Jul 16 2009 04:15 PM ET

'Mother' boss on Emmy nod and next season's 'horror' theme

How-I-Met-Your-Mother_l After getting snubbed for four consecutive years, How I Met Your Mother finally scored an Emmy nomination for best comedy series this morning. And the news just gets better: I now have a legitimate excuse to get exec producer Craig Thomas on the phone and grill him for scoop on season 5! Um, I mean congratulate him on his Emmy nod!

Congrats!
CRAIG THOMAS:
Thank you. And thank you for supporting our show. You always have our back and we appreciate it. We got a kick out of seeing our show on your Dream Emmy Ballot.

I’m happy to help. The show always felt like such an underdog. But this year you set ratings records and now you’ve got an Emmy nomination.
THOMAS:
It’s funny because when you don’t get nominated you find yourself being, like, 17 years-old and going, “The prom is stupid!” because no one asked you. But deep down you want someone to ask you. It is kind of nice to get asked to the prom and put on a tux and all that.

Neil is hosting this year. Is the ceremony going to be one big HIMYM lovefest?
THOMAS:
Clearly if How I Met Your Mother wins the Emmy for best comedy there’s going to be a huge investigation into Neil’s backstage behavior. There’s going to put a steroids-like asterisk next to our win.

Jeremy Piven didn’t make the cut in the supporting actor category so Neil stands a really good chance of winning this year.
THOMAS:
I have this horrible fantasy that Piven’s still somehow going to win. Until I see someone else walk up and get that award I think Piven is the frontrunner.

While I have you in such a good mood, how about some season 5 scoop?
THOMAS:
For a long time the mother was in this big vast ocean of New York City; she could be anyone. And we ended the season with Ted teaching at Columbia University — literally in the same room as the mother. So that has added a great suspense element in the writing. We’ve gotten some great material out of that, including a whole story that plays almost like a horror movie. Suspenseful ominous music is playing and at any point Ted can round a corner and run into the mother. It’s been a really nice engine for writing the season so far.

Don’t you have to wait until the final episode of the series to reveal who the mom is in order to stay true to the premise?
THOMAS:
You could certainly argue that. I don’t want to say which way we’ll go with that, but I think it’s a very valid argument.

Comments (39 total) Add your comment
Page: 1 2 3
  • Adam

    So good to hear they finally get the nod. Well deserving. But why F.O.T.C!!!
    http://tvdonewright.com/?p=2175

  • midge

    NOO! Don’t wait until the final episode. The show is supposed to air forever! ;-)

  • DavidJ

    I don’t really see why they have to wait til the last episode for the reveal. They could always introduce the character now and let the relationship gradually evolve into something more.
    Of course I’m still holding out hope that it’s Robin…

  • Kate

    I really like how interviews with him feel like he is trying to hold in laughter and act like he is one of the producers of Lost.

  • Sara

    Oh no, don’t make us wait until the end! I really want to see the relationship develop (maybe Ted learns to be less of a douchenozzle?) and I’ll feel so cheated if it’s only in the last episode that they’re like “oh and then I met your mom, Ms. Candypants. But you already know the story of our relationship, so we’re done here.”

  • Captain Hollywood

    It’s funny how they get an emmy nomination on arguably their worst season writing wise so far. Hopefully things get a little more clever again this year.

  • Chelsea

    I’m so glad the show is finally nominated, although I think it’s a little odd that it’s during its worst season to date as well. Still, even a good but not great is better than most comedy on television and they did have some really good moments this year. Bring on the HIMYM lovefest!
    http://girlwithremote.wordpress.com/

  • CindyC.

    I was eating lunch while reading this and totally choked on an onion ring when it came to the Piven remark. Classic.
    Congrats to my favorite comedy on this much belated, but very much deserved nom. There would never be an asterick behind a win in my eyes. If you look at so many past Emmy winners it’s a handicapped sport all the way around.

  • Cara

    Noooo I want to know who the mother is before the end, and actually see why they hook up!! Either way I’m so excited about their nomination, and NPH being nominated (and hopefully winning this time) and hosting, too. I can’t wait for the Emmys!!

  • HLH

    First, I will concede that this year’s shows were maybe not as consistent as they have been in the past. However, Once they got past the Stella episodes, things definitely got better in my opinion. The Naked Man? The Three Days Rule? Hilarious! I like Sarah Chalke but Stella just annoyed me.

  • Megan

    So happy w/ HIMYM’s nom. I have just recently become a fan, and I have so been missing out on a hilarious show. Congrats to the well deserved nomination.

  • Heather

    As much as I want to know who the mother is, I’m afraid if they reveal her we won’t like her. I’m afraid I’ll end up going “WTH? She’s the mother?” But I really really want to know who the mother is!
    Congrats to them garnering a nod. Too bad the underrated laidies didn’t get a nod.

  • Kristine

    Happy for the nod, not so happy about the season, but I guess we have to take what we can get. Anyway, I still think that the perfect ending line is, “And kids, that’s how I met your mother.”
    I think that there’s a happy medium, however. Robin, Lily, Marshall and Barney can all meet her earlier in the season. They can get to know her and that way, we can get to know her. Then when Ted finally meets her Bob Saget can utter the line and we’ll be all like, ‘cool.’ ;)

  • Rach

    I don’t think it has been the “worst” season. I don’t think HIMYM *has* a worst season. Every year has a few meh episodes and a whole stack of fantastic ones. I couldn’t choose a favourite season.

  • Dave

    Have to say NPH getting nominated is awesome and when, not if, he wins it’s going to be legen… wait for it… dary.

Page: 1 2 3
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