The BIG Problem w/ How I Met Your Mother

Earlier, I sort of mentioned that I might have some sort of issue with the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. Said problem can be best phrased in the form of a question (kind of like on Jeopardy! but I don't win anything): Why should I care? Why, in fact, should anyone care about this show, its characters or what happens to them?

Mother, as you probably know, follows the ups and downs in the relationship between architect Ted Mosby (portrayed by fellow native of the WORD's home base Columbus, OH, Josh Radnor) and TV newswoman Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders, who, like her character, is Canadian), as related by a future version of Ted in the year 2030 telling his children the story of how we met their mother, thus (DUH!) the series' title. However, it is revealed early on, at the end of the pilot episode, in fact, that Robin is not the titular mother of Ted's future children.

Thus, we return to my original query: Why should we care? Why should I, as a TV viewer, invest emotionally in these two characters and their relationship when we know from the get-go that it's doomed to go nowhere?

It all just seems like a big waste of time to me. Without a reason to care about the show's core relationship, there's really no reason to watch the show---except that about the only other alternative for a guy without cable is Deal or No Deal.