'How I Met Your Mother' Series Finale Date Revealed

CBS will use the grand TV event to launch its new series 'Friends with Better Lives'.

CBS announced on Thursday, December 19 the ending date of its long-running series "How I Met Your Mother". The sitcom will wrap up this spring on Monday, March 31 with a special one-hour final episode.

The series finale will help launch a preview episode of James Van Der Beek's "Friends with Better Lives" at 9/8c. The new series will then move to its regular slot on Mondays at 8:30/7:30c beginning April 7. "2 Broke Girls" will occupy its new time slot on Mondays at 8/7c on April 14.

Before "HIMYM" closes its curtain, the 200th episode airing on January 27 will tell the story from the Mother's perspective. "You're going to be so sick of her by the end [of the series]," creator/executive producer Craig Thomas jokingly told TVLine earlier this month of Cristin Milioti's character.

Executive producer Carter Bays added, "It's about the tale. It felt like a different kind of 200th episode, but it felt like the right one to do in terms of the greater story of the show."

A spin-off to "HIMYM" has been given a pilot order. Bays, Thomas and "Up All Night" creator Emily Spivey developed the pilot from a female point of view, telling a brand-new story with new characters and a new voice at its center.