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Think of the best present you ever gave your mom. I promise you: Neil Patrick Harris trumped your gift-giving game last night on NBC’s Best Time Ever when he sought to give his mother the best birthday ever.

But let’s back up. Best Night Ever is a live variety show that combines goofy antics, celebrity silliness, and audience participation in a fast-paced blur of sing-alongs, pranks, and confetti. It’s Ellen but faster, with more cheesy lines read from a teleprompter, more flash, and more planted audience members. Typically, the audience interaction segments of the show go as follows: NPH explains the segment’s topic (“Some people tweet really embarrassing things”), and then he goes into the audience and interviews a prescreened audience member who fits the segment’s description. Last night, however, he broke form by bringing up his own mother instead of a hapless tweeter.

The segment at first seemed like another silly and random addition to a silly and random show. There was a great bit where NPH brought all of his parents’ living room furniture to his New York set so his mom “would feel more at home.” But the silliness took a turn for the sweet when NPH revealed the entire segment to be an elaborate ploy to give his mother the best birthday presents she could ask for. Brace yourself: this level of ultimate gift giving involves a lot of celebrities.

NPH started by having the Decider-approved Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott, finish off his parents’ household repair list. Then came Fantasy Football time. (Note: The name of Sheila Harris’ 2014 fantasy team is the Bipolar Bears. Excellent name, Sheila) Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, every member on Sheila’s starting lineup, and Peyton Manning all wished Neil Patrick Harris’ mom a Happy Birthday, and NPH’s mom gave us the best compilation of excitement GIFs to use in days to come. Check it out for yourself:

But Neil Patrick Harris’ gift-giving was far from over. After all, who can have a birthday without cake? That birthday cake came in the form of NPH’s favorite childhood dessert, Ooey Gooey Bars, and was endorsed by top names in the celebrity chef world, such as Top Chef judge and host Padma Lakshmi, Cake Boss Buddy Valastro Rachel Ray, Iron Chef Cat Cora, Barefoot Contessa‘s Ina Garten, and freaking Emeril Lagasse. The Ooey Gooey Bars and the Ooey Gooey cake also received the Harris children’s stamp of approval. But the gift-giving wasn’t over yet.

The Property Brothers then came on set with flowers, a spa day, and lots of couch-cuddling for mom. The celebrations ended with a football signed by Peyton Manning and lots of free swag for the studio audience.

Clearly, Neil Patrick Harris has set a new high when it comes to parental gift-giving.

NBC’s Best Time Ever has received several bad reviews and a lot of negative social attention and for understandable reasons. After all, it is a variety show in 2015. For me, there seems to be an underlying sense of desperation throughout the entire show, some voice in the background that won’t stop loudly whispering, “Pay attention to me.” That may be my millennial cynicism showing, but prior to this episode, I was not a fan of this hyped-up show. This birthday segment didn’t completely change my opinion, but it helped.

I know that Neil Patrick Harris celebrating his mom’s birthday was an intimate and seasonal event, but this segment brought a level of authenticity to the show that it had before lacked. Jokes are always funnier when the people telling them seem genuinely happy, and I’m convinced that this lack of authenticity is a big reason why few people are talking about this show.

However, last night we saw the sweet, light-hearted, and genuinely fun show Best Time Ever could be, and it was excellent. Please give us more sweetness, NBC, and happy birthday, Sheila Harris.