Mother lode: A Britney Spears moment

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TV This Week
Mother lode: A Britney Spears moment
By Diego Vasquez
Mar 24, 2008 - 1:00:51 AM

“How I Met Your Mother” wasn’t on the list last month when CBS announced a slew of series renewals. But the sitcom is certainly making a good case for a fourth season.

The show returned from the writers’ strike last week to season-best ratings, and it could surge even higher tonight at 8:30 p.m., with a much buzzed-about cameo by troubled pop star Britney Spears.

Last week “Mother,” which follows a group of good-looking young New Yorkers and thus drew comparisons to “Friends” at its launch, averaged a 4.3 adults 18-49 rating with its first original episode in nearly four months.

That was up 34 percent over the show’s season-to-date 3.2 average, and it marked the second-best rating ever for the program, which aired a half hour earlier last fall.

Tonight’s episode could do even better because of Spears. The tabloid queen’s cameo has received extensive pre-show press and may have even accounted for some of last week’s bump.

Though she plays a relatively minor role, an unstable woman with a crush on lead character Ted, it’s her first TV appearance since bombing on the MTV Video Music Awards last year, then checking into a mental hospital amidst a contentious custody battle with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline.

Spears’ TV appearances generally do well. The VMAs soared over the previous year’s viewership, and her interview with Matt Lauer two years ago, before her marriage broke up, drew very good ratings for NBC.

Any sort of bump, be it from guest stars or simply lack of other original competition, will help “Mother,” which was also a bubble show last year.

A look at this week’s top TV draws
MONDAY, MARCH 24
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 p.m.	ESPN	“College Basketball” (S)	Second-round action from the National Invitational Tournament.
8 p.m.	ABC	“Dancing with the Stars” (R)	All 12 of the couples perform tonight.
8 p.m.	IFC	“SXSW Closing Ceremony” (A)	A rundown of this year’s South by Southwest Festival.
9 p.m.	CBS	“Two and a Half Men” (C)	Charlie’s sick and Rose takes care of him … in her own way.
9 p.m.	Fox	“New Amsterdam” (D)	Amsterdam reveals he had addiction problems in the 1960s. Join the club.
10 p.m.	CBS	“CSI: Miami” (D)	A pro baseball player is accused of murdering his wife-to-be at their wedding in the show’s first new post-strike episode.
10 p.m.	MTV	“The Hills” (R)	Season premiere. Lauren finds it hard to have fun in Paris after she finds out about Brody’s new fling.
TUESDAY, MARCH 25
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	ABC	“Good Morning America” (N)	Actress Demi Moore guests and chef Sara Moulton cooks it up.
7 p.m.	Versus	“NHL Hockey” (S)	The Flyers take on the Rangers as the Stanley Cup playoffs loom.
8 p.m.	Fox	“American Idol” (R)	The top 10 contestants perform. Who’s your favorite?
9 p.m.	ABC	“Dancing with the Stars” (R)	The first results show of the season sees one male and one female voted off.
10 p.m.	BET	“College Hill” (R)	What a stand-up roommate: Anthony brings strippers back to the house and messes with the girls’ alarm clocks.
10 p.m.	FX	“The Riches” (D)	Nina is held hostage by a couple of locals.
10 p.m.	Bravo	“Real Housewives of New York City” (R)	LuAnn hits the scene with her much younger niece.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	NBC	“Today” (N)	Actress Helen Mirren drops by.
7 p.m.	ESPN	“NBA Basketball” (S)	A finals preview? The Suns take on the Celtics in Boston.
8 p.m.	CW	“America’s Next Top Model” (R)	Tyra teaches the girls how to give “that look” at the end of a runway.
9 p.m.	Fox	“American Idol” (R)	Kimberly Locke performs and, of course, a finalist is eliminated.
9:30 p.m.	ESPN	“High School Basketball” (S)	An early look at next year’s top college players in the McDonald’s All-American Game.
10 p.m.	Comedy Central	“South Park” (C)	The guys have to help Britney Spears to the North Pole.
10 p.m.	MTV	“Real World/Road Rules Challenge” (R)	A reunion of cast members from the third edition of The Gauntlet.
THURSDAY, MARCH 27
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 p.m.	CBS	“College Basketball” (S)	Are your brackets already busted? Coverage of the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament.
8 p.m.	ABC	“Miss Guided” (C)	The first time in her life, Becky acts like a rebel.
8 p.m.	CW	“Smallville” (D)	Clark tries to use his flying skills to take on Brainiac.
9 p.m.	NBC	“Celebrity Apprentice” (R)	Season finale. The Donald names his winner and awards $250,000 to his or her charity of choice.
10 p.m.	ABC	“Eli Stone” (D)	Still another appearance by singer George Michael.
10 p.m.	MTV	“Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew” (R)	Season finale. The winning team is selected.
10 p.m.	TLC	“LA Ink” (R)	Kat’s boyfriend tells her dad all about their relationship.
FRIDAY, MARCH 28
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	ABC	“Good Morning America” (N)	Doctors Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen both guest.
7 p.m.	CBS	“College Basketball” (S)	More coverage of the NCAA men’s basketball regional semifinals.
8 p.m.	CMT	“Ultimate Coyote Ugly Search” (R)	The seven remaining contestants compete in a challenge called “Don’t Stop Dancing.”
8:30 p.m.	Fox	“The Return of Jezebel James” (C)	Coco gets a job walking a neighbor’s dog.
9 p.m.	Travel Channel	“Mysteries of the Smithsonian” (N)	A look at some of the most unique items at the famous institution.
10 p.m.	Sci Fi Channel	“Battlestar Galactica: Revealed” (A)	A recap of the show’s first three seasons.
SATURDAY, MARCH 29
Time	Network	Program	Description
3 p.m.	NBC	“PGA Golf” (S)	Third-round coverage of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
6:30 p.m.	CBS	“College Basketball” (S)	The first of two regional finals that will determine half of this year’s Final Four.
8 p.m.	Fox	“Cops” (R)	Cops in Las Vegas use their trusty spike strips to slow down a stolen car.
8 p.m.	Nickelodeon	“Kids’ Choice Awards” (A)	The 21st annual event, hosted again this year by Jack Black.
10 p.m.	Showtime	“John Witherspoon: You Got to Coordinate” (A, C)	The aging comedian delivers a stand-up special.
11 p.m.	Fox	“Mad TV” (C)	Spoofs of Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey, as well as a “Juno 2” sketch.
SUNDAY, MARCH 30
Time	Network	Program	Description
2 p.m.	CBS	“College Basketball” (S)	The first of two more regional finals, completing this season’s Final Four.
3 p.m.	NBC	“PGA Golf” (S)	Final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, won by Nick Watney last year.
8 p.m.	Fox	“The Simpsons” (C)	Lisa becomes addicted to secondhand smoke.
8 p.m.	Univision	“Por Siempre…Selena” (A)	Latin music stars offer a tribute to the late singer.
9 p.m.	CW	“The Game” (C)	Serena Williams guests and goes on a date with Malik.
9:30 p.m.	Fox	“Unhitched” (C)	Season finale. Tommy teaches Freddy how to drive.
10 p.m.	FX	“Dirt” (D)	Willa and Farber try to find juicy tidbits on celebrity relationships.
A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.