Weeks ago, Neil Patrick Harris (pictured left) was invited, along with Kristin Chenoweth, to officially announce this morning's Emmy nominations, which was a good sign as far as another nod for him was concerned. As expected, his work as How I Met Your Mother's Barney Stinson was recognized by the Television Academy for the second year in a row. The HIMYM family is ecstatic.

"Omigosh, we are overjoyed for Neil," Mother co-creator Carter Bays told me this morning. "No one deserves this more than he does and we couldn't be happier for him. I think we were sort of expecting it, but it's always a nail biter, especially with him actually at the podium reading the nominations. We were hoping he'd have a nice moment up there."

When we spoke around 9:30 today, Carter hadn't yet connected with Neil, but had sent him an email. "I'm laying off for a little while because I'm sure his phone is ringing off the hook. He's gotta be so drunk right now, there's no point in calling him," he joked (I think).

Asked what it means to the series, Bays said Neil's nod will spread the HIMYM word: "I feel like we've sort of cemented our reputation as a funny, reliable show, but this kind of stuff only helps to bring in new viewers, which is our goal for the season."

I tried to get Carter to take a little bow for writing the material that landed Neil's nom, but he wasn't having it. "I'd love to take some credit for this," he said. "But my gosh, Neil is so talented [that I really can't]. When I think of Neil, it often reminds me of when [co-creator Craig Thomas and I] were at [The Late Show with David] Letterman. There was an expression that the writers used which was, give Dave a spoon and he'll be funny with a spoon. The idea is that he can make anything funny, and Neil is kind of the same way. You can give him anything, he'll take the script home, work on it and come back the next morning with some take on it that's hysterical. Our challenge is to keep up with him and use this weapon to the best of our ability."

And today, that challenge continues. "We're gonna celebrate by writing some great comedy for him. We're crankin' out the stories now, trying to get a jump on the new season," Carter said, noting that shooting begins August 11th. As for what's to come, he muses, "There was that little moment in the season finale where Barney looks at Robin and he's clearly still got feelings for her. We're going to keep exploring that." Robarn!!

Asked whether Neil's first Emmy nomination inspired them to write Barney a bit differently last year, Carter said it did occur to them, but the emotional resonance they added to the character was more just a matter of the fact that, three seasons in, it was time to dig into who Barney really was. This year, they'll go a shade lighter. "I think our take on this new season is that we're going to have a little more fun," Bays said. "We're trying not to go the Joss Whedon-route of putting our characters through absolute hell for our own amusement -- which, man, he's really good at -- but I think we're going to take a new approach and just try to tell some really fun stories."

Comments

NPH does make the show for me. He deserves the Emmy nom. Love the Joss Whedon comment. So very true. Korbi, I followed you from eonline, where your quickie is sorely missed. Glad to have found you again.

buffy | Jul 17, 2008 12:33:00 PM | #

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very cool! thank you for saying so.

korbi_ghosh | Jul 17, 2008 12:40:55 PM | #

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Robarn? Enough with the mashed up couples names. Seriously. They wound.

Mike | Jul 17, 2008 12:57:16 PM | #

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Swarley rocks...I so hope that NPH wins it this year! (I know that you must be torn Korbi, what with the very talented Rainn Wilson in the running for the same catagory and all!)

Thanks for this great article which, quite frankly makes me heart Carter Bays even more (His down playing of his and Craig's phenominal writing! Giving props to one of our modern tv gods, Joss Whedon!! Oh, my heart's all a-flutter!!)

Hoping to here more about your personal reactions to today's Emmy nods and can't wait for your reporting of the big night (btw, need some help? A Canadian perspective perhaps? Because if yes, I am totally available!!)

Cheers!!

Kath | Jul 17, 2008 1:13:39 PM | #

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Korbi, informal poll:

Funnier Neil:

Neil Patrick Harris or
Neil Flynn?

As an aside, like Kath I too am from Canada.

Rishi | Jul 18, 2008 12:32:41 AM | #

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NPH is amazing, and HIMYM is consistently the Best comedy on tv.
And if you havn't checked Neil out in Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, yet go do it beforeit's yanked offline on Sunday!

The CineManiac | Jul 18, 2008 10:49:02 PM | #

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Rishi (and Kath), much love to my friends up North. Re: your informal poll, I feel you deserve an honest answer, and since I love both the Scrubs and HIMYM families, it's tough to choose, but I'll tell you this: both guys come off surprisingly serious in person. Still, Neil Flynn is a skilled improv actor and can be very funny on the fly if asked, so I'm gonna go with him. During Thursday's Scrubs panel, he got a few big laughs. Turns out Neil's special talent is magic. Did you know that? Found out tonight, talking to him at the CBS party: dude is a charter member of L.A.'s Magic Castle and has been practicing the craft since he was a kid. Serious.

korbi_ghosh | Jul 19, 2008 12:18:42 AM | #

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oh boy... the "magic" Neil I speak of is Neil PATRICK HARRIS. clearly I had too much to drink at the CBS party...

korbi_ghosh | Jul 19, 2008 12:20:48 AM | #

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informal poll for you: real-life actors aside, let's talk characters... Barney versus The Janitor, who gets bigger laughs?

korbi_ghosh | Jul 19, 2008 12:29:11 AM | #

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Thx for the response Korbi. I think (someone please correct me if I wrong) that Neil Patrick Harris as Barney has performed a trick or 2 on HIMYM.

As for your Q about who gets the bigger laughs, that too is a tough one. In general I think Barney gets more (in part due to Barney being the bigger part) but to me when the Janitor is 'on' he gets the biggest laughs on Scrubs, so Janitor - or Jan Itor :) - gets my vote.

Rishi | Jul 19, 2008 12:16:20 PM | #

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Tough call...Neil vs. Neil...two different kinds of funniness and attractiveness going on there!!...and Janitor vs. Barney...oh my, but I am going to have to be the odd man out and go with Barney as being slightly funnier than the Janitor because Barney is more quotable!!

Kath | Jul 21, 2008 8:29:43 AM | #

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