It's no surprise that Joss Whedon has a magic touch.  I will be the first to admit that his creations are not always infallible, but the man has an eye for doing new and exciting things that end up working like we couldn't have predicted.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog wasn't the first made-for-web mini movie/series, but it took a cute idea and put it on a platform that allowed it to flourish.  The little web series that could ended up winning multiple awards, including an Emmy, a Hugo, a Steamy and a People's Choice Award.

Titan Books has produced a companion guide to the web series, which is now available for purchase.  The book is a treasure for fans of Dr. Horrible, and should have you laughing from the very first page, which features a Forward from Captain Hammer himself (who seems to have a little trouble recalling the name of his now deceased girlfriend).  A round-table discussion among the series' collaborators comes next.  The Whedon brothers and Maurissa Tancharoen take you through the creation and casting of the series (with a few hilarious tangents along the way).

An uncut version of the entire script follows and sprinkled throughout the book are behind the scenes photos, annotated script pages, original lyrics from Joss Whedon himself, and memories from the various actors involved.  There's also a behind the scenes look at the costumes.  Even a tribute to the fans of the series is included, along with accounts of appearances at Comic Con and some awards shows.  You'll learn some fun facts you probably didn't know about the series: like the fact that the two male leads completely forgot about the first read-through and that Angel and Supernatural writer Ben Edlund was involved at the beginning of the web series.

If you're musically inclined, then you'll be thrilled to know that the sheet music for the entire score is contained at the back of the book.  Personally, I'm itching to head to my old piano at my parents' house to see if I remember how to play and belt out the Dr. Horrible songs.

You'll laugh along with all the commentary throughout the book, just like you laughed during Dr. Horrible.  If you're a fan of the web series, then you need to buy this book.  If you're not a fan of the web series, then you need to watch it ASAP, because you don't know what you're missing.  And then you need to buy this book.

clarissa @ tvovermind.com
twitter.com/clarissa373
twitter.com/tvovermind

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Book Review

This week’s episode of How I Met Your Mother was entitled "Legendaddy" and it was certainly a legendary performance by Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson. Hilarious as always and vunerable enough to make your eyes glisten with tears, NPH did a more than spectacular job of showing a range of emotions as his character finally met his father.

We first meet Barney’s dad, Jerome, by way of a phony flashback during an intervention for Barney thrown by the gang at Ted’s house. NPH played the great giddy excitement role well as he spun a tale of the father he wanted to have but didn’t get (a cool smooth talking ladies man just like Mr. Stinson himself).

When Barney’s dad heads to MacLaren’s to get some help from the gang, they and we learn the truth. Jerome is actually a milk drinking, goofy, driving instructor who has a family of his own now. Obviously upset, Barney walked out of the bar on him and won’t return of any of his calls.

So it's intervention time.

In a heartbreaking moment, which brought some closure to the storyline, Marshall reminded Barney that although he may not be the father he wanted, he’s the father he’s got and he’s still alive. This was motivation enough for Barney to head over to dinner at his Dad’s house.

The following scene was at the same time funny and poignant with Barney ragging on his new younger brother J.J. (Jerome Jr.) and then devastated when learning what his initials stood for.

Moments later, in the most powerful scene of the night, Barney attempting to get the basketball hoop down stands on the car and yells “Because if you were going to be some lame suburban dad, why couldn’t you have been that for me?”

It was hard not to get choked up at this point, seeing Barney in such a vulnerable and real position.  Teaching his son how to use a screwdriver (Barney’s gap in knowledge), Jerome helped him get the hoop down.

Then Barney walked away, hoop in hand. How will meeting his father affect Barney? We’ll have to wait and see but if this week’s episode was any indication, it is sure to make an impact.

HIMYM did what it does best tonight, touching upon a serious topic and pulling your heart strings while simultaneously making you laugh. It was one of the strongest episodes this season.

Some additional thoughts:

• John Lithgow was FANTASTIC in this role both as the suave dad and the dorky one. It was nice to see him play something so different than the Trinity Killer.
• The gang’s gaps in knowledge (Ted’s inability to pronounce chameleon, Robin’s stupidity of common knowledge, Lily’s poor aim, and Marshall’s inability to blink/swallow pills/make good oatmeal) were a hilarious secondary storyline. My favorite gap Lily’s poor aim.

Quips of the night:

• “I love you daddy, I’m so happy we’re best friends now!” – Barney (in his phony flashback)
• “This is going to be the second most fun I’ve had on an Asian leg” – Barney
• “I guess you could call me the LeBron James of grapes.” – Jerome
• “Lily! We are living with a possum!” – Marshall

So what did everyone else think? Will Barney's meeting with his dad have a real impact on him? Did your heart break as Barney came to terms with the situation? Which character's gap of knowledge did you find the funniest? Let us know in the comments below!

How I Met Your Mother 6.19 "Legendaddy" Review

Just when I thought the title of tonight’s How I Met Your Mother was ironic, BAM! We were hit with some horrible and shocking news.

Marshall’s father was dead. He had a heart attack and didn’t make it. It was an unexpected event that I never saw coming.

As Marshall was about to call his dad to tell him the good news (his “sperm is fine!”) we were stabbed right in the gut.  Tonight’s episode of HIMYM was a rollercoaster ride of emotions, from the high to the very low. I laughed out loud (multiple times), gasped and shed some tears.

The episode began with Marshall and Lily in their doctor’s office wondering why they’re not getting pregnant even though they’ve had sex everywhere, in every position and at all times of the day. Their doctor suggests they visit a fertility specialist, Dr. Stangel (Neil Patrick Harris), who just so happens to be Barney’s doppelganger.

Upon meeting Stangel and realizing this, Lily is convinced “this is like a black cat walking through my uterus.” She and Marshall have always said they wouldn’t try to have kids until they found him (Barney’s doppelganger).

Convinced it is Barney trying to get a peek at her lady parts, Marshall and Lily make him stay in the room, with headphones and eye shields on, as she is examined. We find out later that she is extremely fertile and Marshall begins to wonder if he is the problem. After going through ghosts of sperm givers past, constant interruptions and a fake out by Barney in his quest for a laser tag partner, Marshall is finally able to give sperm and sees that he too is fertile.

The Eriksons can have a child (Yay! Even though we already knew this from “The Mermaid Theory” episode)... and THEN that’s when the bad news dropped like a bomb. According to viewers on Twitter and upon my second viewing, we see there was a gag countdown until the bad news hit. It seemed a bit odd to me that they’d do this, given the sad event it was counting down to but perhaps if I had I seen this during my first viewing, I would have been more prepared for the news. Without it, it was a complete and utter shock to my system. Perfectly acted by both Alyson Hannigan and Jason Segel, the moment was powerful and their sadness was palpable. It almost made me forget everything that happened before it. It was extremely affecting.

While I’m left with the overwhelming feeling of grief from tonight’s episode, there were some really funny moments leading up to the ‘Bad News’ and some hilarious quips of the night (see below). I didn’t particularly care for the secondary storyline of Robin starting her new job at Worldwide News but did love seeing Alexis Denisof back on the show. (Any Whedonverse alum on TV makes me happy). Overall it was a great episode that packed the one-two punch of funny and serious quite well (minus the inappropriate gag countdown). Here’s hoping the writers of HIMYM can keep delivering strong episodes like tonight.

Some additional thoughts:

• Lily and Marshall having sex 203 times in the past 4 months. Awesome.
• The montage with Marshall and his dad was very sweet, especially given the end of the episode.
• Laser Tag is awesome.
• Just the thought of Robin getting hit by an owl is hilarious.
• In The A.V. Club’s review of the episode, Donna Bowman lists when every number took place for those who were as unaware as myself.

My Quips of the Night:

• “[…] This is like a black cat walking through my uterus” –Lily
• “Wow, it is like looking into a poorly dressed mirror” – Barney re: Dr. Stengel
• “How ya doing Lily? …Should I have a boner?” – Barney (screaming as he is blinded and deafened during Lily's exam)
• “Problem?  You can’t get a girl pregnant. That’s the dream. I’d give my first born to not be able to have children” – Barney

So what did you guys think? Did you like the episode? Were you as shocked as I was at the ending? Did you notice the countdown? What do you think his Dad's death will do to Marshall? When will Lily finally get pregnant? Leave your comments and thoughts below!

How I Met your Mother 6.13 "Bad News" Review

In case you don't follow Neil Patrick Harris  on Twitter (or a myriad of other TV folks who retweeted  him), here's what you missed:

@therealNPH Eric Braeden is a D-Bag. the actor, (Robin's dad) agreed to a cameo, then last nightbailed, saying the part wasn't 'substantial' enough.

Followed by:

@therealNPH We've recast with Ray Wise, a fantastic actor who makes any part 'substantial'. Super excited to welcome him to the family!

Sure smells like some bad blood between the cast and Eric Braeden!  Unless you have no idea who he is, and you probably wouldn't if you don't watch soap operas, and The Young and The Restless in particular, he's played Victor Newman since the dawn of time. Okay, since 1980, but it sure seems like the dawn of time.

Funny how people look down on soap operas in general and don't think much of soap actors at all (well, those who stay on soaps their entire career), and he gets a part, however small, in one of the top rated programs and turns it down because it's not meaty enough. Seems super bizarre to me.

The good news for How I Met Your Mother fans is that the role will now be played by Ray Wise who, frankly, brightens any screen he is on with his fabulous wit and line delivery. I haven't even watched HIMYM for the last couple of years, but will definitely tune in to see him in the role.

The next exciting thing is to keep an eye out for is whether Braeden's camp does any damage control, or if he just ignores the whole thing. Being called a douchebag for the world to see has to sting just a bit, don't you think?

You have to love how Twitter brings us news items that we would otherwise never be privy to hearing. And don't forget to follow us at @tvovermind and me at @modwild.

Do Not Mess Around with Neil Patrick Harris!

This past Saturday night, the Creative Arts Emmy awards were presented (the ceremony will be broadcast on E! August 28th).  These awards, mostly for the creative and technical fields of television, are traditionally given prior to the main Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony as they are deemed "uninteresting" to most awards show viewers.  Of course, the work of cinematographers, costumers and composers is integral to any television show, let alone good ones, so it is important to fete these artists, as well.  Among the winners were John Lithgow (Dexter) and Ann-Margaret (Law & Order: SVU) for Guest Actors in a Dramatic Series, Neil Patrick Harris (Glee) and Betty White (Saturday Night Live) for Guest Actors in a Comedy Series, Jeff Probst for Best Reality Program Host (Survivor), Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution (Best Reality Program), the 2009 Tony Awards (Best Special Class Program) and FlashForward for Best Stunt Coordination (giving FF more Emmy wins than THE WIRE!?!?!?!).  While some of the winners come as no surprise (it has been "The Year of Betty White" after all), some of the winners may illuminate who will NOT be taking home the big awards on August 29th (a complete list of the winners can be found here).

For example, Michael Giacchino, composer for Lost and already an Emmy and Oscar winner for his beautiful musical compositions, lost the Best Music Score to 24.  Really?  Seriously??  Listen, Sean Callery (who wrote the music for 24) is great and all, but no one doubts the superiority of Giacchino's score.  Further, his score was so integral to Lost as a series that the writers actually wrote the music, as a character, into the script.  So, what was the reason for the loss?  Before we answer that, let's turn to Elizabeth Mitchell, who was uniformly praised for her portrayal of Juliet throughout the series.  She lost the Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series to Ann-Margaret.  This was almost as major an upset as the Music Score award.  What do these two losses have in common?  Both nominees submitted "The End" for consideration.  

Controversy over how the series ended aside, the defining quality of that episode is its length.  At two-and-a-half hours, the show had to receive special dispensation from the Academy to have "The End" even be eligible for consideration.  Now, I'm just as big a Lostfan as anyone, but despite my best efforts, I haven't had a chance to watch the full finale again.  How  many of the Academy voters (frankly, a whole lot of older folks who aren't to keen on shows that border on sci-fi in the first place) actually want to watch an episode of that length for a first time, let alone a second?  Yes, it's true that "The End" won an Emmy for Best Picture Editing (Single Camera - Drama), but that award doesn't get voted on by the entire Academy.  Rather, only other picture editors vote for the award, who would likely be much more willing to watch a 2.5 hour episode in its entirety because of the special nature of their art and its requirements for proper qualitative analysis.  What I think this all means is that folks from Lost who submitted "The End" to support their nominations shouldn't worry about preparing their acceptance speeches.  True, the chances Matthew Fox knocks off Hugh Laurie, Jon Hamm, andBryan Cranston or Lost beats Mad Men  and Breaking Bad are minimal, but I think Damon Lindelof/Carlton Cuse and Jack Bender, too, are facing an uphill battle.  Smartly, Terry O'Quinn (The Substitute) and Michael Emerson (Dr. Linus) submitted alternative episodes to support their nominations, and therefore, have a better chance to take home the award (if they don't cancel each other out).

The Curious Case of Glee on Page 2...

What the Creative Arts Emmy Results Mean for the Primetime Emmys

Neil Patrick Harris.  NEIL PATRICK HARRIS.  ON GLEE.  ARGH!  Awesome.  The May 18 episode of Glee promises to be amazing.  A host of guest stars - including Harris, Molly Shannon and Indina Menzel - and director Joss Whedon are sure to make it memorable.  We have a sneak peek for you below (which is hilarious, by the way), along with an interview with Whedon.

MR. SCHUESTER FACES AN OLD NEMESIS ON AN ALL-NEW “GLEE” ON TUESDAY, MAY 18, ON FOX

Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”), Molly Shannon (“SNL”) and Idina Menzel (“Wicked”) Guest-Star

Episode Directed by Joss Whedon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Dollhouse”)

In an episode directed by Emmy Award winner Joss Whedon, Mr. Schuester’s former high school nemesis, Bryan Ryan (guest star Harris), causes trouble for the glee club. Meanwhile, Rachel struggles with a life-long personal issue, and Artie’s dreams take him on an adventure in the all-new “Dream On” episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 18 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (GLE-119) (TV-14 D, L)

Cast: Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester; Jessalyn Gilsig as Terri Schuester; Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester; Lea Michele as Rachel Berry; Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson; Jayma Mays as Emma Pillsbury; Dianna Agron as Quinn; Chris Colfer as Kurt; Kevin McHale as Artie; Amber Riley as Mercedes; Mark Salling as Puck; Jenna Ushkowitz as Tina

Guest Cast: Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez; Heather Morris as Brittany; Dijon Talton as Matt Rutherford; Harry Shum as Mike Chang; Neil Patrick Harris as Bryan Ryan; Molly Shannon as Brenda Castle; Jonathan Groff as Jesse St. James; Idina Menzel as Shelby; Stephen Tobolowski as Sandy Ryerson

Email: clarissa @ tvovermind.com

Follow: twitter.com/clarissa373

Sneak Peek - Glee 1.19 "Dream On"

Glee doesn't return for the second half of the season until April 13, but already there is great news about one particular episode guest starring Neil Patrick Harris.  EW.com is reporting that Neil Patrick Harris will play Bryan Adam (haha), an arch-nemesis of Will Scheuster, and now a new board member at the school.  It seems that Bryan was quite the singing ladies man back in the day, and always got all the chicks and all the solos when in the glee club with Will.  But times have changed and Bryan has become quite vengeful.

"Show choir ruined his life, made him feel he could be a star, but all he could do is book Carnival cruises," states the EW source.  Bryan attempts to cut the school's art funding which sets off a climactic duet between NPH and Matthew Morrison, who plays Will Schuester.

Besides all of the juicy story tidbits above, this is also the episode that will be directed by the evil-genius Joss Whedon.  After see what Whedon and NPH were able to do with Dr. Horrible it's tough to imagine this episode not being the best of the season.  But then again, that's just the sort of thing to get our hopes carelessly out of whack! And what about Harris' character name, Bryan Adams? It certainly adds some fuel to the rumors that Bryan Adams (as well as Coldplay) turned the show down on allowing their songs to be used.  Geoff Bywater, head of Fox music, has said that nobody has turned them down, but that hasn't stopped the rumors, and certainly won't now.  Good times indeed.

Glee returns April 13 with the first of nine new episodes.  The Joss Whedon directed, NPH starring episode will air sometime during May sweeps.

Source: Ausiello Files

Details on "Glee's" Neil Patrick Harris - Joss Whedon-directed Episode

Yesterday was certainly NPH's day. First there was the whole "who is Lorenzo von Matthenhorn" mystery that was sweeping the internets (which is a fictional name for his character on How I Met Your Mother) and there was also news that Neil has joined Twitter (check him out at ActuallyNPH).

And in less than 24 hours, Neil has managed to acquire over 60,000 Twitter followers.  Because he's NPH.  Former Doogie Howser, raunchy guest star of Harold & Kumar movies, king of the sing-along blogs, and the newest go-to guy for awards shows everywhere. 

In another reality Neil probably wouldn't be famous anymore.  God knows there's a lot of child stars from my youth who have faded into obscurity.  But not NPH.  Because he's a funny guy.  Funny enough to make fun of himself.  That just makes me love him even more. 

Go follow NPH on Twitter.  You know you want to.  I hope he posts a video of himself singing.  I'm a sucker for singing.

Email: clarissa @ tvovermind.com

Follow: twitter.com/clarissa373

Neil Patrick Harris Joins Twitter - Amasses Many Followers

Fresh off what is universally being hailed as a very successful emcee gig at last night's Emmy awards ceremony, Neil Patrick Harris is back doing what he does best - portraying How I Met Your Mother's spastic funny-man Barney.  It will be a small struggle to recalibrate our image of Harris from center stage to supporting player to Josh Radnor's Ted, but hey - anything for NPH.  Sadly, no Dr. Horrible cameo's are rumored for the How I Met Your Mother premiere - that we know of.

How do you hype a sitcom? Easy.  You don't.  Sitcoms are so much a matter of chemistry, all you can really say is the gang is all here - so expect more of what you've seen in the past.  And if you don't believe that, well then here is a clip from tonight's premiere episode of How I Met You Mother to prove it:

Lily forces Barney and Robin to face their fears about defining their relationship; Ted is anxious about his first lecture at Columbia.

About How I Met Your Mother

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER is a comedy about Ted and how he fell in love.  It all started when Ted's best friend, Marshall, dropped the bombshell that he was going to propose to his long-time girlfriend, Lily, a kindergarten teacher.  At that moment, Ted realized that he had better get a move on if he too hopes to find true love.  Helping him in his quest is Barney, a friend with endless, sometimes outrageous opinions, a penchant for suits and a foolproof way to meet women.  When Ted meets Robin, he's sure it's love at first sight, but destiny has something else in store.  The series is narrated through flashbacks from the future.

Preview - How I Met Your Mother 5.01 - Definitions

The fall season is just around the corner and with it one of the shows I've been anticipating the return of more than most.  Last season saw some great stuff happening on How I Met Your Mother as Ted (Josh Radnor) grows ever closer to finding the "mom" in his story to his kids about how he met their mother.  As the season was coming to a close Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin (Cobie Smulders) find themselves in the sack together and even Barney sees a turning point as he begins to struggle to define how he feels about Robin (and the fact that he 'feels' at all says a lot).

Season 5 premiere's on September 21 at 8pm eastern with the episode Definitions.  CBS describes the episode...

"Definitions" -- When  Marshall (Jason Segel) and the gang finds out that Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin (Cobie Smulders) are hesitant to define their relationship, Lily (Alyson Hannigan) forces them to confront their biggest fear.  Meanwhile, Ted (Josh Radnor) is anxious about teaching his first lecture at Columbia, on the fifth season premiere of How I Met Your Mother.

We also have some fantastic promotional images from that first episode below.

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

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"Definitions" -- Marshall (Jason Segel) and the gang finds out that Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin are carrying on a secret romance, on the fifth season premiere of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, Monday, Sept. 21 (8:00-8:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.Photo: Eric McCandless/FOX©2009 Fox Television. All Rights Reserved.

[Show as slideshow]

Source: CBS

How I Met Your Mother Season 5 Preview

Neil Patrick Harris is one step closer to world domination today, or at the very least Award Show Domination, as Variety reports that he is close to signing a deal with CBS and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to host the 61st annual Emmys on Sept. 20.

Neil Patrick Harris is fresh off of his hosting gig at the Tonys, where he received rave reviews (you know you're good when you can get rave reviews for hosting something as boring as the Tonys) and he has also hostedthe TV Land Awards show and the Writers Guild Awards ceremony (which wasn't televised) this year, and last year he hosted the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Hosting this year's Emmy Awards could serve as a great ratings boost for his sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, where he plays ladies man and bro-code scholar Barney Stinson.  Mother moves to a new Monday night timeslot on CBS and conveniently premieres on September 21, the night after the Emmys.

Source: Variety

Neil Patrick Harris Closer to World Domination

The Tonys - LOSERS

The annual awards show for Broadway was last night and boy was it about as boring as ever (I'm not saying Broadway is boring, just their awards show).  CBS sent out a press release today claiming victory in the fact that this year was the most watched Tonys in three years and had over 18% increases in several key demographics, but they left out the fact that only scored a 1.4 rating in the key 18-49 demographic.  The awards gala did provide a few great YouTube moments for our Monday morning, but other than that it was a snore.  The Tonys.....LOSERS.

Neil Patrick Harris - WINNER

Neil Patrick Harris hosted the Tonys last night and it just doesn't get any better than Dr. Horrible himself giving away awards.  This guy is classy, quick on his feet, handsome, fun, likeable, and he's even gay! (I have no idea why that's important.)  Seriously, if there was only one shred of anything that made the Tonys bearable last night it was Neil Patrick Harris' stint as host, and you can bet your ass that the rise in numbers that CBS was boasting about were probably completely due to him.  Neil Patrick Harris...WINNER!

Brett Michaels Concussion - BIGGEST LOSER

Okay, wait, Poison was in a broadway musical?  For those of you who've been in a coma today, Brett Michaels knocked himself stupid (well, more stupid) as he exited the stage of the Tonys when a set prop was lowered onto his head.  LOL.  Let me say that one more time...A set prop was lowered onto his head!  Not only did the poor guy get knocked to the ground in front of a live audience, but then his slightly squashed cowboy hat remained on stage for the rest of the number.  It could be seen a few minutes later getting stomped on by the cast of Shrek the musical.  Now if there's one thing that i never thought I'd see, its an Ogre dancing on Brett Michaels hat.  And if that wasn't enough, Neil Patrick Harris even got to come out later and make jokes about it (since Brett was okay and all, apparantly we can all make fun of him now).  The Tonys might have only had seven million viewers see Brett get slammed last night, but don't worry, the other 297 million of us got to see the clips on YouTube and the rest of the web today.  So basically we're all winners in this one, and Brett is the BIGGEST LOSER!

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Tonys Provide Neil Patrick Harris and Brett Michaels Concussion