During last night's CBS party at the Huntington Library, I spoke to How I Met Your Mother honchos Carter Bays and Craig Thomas about the upcoming season. They wouldn't reveal much -- besides the fact that Carter is the only single person left on the staff ... he's available, ladies! -- but what they did tell me was that we'll see the mythical "mother" on the first episode of the season.

We already knew from the season finale that Ted's designated "one and only" took the Columbia University architecture class that he started teaching. But we didn't know when she'd be in that class. Bays clarified it for me: "Oh, she'll be there, in the first scene of the first episode back is Ted and the mom in the same room together."

Of course, that could mean anything, since Ted teaches in a huge lecture hall. Bays wouldn't clarify more than that; all he would say was that "we've narrowed the field tremendously. Up until this point, this woman was somewhere out there in the greater New York metropolitan area. Now, she's in a fifteen-block radius."

After the season finale of How I Met Your Mother last May, Joel asked readers if they believed that Ted would marry Stella. Nearly 61% of you responded to that poll in the negative. Six out of ten answered: "Nah. I just don't think she's the mother."

So, then, what do we make of the fact that there is definitely going to be a wedding for Ted and Stella in an October episode. That proposal from Ted to Stella in that last episode receives a yes, and he and Stella would seem to be heading down the aisle.

I say seem because if television has taught us anything it's that just because he's in a tuxedo and she's in a wedding gown, that doesn't guarantee that both will say "I do."

Even if they do go through with the wedding, though, does that mean that Stella is actually "mother"? Is it possible that Ted and Stella get married and break up before Ted hooks up with the character who is destined to be the mother that he's talking to the kids about in the openings.

One thing about Mother co-creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, they keep us viewers on our toes.

How awesome is this? Barney's official list of how men should interact with each other in pursuit of conquest of the opposite sex,The Bro Code, is going to be published for real. Barney Stinson, the most awesome womanizer on How I Met Your Mother, has referred to this compendium on the show and now The Bro Code will be for sale in bookstores in late November, just in time for Christmas sales.

Neil Patrick Harris, the embodiment of Barney, is not writing the book. That'll be done by co-creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas with Matthew Kuhn, the staff writer who is responsible for Barney's blog. Barney, as fans of the show know, is nothing if not prolific and legen -- wait for it -- dary when it comes to knowing the rules, the rights and wrongs, in bagging the babes.

One of the things that I love about How I Met Your Mother -- there, I said it, I love the show -- is the mystery surrounding who "mother" is and whether we've already seen her on the show or is she still to be introduced. It's not just the Lost fans that are watching scene by scene, shot by shot, frame by frame to uncover clues. Take this very cool observation by a blogger at Seat42f.com.

If you look at the picture, the green boxes, you'll notice that the framed handwritten letter/poem/writing in the background of Stella's home (left), is the same as the framed letter/poem/writing behind the kids in the opening of the show. According to the blogger -- who has HD and studied the scenes closely, it's definitely the same artifact.

Attention How I Met Your Mother fans! There's a 99% chance that the show is returning for a fourth season. CBS still hasn't given the Monday night laugher an official pick up -- which they did for the freshman sitcom The Big Bang Theory way back on February 15th -- ticking off many a comedy fan (including yours truly). Nothing against Big Bang; I love the show. But was it more deserving of an early pick up than Mother? Not to me.

Anyway, I had the chance to interview How I Met Your Mother's Josh Radnor yesterday and the actor told me that the cast is definitely working on the assumption that they will be back next fall. When I asked him directly if the show will be renewed by CBS, he laughed and said, "I'm not worried, but who knows. It's television and stranger things have happened. We're doing better than we've ever done, although I kind of go to sleep when I read those Nielsen reports. I would think we are coming back. Yes, we are."

That was enough for Josh, but I needed more assurances. Call me needy. I pressed for evidence that Lily, Marshall, Robin, Barney and Ted are all going to be hanging out at McLaren's with me next fall, like usual. "I'll just say this, we are filming a cliffhanger. It's not like we wrap up the series." %Gallery-22270%

(S01E01) After posting my early look at this new NBC procedural crime drama, reading your comments, and thinking about Charlie Crews in general, I have come to the belief that Life may actually have a chance this season. Not because of the crimes he and Detective Dani Reese solve -- hey, a murder is a murder is a murder. Not because of Charlie's mix of innocence and quirkiness. I think what is going to keep people tuning into the program is the whole sub-plot of the series: trying to find out who the heck framed Charlie for the murder of three people.

Interesting piece over at The New York Observer that fans of How I Met Your Mother will probably agree with: why isn't this show a bigger hit?

Mark Lotto thinks the show is as good as Friends and deserves to be promoted more by CBS and talked about around the watercooler the next day at work. But he wonders why CBS isn't promoting it more (ads for the show are lacking and CBS didn't push it after the Super Bowl) and seems rather confused to hear that the show might indeed be canceled at the end of the current season.

While I don't think that HIMYM is as good as Friends (except for maybe the last couple of years), I do think it's a solid little show that should not be canceled. This is a show that could easily grow into a long-running staple for CBS. It has the characters, it has the writing, and it does what it does a lot better than most similar shows that have been on the air recently.

[via TV Tattle]

Hot off the presses (DVDs are pressed right?), the first season of How I Met Your Mother is out on DVD today. Without getting into specifics, I got lucky and ended up with a copy last week. So I've had all weekend to play around with it. The simple answer is that this is a great DVD set... for all HIMYM fans. Anyone else that picks this up probably isn't going to get as excited about the special features as I did.

That being said, the special features are scant. There's not many, but what you do get is worth it. Once you get over the fact that it's only presented in full frame (Joel and I were both angry about the lack of widescreen), there's plenty to watch. I especially enjoyed the commentaries on the pilot episode and "Drumroll, Please" because Pamela Fryman sat in on those sessions. It's a rare occurrence when one person helms the directorial duties for an entire 22-episode run, but Fryman did it and created a constant visual style throughout the entire season. So her thoughts held some weight in those commentaries.

(S02E08) You mean to tell me that Atlantic City has a lot of old people crowding the slot machines and is full of garbage on the beach? Who knew?

Actually, AC, while not the "Shangri-La" that Las Vegas is, isn't as horrific as TV writers would lead you to believe. But it was a good backdrop for tonight's rare one-story episode.

So...Marshall and Lilly are back together. Like I said last week, it would have been nice for them to explore them trying to co-exist as friends in the group for a little while longer, but the deed is done. Now, they're starting to talk about marriage again; Marshall even makes Lilly get down on a knee and propose all formal-like. But instead of getting up in front of Marshall's family, who still might be a little miffed at Lilly for leaving him, they decide to elope in Atantic City.

(S01E22) Life's short, guys. You only get one chance; don't have any regrets. As per the spoilers, in this last episode, we got both the surprise hookup, and the twist no one saw coming. Both were heartbreakingly perfect. Between this and the absolute perfection that was The Office's finale, this is the season for love ... or mistakes and heartbreak; it all depends on how you look at it. As finale's go, I haven't been this excited to see next season since I saw Ross get off the plane with Julie. What's going to happen next year? Will anything ever be the same? Wait, what happened last night? On with the show!

(S01E21) One episode left and Lily had me worried there for a while. After  her reservations the past couple of weeks, and her desperate plea for Ted to come and rescue her, I thought one of two things were going to happen. She was either going to make a move on Ted, or she really was going to make a break for it and run away. Lily's justification for being freaked out probably doesn't sit well with those of you that haven't been around friends or family right before they get married. Needless to say, it's probably not half as crazy as some of the things people have done when they've had cold feet. On with the show!

(S01E20) Just two episodes left for this season and things are flip flopping faster than you can say ... uh ... flip flopping. By the end of the episode, Ted and Robin were back on speaking terms, Barney was, well, Barney is ageless, and Lily was starting to have some reservations about her upcoming nuptials. When Marshall and Lily had the opportunity to have their wedding at their dream location, they had to make some sacrifices, time being the most prevalent one, and move their wedding up to two months from now. Needless to say, Lily was a little freaked out. Finding a band was at the top of her to do list, and the only place the band Marshall liked was playing was at a local high school's prom. Looks like we're going to prom. On with the show!

I told you I was going to hate Robin; how dare she make a move on Ted when he's so vulnerable! That harpy! What I meant to say was, good episode. Not great, but good. Once again How I Met Your Mother demonstrated why it is the perfect sitcom for the generation it's characters hail from, Marshall had to make some tough decisions about what he wanted to do with his life, who he wanted to be and why. Not only did they show cover both sides of the coin, but it also did so with its normal flair of humor, respect and understanding. On with the show!

I have a feeling I'm not going to like Robin for much longer. Just call it a hunch, but I'd be willing to bet she's the reason that "long distance relationships don't work". And if she hurts me Ted...

This episode also moved the story along towards Marshall and Lily's actual wedding, which is something I'm definitely looking forward to. Watching Lily try on the "mullet of wedding dresses" was hilarious. Someone last week also mentioned that the past couple of episodes have been kind of "Ted-lite", and I think that's been a pretty important part of why the show works for me-- it's not just Ted's show. On with the show!

For all the comic book geeks out there, this episode probably would be better named Barney: Origins. Last night we learned the secrets behind Barney and how he became...well, Barney; the pig-headed chauvinist we all know and love. I cannot imagine anyone besides Neil Patrick Harris playing this role. He's absolute brilliance, and one of the funniest actors on TV now. For me, if he doesn't get nominated for an Emmy, I'm going to be very disappointed in the system. Neil Patrick Harris versus Felicity Huffman-- I love her, but no contest. On with the show!