Neil Patrick Harris To Host 7th Annual 'TV Land Awards' 4/26

Acclaimed television, stage and movie actor Neil Patrick Harris ("How I Met Your Mother," Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle and Assassins) has been named the host of the 7th Annual "TV Land Awards," it was announced today by Larry W. Jones, president, TV Land. "The TV Land Awards" will be taped on Sunday, April 19th at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City and air in TV Land PRIME on Sunday, April 26th at 9pm ET/PT.

"Neil is a dynamic and versatile actor who has won the hearts of fans and critics alike," states Larry W. Jones, president, TV Land. "Over the past 20 years, Neil has continued to reinvent himself with memorable roles on television, on Broadway and in film. He brings a great sense of humor and quick wit to the table and we are thrilled to have him as our host."

This year, the ninety-minute show will honor legendary artists from the entertainment industry, feature exhilarating musical performances, reunite some of the most iconic celebrity TV casts and of course, the fan favorite -- the perennial TV Land Awards parody that always highlights the year's most-talked-about events. Previous honorees include Mike Myers, Garry Marshall, the cast of "Desperate Housewives" and the hilarious sitcoms "Cheers" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show." Past presenters include Academy Award(C) winner Halle Berry, Justin Timberlake, Samuel L. Jackson, Steve Carell, Robin Williams and Academy Award(C) nominee Robert Downey, Jr. to name a few.

Equally successful on stage and screen, Neil Patrick Harris continues to demonstrate his creative versatility. He can currently be seen as the womanizing Barney Stinson on the hit CBS comedy series, "How I Met Your Mother," a role which recently garnered him a 2009 Golden Globe nomination and two consecutive Emmy Award nominations. Harris' Barney is best known for his hilarious catchphrases, penchant for suits, and foolproof ways of picking up women. Named one of the "2008 Entertainers of the Year" by Entertainment Weekly, Harris also recently starred as the aspiring supervillain and lovelorn title character of Joss Whedon's web-based musical miniseries sensation, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. The web series debuted atop the iTunes television charts and has gone on to produce a subsequently successful soundtrack.

Harris gained notoriety on the small screen as the much-adored title character in "Doogie Howser, M.D.," a role which also garnered him a Golden Globe nomination. Created by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley, the television comedy-drama, which ran for four seasons, told the story of a brilliant young doctor who faced the problems of being a normal teenager. Harris' additional television credits include the NBC comedy series, "Stark Raving Mad," opposite Tony Shalhoub, the CBS mini-series Joan of Arc with Leelee Sobieski & Peter O'Toole, Showtime's The Man in the Attic, the classic TNT telefilm Cold Sassy Tree opposite Faye Dunaway, My Antonia with Jason Robards, The Wedding Dress with Tyne Daly, and CBS's top-rated telefilm of 2005, The Christmas Blessing. He's also made notable guest appearances on such shows as "Will & Grace," "Ed," and "Boomtown."

Already a veteran to theater, Harris has starred in three Broadway productions, including the dual roles of The Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald in the Tony Award-winning musical Assassins. He also played Anne Heche's unexpected suitor in the Pulitzer Prize-winning production of Proof, and the exuberant emcee in Cabaret at Studio 54. His additional theatre credits include roles in the Geffen Playhouse production of Arthur Miller's All My Sons, The Paris Letter at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, tick, tick...BOOM! at London's Menier Chocolate Factory, the Los Angeles production of Rent, Romeo & Juliet at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego, and the concert production of Sweeney Todd at Lincoln Center in New York.

In July 2007, Harris utilized his Broadway expertise behind the velvet curtain during his theatrical directing debut of the original comedic script, I Am Grock, at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood. Furthermore, Harris recently mixed his love of magic and theatre in directing The Expert at the Card Table at the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Harris rounds out his accomplishments on stage and television with renowned success on the silver screen. His last feat was the reprisal of his role as "Neil Patrick Harris" in New Line Cinema's comedy film, Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, the sequel to 2004's sleeper hit Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Harris's feature film debut was a starring role opposite Whoopi Goldberg in the coming-of-age drama, Clara's Heart, for which he received his first Golden Globe nomination. Additionally, Harris has appeared in Universal's hit urban comedy Undercover Brother with Eddie Griffin, Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers, The Next Best Thing with Rupert Everett & Madonna, and The Proposition with Madeline Stowe & Kenneth Branagh, among many others.

The multi-talentEd Harris also enjoys a busy schedule in the world of voice-overs, appearing in numerous animated series and features, including the recent Justice League: The New Frontier (as Barry Allen/The Flash) and the top-rated MTV series, Spider-Man, voicing both the title character and his alter ego, Peter Parker. Harris has also lent his voice to the animated family comedy, Cats & Dogs 2: Tinkles Revenge.

Harris will soon be heard opposite Will Arnett in the D3 Productions video game, Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard. His voice work also includes creating character voices for numerous books on tape, including Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary, Slake's Limbo, Ribsy, Lump of Coal, A Very Marley Christmas and the award-winning children's book, Henry Huggins.

Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Harris currently resides in Los Angeles.

TV Land PRIME is TV Land's prime time programming destination designed for people in their mid-forties and the exclusive home to the premieres of the network's original programming, contemporary television series acquisitions and movies. TV Land PRIME is part of TV Land, a network dedicated to presenting the best in entertainment on all platforms for consumers in their 40s and 50s. Consisting of original programming, acquired shows, hit movies and full-service Web site, TV Land is now seen in over 93 million U.S. homes.

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company's portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 350 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, Atom, GameTrailers and Xfire.

Photo Credit: Sarah DeBoer/Retna Ltd.

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