin refuses to go to the mall or explain why, Marshall suspects she is married, and Barney suspects she has performed in adult films. They both bet on it, issuing Lily as "Slap Bet Commissioner." Lily oversees the search for the truth, as they discover that Robin was a teenage pop star named "Robin Sparkles", and Marshall eventually earns the right to slap Barney 5 times whenever he wants to. It is revealed that Barney has a gay half-brother named James (Wayne Brady) and, unaware that his mother lied to him, he believes that Bob Barker is his father, as a result of which he takes a trip to California to be a contestant on The Price is Right to meet his "father". While on the show, Barney wins all of the prizes and gives them to Lily and Marshall as a 'happy early wedding' present.

In the season finale, Ted reveals to Barney that he and Robin have been broken up for some time due to their conflicting views on marriage and children. They didn't tell anyone in order to avoid taking attention away from Lily and Marshall's wedding. The season ends with Barney excited at the prospect of Ted and him being single guys on the town again, and ends the season with Barney saying "this is going to be legen- wait for it...".

Season Three

Main article: How I Met Your Mother (season 3)

Barney begins the season with the word, "-dary!" Robin returns from a trip to Argentina with her new boyfriend, Gael (Enrique Iglesias), and Ted must adjust to life as just her friend, while watching Robin and Gael fawning over each other. Marshall and Lily decide to move out on their own, falling in love with a place they can't afford. Robin learns of Lily's bad credit rating due to her compulsive shopping for designer brands, and forces Lily to tell Marshall. Despite this, they are able to finally secure their dream apartment, only to discover it's in a bad location and more poorly constructed than they thought (the floor is tilted). Barney is slapped for the third time on Thanksgiving, which Marshall dubs "Slapsgiving."

Ted tells his children he met their mother through a story concerning her yellow umbrella. He finds the umbrella at a club and takes it home after attending a St. Patrick's Day party where his future wife was, although they did not meet. Ted attempts to woo Stella (Sarah Chalke), a dermatologist he sees to remove an embarrassing butterfly tattoo. This culminates in a memorable "two-minute date," which incorporates small talk, dinner, a movie, coffee, two cab rides, and a goodnight kiss, all within two minutes. Robin sleeps with Barney after he comforts her following a break-up with a past Canadian love; Ted is infuriated, and decides to stop being friends with Barney. Meanwhile, an unknown woman begins to sabotage Barney's attempts to hook up. His saboteur is revealed to be Abby (Britney Spears), Stella's receptionist, with a vendetta against him for not calling her after they had sex.

In the season finale, Ted gets into a car accident and ends up in hospital, Subsequently Barney gets hit by a bus on the way to visit him and ends up receiving treatment in the same hospital. Ted realizes Barney really cares about him and they renew their friendship. It is revealed Barney has true feelings for Robin, while Ted proposes to Stella in an arcade.

Season Four

Main article: How I Met Your Mother (season 4)

Stella says yes to Ted's proposal. Robin takes a new job in Japan, but quickly resigns and returns to New York to attend Ted's wedding, after realizing how much she misses her friends. Stella leaves Ted at the altar to get back together with Tony (Jason Jones), the father of her daughter. Barney struggles with his feelings for Robin as his company shifts him to the management team of a new acquisition, Goliath National Bank (GNB), where Marshall has accepted a position.

Marshall and Lily move to their new apartment and debate over whether or not they're ready to have children. Robin becomes roommates with Ted and gets a job as an anchor for a 4 AM news show after Barney sends out her video resume. Ted and Robin decide to sleep together constantly so they won't fight over each other's bad co-living habits. Barney attempts to make them stop fighting to prevent this, revealing to Ted his love for Robin.

Ted finds out Lily has sabotaged all of his relationships with anyone she doesn't approve of and indirectly may have inspired his breakup with Robin. Robin and Ted end up talking about it, causing their friendship to begin moving toward a positive note. After Barney finally sleeps with his 200th woman (and rubs it in the face of the childhood bully who taunted him into pursuing it), he begins to question the purpose of the remainder of his life, leaving him more certain of his feelings for Robin.

Ted, while carrying the yellow umbrella, bumps into Stella and Tony. Tony later decides to visit him, sympathizing with Ted over his loss of Stella. Tony offers him a job as a professor of architecture, which Ted initially turns down.

In the season finale Robin finds out that Barney loves her, and initially refuses to commit to anything but a sex-only relationship; they seemingly end up together anyway. Ted decides that being an architect is leading nowhere, and finally decides instead to become a college professor. The finale ends with Ted preparing to teach his first class and Future Ted revealing to his children that one of the women in the class is their mother.

Season Five

Main article: How I Met Your Mother (season 5)

Ted begins his job as a professor of architecture, standing in the middle of a classroom – although the mother was present, it turns out to be an economics class as he's in the wrong lecture hall. Barney and Robin have had a sexual relationship throughout the summer and Lily locks them in a room, forcing them to come to terms with their relationship. After a rough patch they decide to break up. Robin describes it instead as "two friends getting back together." Barney immediately goes back to his old ways, using the playbook to score with women. Throughout the season Barney and Robin show feelings of regret over their break-up.

Ted dates a graduate student named Cindy (Rachel Bilson) and it is revealed her roommate is his future wife. Robin meets Don Frank, her new co-anchor on her 4 AM TV show. Though she initially dislikes him, the two start dating and eventually she moves in with him. At the end of the season they break up when Don takes a job in Chicago — a job which Robin had previously turned down to stay in New York with Don. Marshall uses his fourth slap on Barney, once again at Thanksgiving. Ted buys a house, which needs to be fixed up badly, but is later revealed to be the future home for Ted and his children.

Lily and Marshall are still unsure about having children. After watching four doppelgangers of their group (Lesbian Robin, Moustache Marshall, Stripper Lily and Mexican Wrestler Ted) they decide to leave the big decision to the universe's "infinite wisdom" and start trying when they have seen Barney's Doppelganger. In the season finale, Barney disguises himself to have sex with a girl from every country in the world, and Lily and Marshall mistake him for the final doppelganger. When Marshall finds out, he decides not to tell Lily, fearing she will want to wait even longer to have children. Lily eventually finds out and decides to wait. In the season finale, Lily thinks she sees Barney's doppelganger as a hot dog vendor, which causes the group to realize she is seeing what she wants to see, and play along. Eventually Barney agrees having babies is not a stupid idea and Lily and Marshall should go forth. The season ends with Lily asking Marshall to "put a baby in my belly".

Season Six

Main article: How I Met Your Mother (season 6)

In the season opening, Ted sees Cindy again with a girl who he thinks to be her roommate, but she turns out to be Cindy's girlfriend whom she later marries. After prodding by Barney, Ted is eventually hired by GNB once more as the architect of the bank's new headquarters (which was originally scrapped in Season 4). However, he encounters opposition when he meets Zoey Pierson (Jennifer Morrison), a woman who is protesting against GNB for selecting a decrepit hotel, the Arcadian, to be torn down for the headquarters. Over the season, Ted's encounters with Zoey eventually blossom into a relationship after she divorces her rich husband, but they break up as he puts his career over love, leading to the Arcadian's demolition. Ted also resolves not to get back with Zoey.

Having agreed to conceive a baby at the end of the previous season, Lily and Marshall keep having sex, hoping she will get pregnant. Around Christmas, they have a false alarm and later seek fertility testing and find the fifth doppelganger (Barney's doppelganger) as their fertility doctor, Dr. Stangel. However, tragedy strikes when Marshall's father passes away, leaving him devastated and the gang comforting him. Marshall tries to get over his father's death and live again. Despite a pledge to Lily to work harder for their future, Marshall resigns from GNB and follows his dream of being an environmental lawyer. Zoey also hires him as her lawyer in what became a futile battle to save the Arcadian. At the end of the season, Lily reveals that she is pregnant.

Barney finally admits to the gang that Bob Barker is not his real father, especially when his mother decides to sell the house he grew up in and his brother, James, meets his own father. Loretta offers the identity of Barney's father on a sheet of paper, but Barney tears this up after realizing her efforts as a single mother. At the funeral of Marshall's father, Barney tells Loretta that he wants to see his father at last. The man, Jerome Whittaker, is eventually revealed to be someone whom Barney thought was his guardian. Barney is disappointed because Jerome was not the free-wheeling man he knew as a child. Although he tries to bring back Jerry's old ways, Barney admits that he wants to settle down someday. He is also introduced to Nora, a co-worker of Robin, for whom he develops feelings. After an initial falling out, the season finale indicates a possible future revival of their relationship, where Barney asks her for coffee and Nora tells Barney that "it's never too late" to wear a sun-dress.

Robin continues to work at her talk show, Come On, Get Up, New York!, but the presence of a new hyperactive co-host forces her to leave. She is accepted as a researcher in another network, World Wide News. The gang also discovers more of her past as the Canadian pop star Robin Sparkles. Robin also encounters a man (Michael Trucco) she has had a secret crush on since first seeing him when she and Ted were dating, and Future Ted hints that they will see more of him later.

A short scene during both the first and last episode of the season feature a wedding set sometime in the future, which is where Ted will meet his future wife. In the last episode it is revealed to be Barney's wedding.

Season Seven

Main article: How I Met Your Mother (season 7)

Season seven opens with another flash forward, in which Ted is helping Barney get ready for his wedding to a still unknown bride. Back in the present, Marshall gets a job in environmental law, while Lily progresses with her pregnancy. Barney proves to Nora that he can be a good boyfriend to her, while Robin is revealed to still have feelings for Barney. Robin takes court-mandated therapy, until her therapist Kevin (Kal Penn) becomes attracted to her, breaking his ethical code. They start to date.

While reminiscing about Hurricane Irene, it is revealed that Lily and Marshall had conceived their baby in Barney's apartment, and Barney and Robin end up sleeping together. Barney and Robin both realize what they've done and decide to break up with their partners. However, Robin decides to stay with Kevin, which devastates Barney, who did break up with Nora. Marshall and Lily decide they want to move to Long Island, after Lily's paternal grandparents offer them their house there. They move back to New York City after realizing suburban life is not for them.

Robin gets a pregnancy scare at Thanksgiving and tells Barney the child is his, since she and Kevin hadn't slept with each other at that point. However, Robin's doctor informs her she cannot have children, which devastates her. Kevin proposes to Robin; while she loves him and is ready for the commitment, she reveals she can't have children and that she doesn't want children at all, so they break up. Soon after, Robin tells Ted everything that happened, only for him to profess his love for her (which is revealed to be the final time he declares his love for someone other than his future wife). Robin soon admits that she does not love Ted, and Marshall asks her to move out of Ted's apartment so Ted can finally move on with his love life. Ted gives his apartment to Lily and Marshall because he feels he and Robin haunt that place.

Barney starts dating Quinn, who happens to strip under the name "Karma". When the gang finds out through Ted, who broke a "broath" from Barney to not tell anyone about her profession, they begin to meddle in their relationship. This is revealed to be a set-up, with Quinn acting like a crazy girlfriend and Barney being spineless toward her. Quinn ends up moving in with Barney, and Ted buys Quinn's place. Robin is eventually offered the news anchor job she wanted and subsequently achieves recognition after preventing a helicopter she is flying in from crashing. She reveals to Ted that with her raise she is moving into another apartment.

Lily, worried that Marshall is too stressed with the birth close at hand, arranges for Barney to "kidnap" Marshall to a casino. Marshall gets very drunk. Meanwhile, Ted decides to patch up his differences with Robin. Lily goes into labor and frantically calls Barney and Marshall. Marshall is still in the casino, drunk and has turned off his phone. When Barney learns Lily is in labor, he promises to help Marshall get to the hospital provided that Barney can choose the baby's middle name. After many attempts to escape the casino, Marshall arrives in time for Lily's delivery. Because of his promise to Barney, Marshall and Lily name their son Marvin "Wait For It" Eriksen. In the season finale, Marshall and Lily begin their new family with their baby. Barney proposes to Quinn through an airport fiasco after she tells him that she quit her job, and she accepts. Ted, after his conversation with Robin about his love life, calls Victoria to see if he still has a chance with her, even though she is getting married. She leaves her fiancé for Ted and wants to go off into the sunset with him. After some thinking, Ted eventually decides to go with her. The season ends with a flash forward to Barney's wedding that the season opened with, where Robin is revealed as Barney's bride.

Season Eight

Main article: How I Met Your Mother (season 8)

Season 8 began airing on September 24, 2012.

Tie-ins

Books

Phone numbers

  • 1-877-987-6401 — During the Super Bowl XLIV telecast, a clip of Neil Patrick Harris was shown holding up a sign, ostensibly in the stadium's stands, with the words "Call Barney Stinson (CBS)" and this phone number.[35][36][37] In the episode "Rabbit or Duck", which aired the week after the Super Bowl, the same clip from the Super Bowl with Harris was shown with the number on the sign changed to a 555 number.[38] This occurrence became a plot point within the episode.[38] When the number is dialed, a message recorded by Harris in character as Barney is played. This number is no longer in service.[39]

Nielsen ratings

Viewership represented in a line graph.
Season Timeslot (ET) Season premiere Season finale TV season Rank Avg. viewers
(in millions)
1 Monday 8:30 P.M. (September 19, 2005 – May 15, 2006) September 19, 2005 May 15, 2006 2005–2006 #54[40] 9.47[40]
2 Monday 8:30 P.M. (September 18, 2006 – October 2, 2006)
Monday 8:00 P.M. (October 9, 2006 – May 14, 2007) 		September 18, 2006 May 14, 2007 2006–2007 #61[41] 8.94[41]
3 Monday 8:00 P.M. (September 24, 2007 – March 10, 2008)
Monday 8:30 P.M. (March 17, 2008 – May 19, 2008) 		September 24, 2007 May 19, 2008 2007–2008 #70[42] 8.21[42]
4 Monday 8:30 P.M. (September 22, 2008 – May 18, 2009)
 		September 22, 2008 May 18, 2009 2008–2009 #49[43] 9.42[43]
5 Monday 8:00 P.M. (September 21, 2009 – May 24, 2010) September 21, 2009 May 24, 2010 2009–2010 #42[44] 8.60[44]
6 Monday 8:00 P.M. (September 20, 2010 – May 16, 2011) September 20, 2010 May 16, 2011 2010–2011 #48 8.79[45]
7 Monday 8:00 P.M. (September 19, 2011 – May 14, 2012) September 19, 2011 May 14, 2012 2011–2012 #45[46] 9.67[46]
8 Monday 8:00 P.M. (September 24, 2012 – May 2013) September 24, 2012 May 2013 2012–2013 TBA TBA

The highest viewed episode was the season 1 episode "The Pineapple Incident", watched by 12.27 million viewers. The lowest-viewed episode was the season 6 episode "Landmarks", watched by 6.41 million viewers, approximately 52 percent of the show's series high.

Season seven was the highest watched season overall and among the 18–49 adults, scoring a 4.1 rating in that sector[47] up from the 3.4 rating it had for season six.[48]

Awards and nominations

The show has been nominated for numerous awards, including an Emmy nod for Outstanding Comedy Series, beaten by 30 Rock. Stars Alyson Hannigan and Neil Patrick Harris have each received acting accolades, with both receiving People's Choice Awards, and Harris receiving Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. The show's art direction, editing and cinematography have also been awarded.

Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result
2006 Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series How I Met Your Mother Won
Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series Won
People's Choice Awards Favorite New Television Comedy Nominated
ALMA Award Outstanding Script for a Television Drama or Comedy Gloria Calderon Kellett Nominated
Art Directors Guild Multi-Camera Television Series How I Met Your Mother Nominated
Casting Society of America, USA Best Comedy Pilot Casting Nominated
2007 Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series Won
Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Series Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Neil Patrick Harris Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actor: Comedy Nominated
Art Directors Guild Episode of a Multi-Camera Television Series How I Met Your Mother Nominated
GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Individual Episode Nominated
2008 Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series Won
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Neil Patrick Harris Nominated
People's Choice Awards Favorite Scene Stealing Star Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Show: Comedy How I Met Your Mother Nominated
Choice TV Actor: Comedy Neil Patrick Harris Nominated
ALMA Awards Outstanding Writing for a Television Series Gloria Calderon Kellett Won
Art Directors Guild Episode of a Multi-Camera Television Series How I Met Your Mother Nominated
2009 Emmy Awards Outstanding Comedy Series Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Neil Patrick Harris Nominated
Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series How I Met Your Mother Won
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Comedy Series Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Neil Patrick Harris Nominated
People's Choice Awards Favorite Scene Stealing Guest Star Britney Spears Nominated
TCA Awards Outstanding Achievement in Comedy How I Met Your Mother Nominated
Individual Achievement in Comedy Neil Patrick Harris Nominated
Art Directors Guild Episode of a Multi-Camera Television Series How I Met Your Mother Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical Nominated
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Neil Patrick Harris Nominated
2010 Golden Globe Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated
People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Comedy Actress Alyson Hannigan Won
Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Neil Patrick Harris Nominated
Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics How I Met Your Mother Nominated
Outstanding Art Direction For A Multi-Camera Series Nominated
Outstanding Hairstyling For A Multi-Camera Series Or Special Nominated
Art Directors Guild Episode of a Multi-Camera, Variety or Unscripted Series Nominated
Prism Awards Performance in a Comedy Series Neil Patrick Harris Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Nominated
2011 People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Comedy Actress Alyson Hannigan Nominated
Favorite TV Comedy Actor Neil Patrick Harris Won
Favorite TV Comedy How I Met Your Mother Nominated
Critics' Choice Television Award Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Neil Patrick Harris Won
Emmy Awards Outstanding Picture Editing For A Comedy Series (Single Or Multi-Camera) How I Met Your Mother Won
Outstanding Art Direction For A Multi-Camera Series Nominated
Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series Nominated
Outstanding Makeup For A Multi-Camera Series Or Special (Non-Prosthetic) Nominated
Outstanding Cinematography For A Multi-camera Series Nominated
Art Directors Guild Episode of a Multi-Camera, Variety or Unscripted Series Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Neil Patrick Harris Nominated
Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a TV Series – Guest Starring Young Actor Ten and Under Riley Thomas Stewart Nominated
2012 People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Comedy How I Met Your Mother Won
Favorite TV Comedy Actor Neil Patrick Harris Won
Favorite TV Guest Star Katy Perry Won
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actor Comedy Neil Patrick Harris Nominated
Art Directors Guild Episode of a Multi-Camera, Variety or Unscripted Series How I Met Your Mother Nominated
Emmy Awards Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series Won
Outstanding Makeup for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic) Nominated
Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series Nominated
Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series Nominated
2013 People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Comedy How I Met Your Mother Pending
Favorite TV Comedy Actor Neil Patrick Harris Pending

DVD releases

DVD season Region 1 Release date Region 2 Release date Region 4 Release date Episode # Additional information
Season 1 November 21, 2006 May 7, 2007 January 10, 2007 22 This three-disc box set includes all 22 episodes of Season 1. Bonus features include commentaries on six episodes, Video Yearbook (20:29), two music videos: "First Round" (1:13) and "Last Call" (1:45), and Gag Reel (9:00). The episodes on the DVD have been cropped from the originally broadcast widescreen to a full frame 4:3 format. At present there is no widescreen version available.
Season 2 October 2, 2007 February 8, 2010 April 8, 2008 22 This three-disc box set includes all 22 episodes of Season 2. Bonus features include commentaries on seven episodes, How We Make Your Mother (17:10), two music videos: Robin Sparkles' "Let's Go To The Mall" (3:17) and The Solids' "Hey Beautiful" (3:51), three "How It Really Happened" scenes (5:28), Gag Reel (7:10), and an Easter Egg.
Season 3 October 7, 2008 May 10, 2010 February 11, 2009 20 This three-disc box set includes all 20 episodes of Season 3. Bonus features include commentaries on seven episodes, Series Retrospective (2:42), Lily & Marshall's Honeymoon Videos (10:37), Cast Favorites (4:59), Behind the Scenes of "We're Not From Here" (5:43), six "How It Really Happened" scenes (8:33), two music videos: Marshall Eriksen's "You Just Got Slapped" (1:52) and Robin Sparkles' "Sandcastles in the Sand" (3:39), "Ted Mosby Is A Jerk" Audio Track for "The Bracket", and Gag Reel (11:12).
Season 4 September 29, 2009 July 19, 2010 October 27, 2009 24 This three-disc box set includes all 24 episodes of Season 4. Bonus features include commentaries on four episodes, A Night With Your Mother: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Panel Discussion, Season 3 Recap, Eriksen's Fight Club, music video for Barney Stinson's "That Guy's Awesome", and Gag Reel. Also available on Blu-Ray, and is the only season to have a subsequent Blu Ray release.
Season 5 September 21, 2010 November 8, 2010 October 27, 2010 24 This three-disc box set includes all 24 episodes of season 5. Bonus features include a blooper reel, the music videos Super Date, Nothing Suits Me Like A Suit, and Best Night Ever, two behind the scenes features; Making of Super Date and Behind the Scenes of the 100th Episode, an extended version of the Wedding Bride Trailer, and a musical Series Recap.
Season 6 September 27, 2011 October 3, 2011 October 5, 2011 24 This three-disc box set includes all 24 episodes of season 6. Bonus features include a blooper reel, two behind-the-scenes features; Making of Subway Wars and Behind the Scenes of Glitter, commentaries on three episodes, an extended performance of "Stand By Me" by Neil Patrick Harris and Wayne Brady, and a Season 5 Recap.[49]
Season 7 October 2, 2012 October 15, 2012 October 10, 2012 24 This box set includes all 24 episodes of season 7. Bonus features include a gag reel, two behind the scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, audio commentaries on three episodes and a feature on Neil Patrick Harris' Hollywood Walk of Fame star.[50]

As of December 2, 2012 seasons 1 through 7 are available to stream on Netflix in the USA and Canada.

References

  1. ^ a b "How I Met Your Mother cast". CBS. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  2. ^ a b "CBS announces 2011–2012 premiere dates". CBS Express. June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Chitwood, Adam (December 22, 2012). "HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER Renewed for Ninth and Final Season; Entire Cast Will Return". collider.com. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  4. ^ a b Mitovich, Matt (December 21, 2012). "Report: How I Met Your Mother Renewed for 9th Season After Jason Segel's 11th-Hour Reversal". tvline.com. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  5. ^ "TV Summer School: How to Create and Run a Successful Sitcom". E!Online. August 6, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2009. let's write about our friends and the stupid stuff we did in New York.
  6. ^ a b "Alyson Hannigan – "How I Met Your Mother" Sitcom – William S. Paley TV Fest". Whedon.info. March 28, 2006. Retrieved February 13, 2010.
  7. ^ Maureen Ryan (April 27, 2006). "Craig Thomas: 'Sitcoms used to be about something'". Chicago Tribune. I'm like the Marshall character, I've been with my wife since freshman year of college.
  8. ^ "TV Guide Editor's Blog: Video Q&As: I Hit the How I Met Your Motherlode!". tvguide.com. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
  9. ^ How I Met Your Mother 1st Season DVD Commentary
  10. ^ Keller, Joel (May 11, 2007). "Carter Bays of How I Met Your Mother: The TV Squad Interview". Archived from the original on May 13, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2009.
  11. ^ "We Call this the Cave of Magic! ...Or Soundstage 22". CBS. August 13, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  12. ^ according to audio commentary at 00:58 min. of the HIMYM – Season 1 DVD
  13. ^ "The Watcher: How 'How I Met Your Mother' is not a traditional sitcom". Chicago Tribune. January 15, 2007. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  14. ^ "'How I Met Your Mother's' Craig Thomas on Ted & Barney's Breakup, Eriksen Babies and The Future of Robarn". Zap2it.com. Retrieved July 21, 2008. [He is] a guy who is telling the story so many years in the future, and he jumbles it up in his memory a little bit. He can be an unreliable narrator.
  15. ^ "Suit Up for How I Met Your Mother Scoops". Television Without Pity. October 3, 2008. Retrieved October 7, 2011. It's nice to go [online] and see how much continuity matters to people within the universe of a show. That's absolutely true for me, too. Whenever there's the slightest inconsistency in a Buffy episode or Friends or something, my wife and I would sit on the couch and throw stuff at the TV ... When we're doing stuff in the writers room, I really try and remember that.
  16. ^ "Barney writes a book, Barney + Robin, Ted + Stella and other 'How I Met Your Mother' news". Chicago Tribune. July 19, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2008. He did reveal that more than two years ago ... With only the two kids who play Ted's future children ... they shot a scene that directly relates to the identity of the mother. That scene will be included in the show's series finale, which Thomas said he hopes "people will see in 2012."
  17. ^ "'How I Met Your Mother's' Craig Thomas on Ted & Barney's Breakup, Eriksen Babies and The Future of Robarn". Zap2it.com. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  18. ^ "CBS Sets Series Return Dates". Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  19. ^ "Breaking News – "The Big Bang Theory" And "How I Met Your Mother" To Swap Time Periods". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  20. ^ "Upfront: CBS Releases Full Schedule". Retrieved May 14, 2008.
  21. ^ "CBS Announces 2008–2009 Premiere Dates". CBS. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  22. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (September 24, 2008). "'Mother' reruns nest at Lifetime". Hollywood Reporter. Lifetime's four-year licensing deal includes up to eight seasons of "Mother", should the CBS comedy run that long. "Mother" had a big fourth-season premiere Monday, jumping 21% in the ratings over last season.
  23. ^ "How I Met Your Mother: Syndication Deal Ensures Season Five for Sitcom". September 17, 2008.
  24. ^ "Exclusive: 'Without a Trace,' 'Privileged,' canceled, 'Gossip' spin-off DOA". May 19, 2009.
  25. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 25, 2010). "'How I Met Your Mother' meets Season 6". The Hollywood Reporter.(registration required)
  26. ^ Cohn, Angel (October 3, 2008). "How I Met Your Mother TV Show". TWoP. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  27. ^ Gelman, Vlada (December 16, 2010). "'How I Met Your Mother': 'Buffy's' Danny Strong, Alexis Denisof to guest". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  28. ^ "'How I met Your Mother' renewed for two more seasons". March 4, 2011.
  29. ^ "FX Fall 2011 Schedule Has How I Met Your Mother; The Nanny Reunion on Happily Divorced". Sitcoms Online. July 27, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  30. ^ "How I Met Your Mother to end after 8 seasons?". TV Series Finale. July 7, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  31. ^ Stinson, Barney (2008). The Bro Code. New York: Fireside. ISBN 978-1-4391-1000-3.
  32. ^ Stinson, Barney (2009). Bro on the Go. Fireside. ISBN 978-1-4391-7313-8.
  33. ^ "The Playbook". Amazon.com. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  34. ^ http://www.opencourtbooks.com/categories/pcp.htm
  35. ^ "Super Bowl: Call Barney Stinson at 1-877-987-6401 – From Inside the Box – Zap2it". Blog.zap2it.com. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  36. ^ "Call Barney Stinson!". TV Squad. February 8, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  37. ^ "How I Met Your Mother: Barney Stinson Reveals Number on Super Bowl Ad". Buddytv.com. February 7, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  38. ^ a b "'How I Met Your Mother': Rabbit or duck? – It Happened Last Night – Zap2it". Blog.zap2it.com. February 9, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  39. ^ ""Super Bowl: Call for Barney" at How I Met Your Mother Source".
  40. ^ a b "How I Met Your Mother ratings". ABCmedianet. Archived from the original on March 10, 2007. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  41. ^ a b "How I Met Your Mother ratings". ABCmedianet. Retrieved December 24, 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)[dead link]
  42. ^ a b "Season Program Rankings from 09/24/07 through 05/25/08". ABC Medianet. May 28, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2009.
  43. ^ a b "Season Program Rankings from 09/22/08 through 05/17/09". ABC Medianet. May 19, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2009.
  44. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (May 27, 2010). "Full Series Rankings For The 2009–10 Broadcast Season". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  45. ^ Gorman, Bill (June 1, 2011). "2010–11 Season Broadcast Primetime Show Viewership Averages". TV by Numbers. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  46. ^ a b "Complete List Of 2011–12 Season TV Show Viewership: 'Sunday Night Football' Tops, Followed By 'American Idol,' 'NCIS' & 'Dancing With The Stars' – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  47. ^ "Complete List Of 2011–12 Season TV Show Ratings: 'Sunday Night Football' Tops, Followed By 'American Idol,' 'The Voice' & 'Modern Family' – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. May 24, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  48. ^ "The War of 18–49, How I Met Your Mother – Next-level TV ratings and scheduling analysis at". Spottedratings.com. July 19, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  49. ^ "How I Met Your Mother DVD news: Announcement for How I Met Your Mother – Season 6". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  50. ^ "How I Met Your Mother DVD news: Announcement for How I Met Your Mother – Season 7". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved September 2, 2012.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to How I Met Your Mother.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to How I Met Your Mother.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=How_I_Met_Your_Mother&oldid=532140904"