Tonight, one of my favorite comedies is back on CBS with all-new episodes, post-Writers’ Strike. How I Met Your Mother, now in its third season, is the story of how Ted (Josh Radnor) met his future wife. Flashbacks from the future propel the story forward (a technique later lifted by Lost), with “Future Ted” (voiced by Bob Saget) relating his many Miss adventures to his kids.

Playing a big role in Ted’s present-day quest are his close pals (this is a sitcom, remember) and that’s where Mother really shines. Jason Segel and Alyson Hannigan are Marshall and Lily Eriksen, newlyweds and Ted’s roommates; Neil Patrick Harris plays the always-suited-up Barney Stinson, fond of women and a well-turned phrase; and Cobie Smulders is newscaster Robin Scherbatsky, Ted’s on-and-off-again girlfriend (Robin was ruled out as the titular mother in an early episode).

Here’s a sample of the off-kilter, original comedy that Mother knows best. In Season Two, Barney outs Robin as former Canadian teen pop star Robin Sparkles (a mix of early Alanis, a little Tiffany, and the unfortunate fashion choices of Debbie Gibson):

How committed is How I Met Your Mother to a joke? The show filmed a complete “Let’s Go To The Mall” video. Watch it here.

CBS hasn’t yet renewed How I Met Your Mother (though the network did re-up for the creatively impotent The Big Bang Theory), so a bid for better ratings is likely behind some of the stunt casting on the show this season. Mandy Moore and Enrique Iglesias have already been through the door, but as you may have heard, everyone’s favorite troubled pop star, Britney Spears, guests next week.

Suit up Mondays at 8:30/7:30 Central and tell a friend. How I Met Your Mother is worth the watch.