Carter Bays

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Carter Bays
Born
Carter Loard Bays

(1975-08-12) August 12, 1975 (age 48)
Alma materWesleyan University
Occupation(s)Author, television showrunner, producer, musician
Years active1998–present
SpouseDenise Cox Bays
Children3
Websitecarterbays.com

Carter Loard Bays (born August 12, 1975)[1] is an American author, composer and television showrunner.

Bays co-created the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother where he served as showrunner, writer and executive producer for all nine seasons.

Bays wrote the novel, The Mutual Friend (2022, Dutton Books).

Early life

Bays was born in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, James C. Bays, is a retired corporate lawyer, and his mother, Martha Bays, is a minister in the United Church of Christ.[2]

While at Shaker Heights High School, Bays' play Five Visits From Mr. Whitcomb was selected for the Stephen Sondheim founded Young Playwrights Inc. 1993 Young Playwrights Festival produced at Playwrights Horizon's in New York City.

Bays studied English at Wesleyan University, where he met bandmate Craig Thomas who would later become his writing partner and his co-creator for How I Met Your Mother.

Bays and Thomas co-founded the band The Solids, who perform the theme song to How I Met Your Mother, "Hey Beautiful".[3] as well as "Nothing Suits Me Like A Suit."

In the summer of 1996, Bays and Thomas worked as interns in the Development department of MTV.[4]

Career

After graduating from Wesleyan in 1997, Bays and Craig Thomas went on to write for the Late Show With David Letterman.

He and Thomas then created How I Met Your Mother, which ran from 2005-2014.

Bays also wrote for American Dad!,[5] Quintuplets[6] Oliver Beene.[7] and co-created Fox's The Goodwin Games.

In 2022, Bays served as executive producer on Hulu's How I Met Your Father,[8] starring Hilary Duff. The show is created by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger.

Carter's debut novel, The Mutual Friend, was published June 7, 2022, through Dutton Books,.[9]

Personal life

Bays lives in New York City with his wife, Denise Cox Bays, and their three children. One of his daughters appeared at the end of "Trilogy Time", the other one at the end of "Unpause".

Bays teaches a Master Class in TV Writing at Columbia University, and is an Associate Fellow at Davenport College at Yale University. He also serves on the board of the Armed Services Arts Partnership,[10] which helps veterans return to civilian life through comedy and the arts.

Works

How I Met Your Mother

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!

How I Met Your Father

  • "Pilot"

Notes

  1. ^ "Carter Bays". IMDb.
  2. ^ Meiser, Rebecca (November 2008). "Mr. Write". Cleveland Magazine. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  3. ^ Chow, Greg (1 April 2014). "5 Essential 'How I Met Your Mother' Music Moments". RollingStone. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  4. ^ Jordan, Jessica; Robles, Jiovani (17 September 2010). "How We Finally Met Carter Bays: Part 2". The Wesleyan Argus. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  5. ^ "American Dad! (TV Series 2005– ) - IMDb". IMDb.
  6. ^ "Quintuplets (TV Series 2004–2005) - IMDb". IMDb.
  7. ^ "Oliver Beene (TV Series 2003–2004) - IMDb". IMDb.
  8. ^ Schwartz, Ryan (11 January 2022). "How I Met Your Father EPs Confirm New Show is Set in the HIMYM Universe". Tvline.
  9. ^ "Carter Bays on How the End of 'How I Met Your Mother' Led to Debut Novel 'The Mutual Friend'". The Hollywood Reporter. 7 June 2022.
  10. ^ "TV Show Co-Creator Supports Military Through Arts – Outlook Valley Sun". 2 May 2022.

References