[Bobblehead]

I really like comedies that can mix in drama. I really liked Scrubs for that reason.

But like Scrubs and shows before it, it is a fine line to walk. It is way too easy to turn the characters in charicatures, and for the drama to become maudlin. The things that worked, the writers keep needing to go back to them until they are beating a dead horse. Then entire episodes become gimmicks. Shows like that, ones that seem to have a logical start and end point really need a predefined end so they can plan and pace correctly. In HIMYM you can tell that they have been milking it for years, and there are some scenes that still work, but just way too much filler that dilutes it.

And I think the stars know it; Jason Segel needed to be talked into coming back. CBS just doesn't have a good enough show to replace it so they just backed the money truck up to keep the cast coming back.