Around the World: Britney Spears' TV power

Britney power
"How I Met Your Mother" has locked up a renewal the old-fashioned way ... with stunt casting. Britney Spears' much-hyped guest shot on Monday's show failed to give viewers the train wreck some might have hoped for, but it did give the CBS comedy its highest rating ever in the 18-49 demo -- a 4.5 -- removing it from the fall sked bubble and helping CBS take the night.

Rebel alliance
Nerddom threw down the gauntlet this week, facing off with the Weinstein Co. over the impending release of "Star Wars"-fanatic tale "Fanboys" and threatening bicoastal protests at screenings of "Superhero Movie" this weekend as well as a broader boycott of Weinstein titles. At the root of the dispute is a Harvey Weinstein-mandated reshoot/rediting of the film that eliminates a subplot involving a cancer patient. Now the Weinstein Co. is saying that they'll release both versions of the film on DVD and are working on a theatrical release for the original as well. So far, the nerds aren't buying. "It's not going to work, Darth Weinstein," one group said of the compromise. Guess we'll find out.