TVSquad

Practically the entire CBS prime time line up was attending the all-stars outdoor party on the Wadsworth Theatre Great Lawn in Brentwood, Calif. on Thursday night.

But I only had one objective: make peace with the gang from How I Met Your Mother (and TVSquad readers) for missing the informal panel at Wednesday's TCA presentation attended by Neil Patrick Harris (Barney) and creators/executive producers Carter Bays and Craig Thomas.

Surely, the gracious Neil Patrick Harris, who'd just been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy for his role as Barney Stinson, would be willing to a) absolve me, b) give me a scoop on the upcoming season or c) slap me upside the head.

"What the f--k?" Harris says to me when I tell him I missed the panel. (I'm really hoping he's slipped into Barney here or this could be a short night.) "I give you no absolution. The session was awesomeness -- with Barney Stinson for an hour."

Whew! He's slipped into character. My (faux?) berating continues.

"And you opted to type? (Beat.) Interesting. (Beat.) That explains [your] suit."

Give me some scoop, I ask. We hear Rhonda, the 45-year-old to whom Barney lost his virginity is coming on. "Yes, I get to make love to a 50-year-old menthol smoker--it wouldn't be the first time," Harris quips.

Any ideas on casting? Roseanne? Kirstie Alley?

"Kirstie's name has been mentioned," Harris responds.

Why, yes, I tell him -- in my blog.

"I'm not at liberty say [more]," Harris says, explaining, that he didn't think offers had gone out to any actresses yet and too much advance publicity before that happens could give things a different vibe.

Alyson Hannigan (Lily) wasn't even at the HIMYM informal so maybe that's why she's a little more understanding of my need to skip it so I could meet my deadline and grab a bite to eat.

I asked her to clear the air on those initial rumors that Lily was theorized -- or could ever turn out to be -- the "Mother" in HIMYM.

"That question might have come up at the first TCA panel for our show," she recalls. "The answer was [that] seeing as how the show is based on Craig and Carter -- and Craig is still married to his beautiful wife -- he'd be very upset if she had kids with Carter, so that sort of eliminated the possibility of Lily [ever] being with Ted."

Plus, Lily and Marshall are soul mates forever. "Now that they're married, I guarantee [Lily and Ted] won't happen," says Hannigan. "Yeah...it can't happen."

Does Lily and Marshall's union provide a contrast to Ted's single life? "Yes," says Hannigan. "It reiterates the longing he has to find someone for himself."

CBS went all out to include its new and current shows in the party's theme. There were gambling stations in honor of Viva Laughlin and a donut making station that ties into Kid Nation (so the donut makers told me). Also, there were cakes in honor of the 100th episodes of NCIS and COLD CASE.

Other CBS stars were on hand to chat about the upcoming fall season and other dish.

Got a scoop from Adam Rodriguez, whose character Eric was seriously wounded last season on CSI: Miami. "What I can tell you about me [still] being alive...is that it's going to leave us a lot of room to play with this season."

Rodriguez teased that a character from the past is returning for season six. "It's going to surprise a lot of people and delight them as well. [It's] a character that's been gone for several years and no one is expecting to see."

I know I'm not expecting to see Kim Delaney back as DNA specialist Megan Donner. Maybe it's her? Hmm...

I dropped by the oxygen bar provided by Airheads Oxygen Bars, which is based in Coral Springs, Florida and Orange County, Calif. "You're oxygenating your blood," explains sales coordinator Diana Glazer, as I stick two tubes up my nose. I know I could use a shot of this stuff because the tour shows no signs of ending. Airheads offers different kinds of oxygen. I'm trying the one labeled "Memory Boost."

We'll see if it works. There's a lot to remember about tonight.

There are plenty of other stars here including CSI: Miami's Eva LaRue, Numbers' Judd Hirsch, Criminal Minds' Thomas Ian Gibson, who's probably the only CM cast member who hasn't been in the headlines lately.

I hear Geena Davis' name is being bandied about as a possible replacement for Mandy Patinkin on CM. The Golden Globe and Oscar winner is available -- and just happens to be the ex-college roommate of CBS entertainment prez Nina Tassler.

Sounds like a casting coup waiting to happen.

Also, Camryn Manheim (The Ghost Whisperer) says she likes that her character Delia provides a counterpoint to Melinda (played by series star Jennifer Love Hewitt) and her spiritual visions. Later, Manheim had a reunion with her fellow Emmy-winning co-star from The Practice, Holland Taylor, a nominee for her role on Two and A Half Men. "You can't go through eight years on a show like that and not come away with a indescribable bond," Manheim says.

Every time I turned around a CBS publicist was offering to help set me up with an interview. This was one of the more fun -- and productive -- press tour parties.

Next up, a look at the CW's new season.