As we discussed in our "Rough Patch" Round Table, some fans felt How I Met Your Mother’s decision to bring the Barney-Robin love story to an end was premature and sad.
Co-creator and executive producer Carter Bays insists the romance was sacrificed for the greater good, though, and that would be the preservation of a legendary ladies' man.
“None of us wanted to see Barney wearing a sweater-vest and going to bed-and-breakfasts,” says Bays, adding that it makes sense the relationship would “flame out fast.”
Despite fans' attachment to the two as a couple, and the characters' obvious attachment to each other, Bays says “neither of them, at their core, wanted to be tied down.”

Relationship guts and all, Barney and Robin called it quits.
And who's to say they won't try again? “[They] could get relationship amnesia and decide, ‘Hey, this is a good idea!’” he says. “This »
- steve@iscribelimited.com (Dr. Shepherd)

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How I Met Your Mother's decision to bring the Barney-Robin love story to a premature climax has left fans feeling decidedly unsatisfied. But executive producer Carter Bays insists the romance was sacrificed for a greater good: the preservation of Neil Patrick Harris' legendary ladies' man. "None of us wanted to see Barney wearing a sweater-vest and going to bed-and-breakfasts," says Bays, adding that it makes sense the relationship would "flame out fast" given that "neither of them, at their core, really wanted to be tied down." Bays also believes that, deep down, viewers prefer single Barney to attached Barney. »
- Michael Ausiello

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Friends of Nicole Richie revealed the mama of two was working "nonstop" before being admitted to hospital on Tuesday.
The final season of "Lost" crashes onto ABC in February.
New dad Jerry O'Connell is proud to rock a red Speedo because he says his "job as a parent is to embarrass his children as much as possible."
Hayden Panettiere isn't 21 just yet, but she's showering off with a bottle of champagne.
"How I Met Your Mother »

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We've got your number, Jason Segel. Now if we could just get the image of your naked body out of our brains, we'd be set. The multitalented How I Met Your Mother star popped up at the show by the Swell Season—the Oscar-winning duo from the film Once—at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theater last night. He came in hopes of charming one (or more!) of the band's fans with a new song he'd written just for the occasion about love, sex and his FX-free penis. Sample lyric: "Remember when I showed my penis in Forgetting Sarah Marshall/Well, there were no special effects, no no special effects/So if you like what you saw, it's exactly what I'm working... »

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Amanda Peet may be getting a call soon from the folks over at How I Met Your Mother. Neil Patrick Harris says he's itching for the 2012 star to guest on the CBS show... "I have a bit of a boner for Amanda lately," Harris told me last night at GQ's Men of the Year party at the Chateau Marmont. "You know, she's never guest-starred on any shows before and plus, she's already worked with Jason Segel once on [the upcoming flick] Gulliver's Travels." Perhaps Himym producers should enlist Segel to make the first call. Harris laughed, "It's always easier for us to try and entice people who have worked with other castmembers." As for being named Trailblazer of... »

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Amanda Peet may be getting a call soon from the folks over at How I Met Your Mother. Neil Patrick Harris says he's itching for the 2012 star to guest on the CBS show... "I have a bit of a boner for Amanda lately," Harris told me last night at GQ's Men of the Year party at the Chateau Marmont. "You know, she's never guest-starred on any shows before and plus, she's already worked with Jason Segel once on [the upcoming flick] Gulliver's Travels." Perhaps Himym producers should enlist Segel to make the first call. Harris laughed, "It's always easier for us to try and entice people who have worked with other castmembers." As for being named Trailblazer of... »

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We know on Monday's episode, "Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap," two things are for sure:
Chris Elliot will be guest starring as Lily's estranged father, Mickey. There will be at least one slap of Marshall's remaining slaps against Barney.
However, executive producer Carter Bays is still keeping his mouth mum about the exact details of the slap.  He says, "There’s a little bit of a twist on the slap this year.  The Slap Bet commissioner makes an interesting ruling that I can’t reveal."
We will give you a hint.  Marshall gives away his slap and it will be used by one of the other How I Met Your Mother cast members... or Lily's father.  Watch their potential slaps in action:

»
- eric@iscribelimited.com (The Barnacle)

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Hi, I'm Don.
With those words, Benjamin Koldyke introduced himself to How I Met Your Mother fans on this week's new episode.
Unfortunately for Barney and Robin fans, not only with this actor be sticking around the sitcom; creator Carter Bays says he'll be romancing Robin for awhile.

“I don’t want to oversell anything," Bays told Michael Ausiello. "Yes, it’s very soon after her and Barney [split up], but...we’ve had characters that Ted has dated many times, but we haven’t brought in somebody for Robin. We’re seeing where it goes. We’re taking it gingerly."
Koldyke is quickly becoming some what of a guest-starring slut. Aside from dating Robin on Himym, he'll play for the other team and get with Alby on season four of Big Love. »
- matt@iscribelimited.com (M.L. House)

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· Who says Twitter's good for nothing? It brought us this photo of Neil Patrick Harris and Tim Gunn, seconds after Tim had furrowed his brow, bitten the knuckle on his index finger, and asked the How I Met Your Mother star if he had "maybe a cable-knit cardigan to tie around your neck and pull this schizophrenic look together? Hey, who's hungry for Red Lobster? I am!" »

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Don't worry, How I Met Your Mother fans: There will be slaps. Not only will the series' Nov. 23 Thanksgiving episode feature a guest star -- Chris Elliott (pictured), as Lily's estranged dad -- but also the long-awaited fourth slap in Marshall and Barney's Slap Bet. (The Bet's hardly over though — Barney's still anticipating one more strike!) "There's a little bit of a twist on the slap this year," says executive producer Carter Bays. "The Slap Bet commissioner makes an interesting ruling that I can't reveal." What Bays can reveal is why they invited Chris Elliott in on the fun. "He's a hero of mine, »
- Kate Ward

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