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MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO, THE: 2006 WILLIAM S. PALEY TELEVISION FESTIVAL: HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER {TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL} {LONG VERSION}

Summary

One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Museum of Television & Radio's William S. Paley Television Festival in Los Angeles. Held this year at the Directors Guild of America Theatre Complex, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television and is dedicated to television's creative community. This evening honors "How I Met Your Mother," a comedy series set in 2030 about a man telling his children how he met their mother back in the year 2005, when he was 27.

Barbara Dixon (director and vice-president, The Museum of Television & Radio/Los Angeles) offers opening remarks before introducing moderator Joe Adalian (television editor, Variety). Adalian describes the show's critical acclaim before bringing executive producer/creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas to the stage. Bays and Thomas introduce the episodes "Pilot" and "The Pineapple Incident," which are screened in their entirety. (For synopses and credits, see T:87709 and T:87818.)

After the screening, Adalian introduces the panelists: Bays and Thomas; director Pamela Fryman; and cast members Neil Patrick Harris (Barney Stinson); Jason Segel (Marshall Eriksen); Alyson Hannigan (Lily Aldrin); Cobie Smulders (Robin Scherbatsky); and Josh Radnor (Ted Mosby).

The panelists discuss topics which include: where the idea for the show originated; what inspired the show's title; how the show was pitched to the networks; the show's casting process; Radnor's recollections of his "inauspicious" audition; why Hannigan wanted to do comedy after years of dramatic work on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"; Harris's negative feelings about his previous network sitcom, "Stark Raving Mad"; the advantages of not performing for a studio audience; Segel's previous work on the cult TV hits "Freaks & Geeks" and "Undeclared"; if Smulders had trepidations about playing "the ultimate woman"; Bob Saget's role on the show as the voice of future Ted; the esprits de corps of the cast members; why the Barney character has "no redeeming features"; what happens when Smulders and Radnor are recognized on the street; the program's high-profile guest stars; and how the show's eclectic music is chosen.

Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following: when creators knew that their show was "clicking"; whether conventional single-camera sitcoms are "dead"; the cast's reaction to having Fryman direct most of the episodes; if the script evolves during shooting; how a balance is maintained between "cuddliness" and "snarkiness"; how much of the characters is based on the lives of Bays and Thomas; the program's unique end credits; producers' reactions to the show being compared to "Friends"; future storylines; the reason for the show's theme song being abbreviated; how the catch phrases "suit up" and "wait for it" got started; and if the identity of Ted's wife has been plotted out from the show's beginning.

Details

  • NETWORK: Paley
  • DATE: March 13, 2006 7:00 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 1:53:49
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: T:88176
  • GENRE: Seminars
  • SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
  • SERIES RUN: N/A
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Barbara Dixon … Host
  • Joe Adalian … Moderator
  • Craig Thomas … Panelist
  • Carter Bays … Panelist
  • Pamela Fryman … Panelist
  • Neil Patrick Harris … Panelist
  • Jason Segel … Panelist
  • Alyson Hannigan … Panelist
  • Josh Radnor … Panelist
  • Cobie Smulders … Panelist
  • Bob Saget