Britney Spears' TV appearance raises hopes of recovery

Last night marked the return of Britney to the small screen, as she made an appearance on the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother.”

"How I Met Your Mother" is pretty much an average-to-occasionally-good sitcom where Britney played a love-struck receptionist in a tattoo-removal clinic who falls for the main character Ted.

A lot was riding on Britney's performance. TV critics say Britney Spears has shown she can act and looked "slim, trim and gorgeous" in her guest appearance.

According to People:
Her challenge was clear: Demonstrate that, even though she seems in recent months to have been traveling through life on the roaring, ragged edge of a tornado, she could still stop and stand still long enough to perform on camera, be as naturally charming as the role permitted, and let the audience conclude: “Well, she SEEMS all right. She seems like Britney.”

Media and crisis management consultant Robbie Vorhaus told press the cameo was a good move for the troubled pop princess. “This will be remembered as the beginning of the return of Britney as an actress, a personality, as someone trying to be normal in a pretty crazed world. Good for her.”

In the New York Post, Linda Stasi wrote: "You'd never know that pop tart Britney Spears had ever had a bad day in her life.

It's been billed as the first step of a possible road to recovery for the troubled pop star.