I've given it 4 episodes, from 2 different sections (the two last night were when he was going to hook up with Robin but hadn't broken up with his GF yet, and I saw one about slutty pumpkin and...one other) didn't feel incredibly creative.

In fact, the first time round when I checked it out and it completely failed to resonate either currently or with potential, it felt quite a bit like "all the shows". I'd known technically about the single/mult differences, but that really felt like coasting on the format. You've not just got standard locations, you've got standard angles in standard locations, and....that doesn't have to sap the comedy out of the lines and delivery, but it sure felt like it had.

HIMYM gains something in later seasons, but if you got no enjoyment from Sandy Rivers and the slutty pumpkin episode it probably isn't worth sitting around for the show to improve; its unlikely to ever blow you away. I just finished season 1 with my wife, and I know it improves in Season 2 but I still had a fabulous time rewatching the first season. If it's not your thing, it's not your thing.

Frankly, I kind of find Ted boring and agree that the creativity is lacking in the camera angles et al; I watch for Lily and Marshall, who fill me with love. Barney is also amusing sometimes. Plus, Robin is pretty.

I'd known technically about the single/mult differences,

Can someone explain to me in small words? This whole conversation is greek to me. I think I just don't watch that closely.

I enjoy HIMYM more for the other characters than Ted.

Can someone explain to me in small words?

I second this request. This also appears to be related to the presence or absence of a laugh track, but not always. They touched on this on this NYT article on "New Normal" (link: [link] ) as well, and I was like, "wuh?"

I haven't watched HIMYM for several years, but I remember the good parts of the show with fond memory, like "Slap Bet" and its follow-up and of course, anything and everything to do with Robin Sparkles.

Yeah, "Let's Go to the Mall" justifies its existence even if nothing else funny ever happened on the show.

Great. I am totally earwormed now.

Everybody, come and play!
Throw every last care away!
Let's go to the mall! Today

My understanding is that single camera shoots multiple angles by doing the scenes over and over again,and moving the camera and then edits the takes, while multi camera set ups put more than one (stationary) camera and then just shoot all the angles at once.

Hey, apparently Cobie Smulders just got hitched to her BF / baby-daddy this past weekend: [link]

I don't recognize his name but... ZOMG is that the evil sweater-vested Glee club leader from "Regional Holiday Music"?? I think it is!

The fact that I have some residual fondness for HIMYM of yore does not mean that I am not wishing for Ted to meet and marry the freakin' mother already so that Smulders can go off and be in the new SHIELD the TV show.

Here is my understanding: single-camera vs. multi camera.

Multi-camera shows are almost always sitcoms (or, I suppose, talk shows. When Jon Stewart says "meet me at camera 3" and turns and is once again facing a camera, that is because they do multi-camera filming). They usually film in front of an audience. Multiple cameras are filming each take, so it's imperative that they not get in each other's way. This tends to lead to fairly distinctive shooting and blocking styles that I can't explain well. Friends was multi-camera, as is HIMYM.

Single-camera shows look like dramas, since they set up each shot for a particular camera. There is no live audience, so, if the producers want to cue "this is funny" they have to use a laugh track (think Sports Night). Every time the angle switches, you're seeing a different take/performances (not necessarily the case with a multi-camera show). Again, it's hard for me to verbalize the difference, but a quick check would be if there is one wall of every regularly-used location that you never, ever see, then it's probably a multi-camera show.