Carter Bays

Carter L. Bays (born August 12, 1975)^[1] is an American television showrunner, writer and producer. Along with writing partner Craig Thomas, he is best known as creator, writer, and executive producer of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. His show has been nominated for seven primetime Emmy Awards, including Best Original Song for "Nothing Suits Me Like A Suit."^[2]

In another collaboration with Thomas, Bays co-founded the band The Solids, who perform the theme song to How I Met Your Mother, "Hey Beautiful".^[3]

Early life

Bays was born in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, James C. Bays, is a retired corporate lawyer, and his mother is a minister in the United Church of Christ.^[4] While at Shaker Heights High School, Bays' play was selected for the 1993 Young Playwrights Festival in New York City.

Bays graduated from Wesleyan University in 1997. In the summer of 1996 Bays and Thomas were interns in the Development department of MTV.^[5]

Bays became an intern at MTV in the Fall of 1996, which would later influence his writing.^[6]

Career

After graduating from Wesleyan in 1997, Bays and Thomas became writing partners, writing for the Late Show With David Letterman.

Bays also wrote for American Dad!,^[7] Quintuplets,^[8] and Oliver Beene.^[9]

Personal life

Bays lives in New York City with his wife, Denise Cox Bays, and their three children, Pippa, Georgina, and Jack. One of his daughters appeared at the end of Trilogy Time, another one at the end of Unpause. Bays serves on the Board of Young Playwrights, Inc.^[10]

Works

How I Met Your Mother

• "Pilot"
• "Purple Giraffe"
• "The Pineapple Incident"
• "Life Among the Gorillas"
• "Nothing Good Happens After 2 A.M."
• "Milk"
• "Where Were We?"
• "Monday Night Football"
• "Bachelor Party"
• "Something Blue"
• "Wait for It"
• "The Platinum Rule"
• "No Tomorrow"
• "Ten Sessions"
• "Miracles"
• "Do I Know You?"
• "The Best Burger in New York"
• "Woooo!"
• "The Stinsons"
• "As Fast as She Can"
• "The Leap"
• "Definitions"
• "Robin 101"
• "The Playbook"
• "Girls Versus Suits"
• "Rabbit or Duck"
• "Doppelgangers"
• "Big Days"
• "Architect of Destruction"
• "Natural History"
• "Last Words"
• "Oh Honey"
• "Landmarks"
• "Challenge Accepted"
• "The Best Man"
• "Ducky Tie"
• "The Rebound Girl"
• "Tailgate"
• "The Burning Beekeeper"

Oliver Beene

• "Dancing Beene"
• "The Nudie Mag"
• "X-Ray Specs"
• "A Trip To Coney Island"
• "Oliver & The Otters"

The Goodwin Games

• "Pilot"
• "Hamletta"

American Dad!

• "Stan of Arabia: Part 2"

Notes

References

• Carter Bays at the Internet Movie Database