Mad props to the investigatory reporters over at Entertainment Weekly who chased down the source of some wacky ads that were popping up in reruns of 'How I Met Your Mother.' I give big-ups to them not only for breaking some fascinating news but also for admitting that, like the rest of us, they watch reruns of 'HIMYM.'

The news is this: thanks to groundbreaking technology, it is now possible to sell ads in old episodes of TV shows by digitally inserting things like TV screens in bar scenes or billboards on sidewalk scenes, and having those digital screens carry timely ads, for example, as EW noted, for the release of 'Bad Teacher' in an episode that was shot in 2009.

This weekend, both Canadians and Americans have something to celebrate. In Canada, we have Canada Day, and in the US, it's the Fourth of July. It's only once a year that the neighboring countries have patriotic holidays so close together.

In a more TV-related vein, one of the less-remarked-on revelations from the WikiLeaks cables that came out last year concerned Canadian television. American policy analysts expressed concern about the negative views of Americans being shown in Canadian shows like 'The Border' and 'Little Mosque on the Prairie.' Apparently, the border guards and customs officials seemed kind of mean, and this had ramifications for American homeland security.

Frankly, I was more surprised that anyone was watching 'The Border' that closely.

Survival! That's the name of the game on 'America's Got Talent' (Tue., 9PM ET on NBC). There are only 48 spots for contestants who want to make it to the next round. (Well, plus there are 11 "standby" spots.) The players who do make it to Hollywood will then end up competing for viewer votes all over again, in an effort to be the truly final finalist.

So, who will survive the first round? Who can make it from the auditions in Las Vegas to the next round in California?

[Spoiler alert.]

Will the mother of the girl from 'Precious' make it? Will the shy singer from Puerto Rico make it? (Okay, the answers to those questions are yes, and yes.) But who else will get through? We already know that the guy who took off his clothes was rejected, and so was the angry clown. On the newest episode, the judges sort through the obvious winners and losers, but then they start having to make the tough calls. Some unexpected players make it though, and some people who you would thought would win ... end up losing.

There are a lot of potential spots to be filled, and everyone's just waiting to hear the magic words -- "You're going to Hollywood!"

If 'Glee' has you yearning for more song-and-dance routines on TV, hold onto your (top) hats! From April 29 to May 5, Fox is turning several of its shows into musicals, including 'Bones,' 'House,' 'The Simpsons,' even 'Fringe.' On May 2, 'Family Guy' will celebrate its 150th episode with an extended episode featuring new and familiar musical numbers. Suffice to say the shows should be a blast, for both us and the actors.

Of course, TV aficionados know this is nothing new. Shows like 'Ally McBeal,' 'Eli Stone,' and 'SpongeBob SquarePants' have featured musical numbers regularly, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention 'Viva Laughlin' and 'Cop Rock' (even though the latter was declared by TV Guide to be one of the worst shows ever, ouch!). In fact, we can trace the trend back to classic episodes like Bugs Bunny's 'The Rabbit of Seville' and 'What's Opera, Doc?'

On 'How I Met Your Mother' (Mon., 8PM ET on CBS), some secrets about the past are revealed. In a flashback, we get to see that Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) seduced the parent of one of his friends. Specifically, he seduced Ted's (Josh Radnor's) mother. Barney reveals this fact to Ted in his typically sensitive style. "Your mom and I got to second base," he says.

Watch the video after the jump.

For a show that's been on the air for a number of years and has received a modest amount of attention from those who are obsessed with the minutiae of pop culture, 'How I Met Your Mother' hasn't suffered from a lot of backlash.

But budding signs of one are starting to appear. All season, John Swansburg of Slate has been recapping the show under a column called "The 'How I Met Your Mother' Shame Index," chronicling what was good about an episode and what has made him ashamed to admit he was a fan. Lately, he's been giving more examples under the heading of "Shameful" than "Awesome."

And now there's an article by Tom Jicha, critic from the South Florida Sun Senitnel, bemoaning how the episodes this season have been moving away from Ted's search for the Mother and focusing more and more on Barney's tomcatting antics.

But are they right? Is the show sliding towards a creative abyss? In some respects, yes. But there seems to be a method behind this shift.

On the latest episode of 'How I Met Your Mother' (Mon., 8PM ET on CBS), Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) finds himself in a slightly sticky situation. Barney finds himself trapped between two sexy girls who believe that he is "Neil Armstrong" -- who is apparently either an astronaut or a famous cyclist. (Possibly a small confusion with Lance Armstrong is happening here.)

Watch the video after the jump.

(S05E19) Many of the episodes of 'HIMYM' this season have been slapsticky and silly, but mostly in a good way. It's part of the effort of Carter Bays, Craig Thomas and their crew to not get so bogged down in the "mythology" of the Mother story, allowing them to touch on it much less than they used to. It also sets up some nice standalone episodes for syndication.

Sometimes the silliness works, sometimes it doesn't. This time it worked. And because it worked, I won't get the phase "mugged by a monkey" out of my head for quite a while.

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by emailing us at tvsquad at gmail dot com, or call and leave a message at (775) 640-8479. Your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have spoilers for: '30 Rock,' 'Bones,' 'Castle,' 'CSI: Miami,' 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Glee,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'How I Met Your Mother,' 'Lost,' and 'Ugly Betty.'

Chad Lowe is joining the ABC Family. According to reports, Lowe will co-star in the new series 'Pretty Little Liars,' about four teenage girls who start to receive messages from a friend who disappeared three years earlier -- or so they think. Lowe will play father to Lucy Hale's character, Aria, replacing the previously cast Alexis Denisof. [Hollywood Reporter]

More casting news after the jump.

Barney is the favorite character we love to hate on the sitcom 'How I Met Your Mother' (Mon., 8PM ET on CBS). In the latest episode, Barney (played by Neil Patrick Harris) meets what is perhaps his greatest challenge: Is there a way to make him look bad in a photograph?

The answer? A resounding "NO." Harris has special powers, apparently. We may wait years and years to learn who the mother is in the series, but we may wait even longer for Barney to look uncool in a photo. And so, shine on, Neil Patrick Harris! We salute you.

Watch the video after the jump.

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by emailing us at tvsquad at gmail dot com, or call and leave a message at (775) 640-8479. Your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have spoilers for: 'Bones,' Castle,' 'Chuck,' 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Fringe,' 'Glee,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'How I Met Your Mother,' 'Lost,' 'NCIS,' and 'The Big Bang Theory.'

File this under good casting news: 'Firefly's' Alan Tudyk has reportedly joined the cast of NBC's upcoming 'Rockford Files' reboot, which stars Dermot Mulroney as the titular character, Jim Rockford. Tudyk, who also appeared on 'Dollhouse' and 'V,' will play Det. Dennis Becker, the only cop who seems to get along with Rockford's "slightly crumpled" and "cynical" personality. 'House's' David Shore wrote the pilot. [Hollywood Reporter]

More casting news after the jump.

It's gotta be tough turning down Jennifer Lopez, a.k.a. Anita on 'How I Met Your Mother' (Mon., 8PM ET on CBS). Especially if you're Barney.

But even when she lured him in with the promise of getting lucky -- forget about the twelfth date; she'll do it right now – he stuck to his guns.

And is it just us, or is J-Lo everywhere lately? Talk about a workaholic, and the mom of two shows no signs of slowing down. 'The Back-Up Plan' arrives in theaters April 23.

Watch the video after the jump.