Hmm, I actually laughed a few times during the 6min clip of 'How I Met Your Mother' so I'm gonna give it a shot. The laugh-track even seemed less annoying than during the short trailer. Still could do without it though, I don't need to be told when to laugh.

Paul_Rocks | June 30, 20:36 CET

I've seen several clips of Aly's show...looks genuinely funny and her character is another perfect fit (not that any role isn't for her)!

Calledon | June 30, 20:38 CET

Thanks for the cheers Simon...now on to this little quirky show. I really wasnt sold on this show from anything I have read or seen on the internet until after I saw this preview. This is now on my must see list this fall, Aly looks perfect for the part imo.

chasingclerks | June 30, 21:00 CET

Agree, Paul_Rocks -- that's why Nick Brendon's "Kitchen Confidential" trailer was so appealing. That show has no laugh track (and is being aired with/paired with (on the same night) as Arrested Development, which also apparently has no laugh track. Good thing. Now I need to find a way to catch up on Arrested Development, which I didn't get a chance to see last year.

chickenbird | June 30, 21:14 CET

Also, what's this new trend to show advertisements before the clip loads? It's so annoying I want to stab it with a spork.

But back on topic, yes, I just watched Aly's pilot, and the laugh track really was toned down compared to last time. It came off funnier that way, although the "blond" guy is kind of creepy for some reason, maybe because he reminds me too much of David Schwimmer. But overall, very promising.

Not so keen on the other pilot, since usually comedies are more interesting to me than dramas, but it looks slightly more promising than DB's "Bones", which through no fault of Boreanaz', I just didn't like much.

chickenbird | June 30, 21:29 CET

Aha! Eye patch explained. And chickenbird, by "blond guy" do you mean Neil Patrick Harris? I just can't look at him the same after "Harold and Kumar." I never did like shows with laugh tracks, but I'll watch "How I Met Your Mother" for Aly and Jason Segel. Don't know about "Close to Home" since Christian Kane doesn't seem to have a large role.

einral | June 30, 22:45 CET

chickenbird- I have to agree. I have never heard of ads before a preview, but there just seems to be something intrinsicly wrong with that. I mean, seriously, do they think that an ad before a preview is going to cause someone to jump up and say "Oh! I have to go out and buy that product!"?

Genia | June 30, 23:20 CET

...do they think that an ad before a preview is going to cause someone to jump up and say "Oh! I have to go out and buy that product!"?

They wish advertising was that effective. More likely, they're hoping that at some point in the future when you need a product like the one they're selling, the image of that ad will emerge in your mind and influence you to choose them over the field of other competitors on the shelves in front of you.

I'll give Aly's show a shot, even though I can't stand laugh tracks and don't know if she'll be enough to keep me tuned in beyond the first ten minutes. "Arrested Development" has been the only sitcom I watched with any frequency in the last year or so, mainly because it didn't have that uber-annoying background noise. I wish her the best, though -- it'll be good to see her on TV again in something. (And I hope this won't prevent her from reprising her role on Veronica Mars.)

Wiseblood | June 30, 23:45 CET

einral, yes to the Neil Patrick Harris question, and no I have not yet seen Harold & Kumar (I must, though, because of John Cho). No particular offense to him, more that I don't like how the character is written.

Perhaps the ad stream fills the space ("gives you something to watch") while the big stream is buffering. I don't know, all I know is that it is unbelievably annoying.

chickenbird | June 30, 23:53 CET

The ads before the preview are just like the ones now before trailers in the movies. In this case, they realize that if you're interested enough to click on the link, then you want to see the preview. And if you want to see the preview, then you won't close the link just because of a short ad before it. It's guaranteed some exposure.
Also, this preview is much more encouraging than the other one I saw.

two_guns | July 01, 00:49 CET

I never thought I would say this... But it looks like I'm gonna follow a sitcom this coming fall. I mean, it's hilarious!

Djungelurban | July 01, 01:10 CET

Edited because...well...I solved the problem. AH looks good in this.
[ edited by newcj on 2005-07-01 07:07 ]

[ edited by newcj on 2005-07-01 14:15 ]

newcj | July 01, 05:27 CET

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Still, not my type of show, but I will give it a try. Only because of Aly of course ;)

Koos | July 01, 12:15 CET

Yay, good Alyage. Also, chickenbird, I believe Arrested Develpment is selling via DVD. However, I neither own them nor am I responsible for their manufacture, so this is just hearsay and I don't know which seasons are available.

I'm glad to hear that the revised trailer appeals to the whedonesquers though (I'm on dial-up so I'll trust y'all in your appraisals). I last saw Aly in the When Harry Met Sally thing, and I have to admit - while not being a natural stage actor she was still belly-laugh funny - which is one hell of a thing to pull off.

Never quite got the 'That 70s show' role though :-/

giles (yes, it is my real name) | July 01, 18:25 CET

Okay, soooo this entire series is going to document this man's encounters with his future wife everyday? How long is it gonna take them to get together!?

Season 3 - I Finally Meet Your Mother's Parents and Reach Second Base, anybody?

Atleast the cast looks cool. Could do without the blonde guy, though.

Christopher | July 01, 19:25 CET

Neil Patrick Harris was one of the few things about the preview that I found to be consistently funny. I have a renewed appreciation for his comic timing after seeing "Harold & Kumar." I also like it when a talent can step back and make fun of his own public persona, like "Being John Malkovich" for example.

I'm disappointed that once again Hannigan's delegated to a supporting role. She should be the lead ingenue because that would be more interesting, but then I'm still miffed that I never got to see her stage performance in When Harry Met Sally. I mean, England's a bit of a commute for me.

"How I Met Your Mother" reads like a cross between NBC's "Friends," BBC's "Coupling," and ABC's "The Wonder Years," which are three tv series that should never be crossed. It's predictable and bland, with forced humor. The title is like "Eight Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter." It's impossible to consistently keep the title relevant to the series from episode to episode.

I'm happy Hannigan is still getting work, but I'm having real difficulty following the alumni of Whedon's works if they're not going to do anything with vampires or spaceships in them.

Hannigan would make for a cute pirate though...

ZachsMind | July 02, 00:16 CET