How I met your Mother.

Over 170 episodes, more than 1000 minutes of TV stretched over7 seasons. And we still haven’t a clue as to how he met their freaking mother. The series up for review today is the popular comedy sitcom How I met your Mother.

This popular comedy series has become a household name in many families around the world. The show is a light-hearted, funny portrayal of a man (Ted Moseby) telling his kids the never ending story of how he met their mother. The show consists of 5 main characters. Namely: Marshall Erikson, an aspiring environmental lawyer whose goofy personality provides the show with an abundance of humour. Lily Erikson, Marshalls wife a kindergarten teacher who is a college friend of Ted Moseby. Ted Moseby, the main character around which the story is set. He is both a character and the narrator in the series who remains unseen in his re-telling of the story about how he and the mother of his children met. Robyn Sherbotski, An attractive Canadian news reporter who is constant falling in and out of love makes the show endearing and comedic in a rather romantic kind of way. Finally, Barney Stinson. The ultimate ladies’ man and the character that everybody loves to hate, his vulgar humour and outlook on life in general makes for great viewing.

Over the years we have seen some brilliant sitcoms that will be etched in our memories forever. Who can forget shows like Cheers? Or Friends? Watching these classic comedies became a routinely ‘after-dinner’ activity for many households and families around the world. These shows were special because of their ability to connect with their audience. Characters were relatable in a sense that people could see themselves in the characters portrayed on their TV screens. Watching someone go through what you going through and seeing how they deal with the various situations they find themselves  gives us a sense of comfort ,and reminds us that we are normal and the obstacles we deal with are in fact the norm and we needn’t worry. The light heartedness of the shows provides us with the comic relief that we all need after a long day.

 I can’t help but feel that too many shows have tried to piggy back on the Friends bandwagon as we often see sitcoms created with a very similar plot. A bunch of friends, in their late twenties. They  all happen to hang out at the same restaurant/bar/coffee house every day.  They will always be mixed sex friends. The one boy will always have a crush on the one girl or vice versa. The other one will always be looking for love. And then there is the single, inappropriate one who everybody loves to hate. Sound familiar? While I do believe that How I Met your Mother is an incredibly entertaining show I can’t help but feel that the plot isn’t all that original and it’s become the unwanted baby sister to a classic comedy such as Friends. While the story-telling nature of the show is an original approach I think it has almost lost some of its entertainment and overall appeal by dragging the story over 8 years. The writers have exhausted all possible storylines with the other characters and the show hit a metaphorical wall after its second season. Don’t get me wrong, the humour in the show is current and refreshing. There is no doubt about it, it is a funny show. However for it to be in the same league as some of the other great series before it, I can’t help but feel it needs something more than just good humour.

The nature of the show has limited the storyline of the characters somewhat and I find myself, as an audience frustrated and irritated. I am frustrated simply because I have devoted hours of my life to watching a show repeat itself within every season. I’ve watched over 100 episodes which totals up to over 1000 hours of my time. That’s nearly a week of my life I’ve spent watching TV. You want to know the worst part about it? I still don’t know how he met their freaking Mother.