Neil Patrick Harris and the Britney Spears Debacle

Recently, How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris made headlines when it was reported by Associated Press that he believed the show did not need stunt casting to succeed. He was also quoted as saying that "I think we have a great show going, and I hope it's not screwed up by the desire for 700,000 more viewers." This led to many thinking that he did not agree with the casting and did not want her back. In response, he came forward with a statement saying he was misquoted and hopes that she returns.

Guest stars commonly increase viewership for many shows and it is not uncommon for some shows to have multiple guest stars every week depending on the type of program.

One such show is 30 Rock which is one of the most critically acclaimed new shows, nabbing the 2007 Emmy for Best Comedy Series. The show follows a group of writers and actors on a fictional sketch comedy show. This format allows for many guest stars and many have already graced the set including several SNL alums, Will Arnett, David Schwimmer, even Al Gore.

One dream casting would be Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. Now that election season is upon us, a show like 30 Rock is the most likely to be able to fit in one of these personalities since they could play themselves guest starring of the fake show within the show. It would be a great chance to see a different side of the candidates, while garnering lots of viewers in the process.

Another absolutely dream casting would be James Gandolfini on CSI. CSI is another one of those shows that can have a revolving door of guest stars since they have a new murder mystery every week. Gandolfini could play a man suspected of murder in connection with mob activity. Of course, this is extremely unlikely to ever happen, but who wouldn't want to see the Vegas gang solve one of the gruesome mob murders that The Sopranos were so famous for. Maybe when an old associate sleeps with the fishes, he doesn't float too far.

Finally, we have the casting of Stephen Colbert on The Office. Now that Ryan the temp has moved up in the company, the office could use some extra help. This could be a short guest spot or a more extended, perhaps recurring role. It would surely be hilarious to see all the Daily Show alums, Steve Carell, Ed Helms and Stephen Colbert working together. He would fit in well with the general atmosphere of the show and provide tons of laughs.

But until all these unlikely castings happen, we can only dream. But hey, if Britney Spears can do it, there's hope for the Democratic candidates.

Erin Carlson. Neil Patrick Harris: Say No to Britney! Associated Press
New York (AP). 'Mother' Star Clarifies Britney Remarks. Associated Press