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Network: CBS

Premiere: Monday, September 22, 8:30pm

Cast: Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders, Jason Segel, Josh Radnor, Neil Patrick Harris

Previously on How I Met Your Mother: Ted decided that he needed to make a big decision regarding his relationship with Stella. Barney

Undeniably one of the best half-hour comedies on television today, How I Met Your Mother returns for a fourth season of hilarious and cleverly constructed episodes. Last season brought about many changes in the dynamic of the group. Ted (Josh Radnor) and Barney (the inimitable Neil Patrick Harris) broke up and then became bros again ("Best bros," as Barney insists). Ted proposed to Stella (guest star Sarah Chalke) who was hinted at possibly being the eponymous "Mother" – although this is an unlikely scenario given that Sarah Chalke will still be on Scrubs. Perhaps the most profound change occurred in Barney. He, the unapologetic womanizer, came to the realization that he is in love with Robin (Cobie Smulders).

The cast of characters on How I Met Your Mother are all genuinely funny in their own right and have loads of quirks to spare. But one of the greatest joys of watching them is that even though the characters are beginning to deal with the stresses and headaches that come with being inexorably thrust into their 30s, like buying apartments and getting ahead in careers, they are all still the fun-loving and slightly immature group of friends they've always been, holding onto beliefs in Sasquatch as Marshall does, or inventing apartment surfing like Robin did. Or maybe I just think this way because I want to think that I can be just as fun as they when I hit 30.

Monday nights this fall are so packed the gills with excellent programming that it might be easy to forget about this little gem tucked into the 8:30 time slot. The problem is, How I Met Your Mother is up against—not one, not two but three!—three other good shows: Gossip Girl, Chuck and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. You may have to do some creative finagling to manage everything, perhaps a liberal use of a dual-drive plus Internet streaming, sprinkled with a lack of sleep. But by all means, do not forget about How I Met Your Mother. It's just about the funniest thing on TV.


-Debbie Chang, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of CBS)