Fans of the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" have more than Christmas and New Year to celebrate as the cast of the show has closed a deal for the ninth season, according to Deadline. Chances of renewal of the hit series looked bleak when one of the main characters Jason Segel decided to quit the show.

Also the characters reportedly had been signed only for eight seasons and the renewal required new negotiations and contracts. But Segel has now had a change of heart, which works out in favor of the fans who have been impatient for the ninth season. They have also been plagued by the question of who the mother is and are hoping to get to know it in Season 9. The date on which the show will air has still not been revealed.

And it is not just the fans who wanted the show to continue. Creator Carter Bays too is equally excited about it and in no way wants to shorten the ninth season. "I would rather not," he told hypable.com in an interview. "Our dream would be to do another 24-episode season."

He also spoke about Robin's decision to accept Barney's proposal in the interview saying, "She loves Barney. She loves him. [The proposal was] a moment of realizing he's going to be lacking in certain regards, and that's just part of who Barney is." Giving a hint of what the ninth season will feature, Bays discussed what the couple's journey is going to be like.

"How I Met Your Mother" has been a hit with viewers who have been religiously following the sitcom, which first aired in September 2005. Another fan who swears by the series is writer and director Quentin Tarantino. In an interview with MTV News he spoke about his love for the series and how he enjoyed watching it.

"Hands down, my favorite show is 'How I Met Your Mother.' I've been watching that since the very first episode, so that's the one show that I always keep watching."