'How I Met Your Mother' Spinoff Rejected by CBS, but Maybe not Dead yet

CBS announced that it will not pick up its “How I Met Your Mother” spinoff written by and starring Greta Gerwig, creatively and originally titled “How I Met Your Dad.”

During its upfront press call, CBS president of entertainment Nina Tassler said that “there were elements of the pilot that didn’t work out.”

“I’m heartsick,” Tassler said.

CBS’ announcement is surprising because “How I Met Your Dad” was a strong contender for fall-series pickup, because of the spinoff’s hugely successful predecessor and its lineup with Greta Gerwig set to star, and Meg Ryan slated to do the narration that Bob Saget provided in “How I Met Your Mother.”

But when you think about it, the news isn’t all that surprising. Gerwig’s mumblecore-indie background is a departure from CBS’s traditional laugh track-based sitcoms and pretty straight-forward joke development.

But do not abandon all hope yet. The series has already seen interest at other networks, Deadline reports:

“CBS’ option on HIMYD expires today, so, unless a miracle happens, the project is dead at CBS. 20th TV, which has been very bullish on the pilot, plans to shop it to other networks, and I hear it already has received interest. I hear the studio is looking to make a decision over the next week, with executives confident that HIMYD would go to series somewhere.”

So like, there you have it. A pilot that was going to be a show is now not going to be a show. But there’s hope that it will actually be a show after all. Studio pilot systems make so much sense.