A year after the Friends finale, a new show about a group of pals hit the small screen, and though hopeless romantic Ted Mosby and his group of friends in New York City. The main premise of the show, however, lies in its name. For nine seasons, Ted painstakingly tells the story of how he met his children's mother.
At first glance, the similarities between How I Met Your Mother are obvious. Both shows follow a group of adults making their way in New York City. Each has their own distinct personality, and of course, their own issues. From dating to work, these "friends" appear on TV every week to make audiences laugh. Their familiar sets, from Monica's apartment to MacLaren's pub, evoke a sense of comfort. However, it would be unfair to call HIMYM a Friends rip-off, especially after looking at the sitcom's very best and highest-rated episodes.
How I Met Your Mother’s Best Episodes Show How Different It Was From Friends
How I Met Your Mother Found Its Own Quirky Identity
After looking at How I Met Your Mother's highest-rated episodes, it's clear that the show distinguishes itself from Friends in a few key ways. How I Met Your Mother's highest-rated episode is season 9, episode 16, "How Your Mother Met Me." In this episode, audiences finally get to know HIMYM's "mother" whom the show hid for nine whole seasons. This is a major question that viewers wonder about for the duration of the show, and though Friends has ongoing plots like the romance between Ross and Rachel, How I Met Your Mother hinges on the mystery of the mother.
In many ways, HIMYM's bits allow audiences to feel like they have an inside joke with the show, which makes the watching experience that much more enjoyable.
Furthermore, How I Met Your Mother finds its own voice through its bits and long-running gags. Many of HIMYM's most beloved episodes are those focusing on a very specific joke, including Robin's secret identity as Robin Sparkles or Barney's playbook. While Friends certainly has memorable jokes, HIMYM's offer a completely different ambiance. HIMYM is completely wacky, even bordering on strange, but the show believes in itself so much that it never feels corny. In many ways, HIMYM's bits allow audiences to feel like they have an inside joke with the show, which makes the watching experience that much more enjoyable.
How I Met Your Mother Was Inspired By Friends But Still Found Its Own Identity
How HIMYM Diverged From Friends
Undoubtedly, How I Met Your Mother is inspired by the success of Friends. The set-ups are too similar to separate the series completely. However, the way HIMYM sets itself apart is irable and important to note. Over the course of its nine seasons, HIMYM finds a rhythm that is distinctly different from Friends. Each character feels like their own individual, and every plotline builds on the world of the show. The result is two shows that may share similar qualities, but leave audiences feeling completely different. Suddenly, the commonalities are not so obvious.
Every "Friend" in Friends |
Every "Friend" In How I Met Your Mother |
|---|---|
Ross |
Ted |
Rachel |
Marshall |
Monica |
Lily |
Chandler |
Robin |
Joey |
Barney |
Phoebe |
N/A |
How I Met Your Mother diverges from Friends in a lot of ways. For one thing, Friends is very much an ensemble show, whereas HIMYM centers on Ted more than any other character. On top of that, the friend group archetypes are quite different. None of the Friends characters have a direct parallel to HIMYM's characters. They all stand on their own. Finally, HIMYM gets a bit deeper than Friends does. Though much of the show is silly bits and good times, there are episodes that take on serious problems that get to the core of being a human.
How I Met Your Mother’s Storylines Were Often Deeper Than Friends’
HIMYM's Serious Storylines Made It Better
One huge difference between Friends and How I Met Your Mother is that the latter often includes storylines that are much deeper and more serious than the former. Notably, Friends isn't all fun and games, as each of the characters goes through missteps and losses. However, How I Met Your Mother often takes this one step further. The show allows its characters to grow and change (Barney is a great example) and go through intense emotions such as grief. This adds an extra layer of reality to HIMYM that, arguably, Friends never really had.
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In many ways, How I Met Your Mother's sadder plotlines make the show that much better. It is one thing to be able to make audiences laugh, but to make them feel a whole range of emotions is much more impressive. Audiences can watch HIMYM and feel as if the characters on-screen are real people that they can relate to. Their lives are just as flawed and dynamic as the viewers are. Thus, How I Met Your Mother does away with the corniness of TV sitcoms and brings a level of reality that makes it a satisfying watch.
How I Met Your Mother Successfully Broke Free Of Its Friends Replacement Label
How I Met Your Mother Isn't Perfect
Ultimately, How I Met Your Mother has definitely broken free of its Friends comparisons. It now stands on its own as a lovable and memorable sitcom from the early 2000s. Though it shares commonalities with Friends, the two shows are completely separate in the minds of audiences. In some ways, this is for better and for worse. Friends remains one of the most iconic sitcoms of all times, whereas How I Met Your Mother could be considered an underrated gem. Furthermore, How I Met Your Mother definitely has its own flaws, just like Friends does.
These days, How I Met Your Mother can be ed for a number of things, good or bad. Audiences may the hilarious gags and lovable characters. On the other hand, they may the controversial How I Met Your Mother finale, which left many viewers incredibly disappointed. Either way, the show remains its own entity, apart from Friends, and that is a good thing. How I Met Your Mother deserves to be ed for its individuality and its success.
How I Met Your Mother
- Release Date
- 2005 - 2014-00-00
- Network
- CBS
- Showrunner
- Craig Thomas
Cast
Ted Mosby
Barney Stinson
WHERE TO WATCH
How I Met Your Mother is a television series that follows a father telling his children about his past. Released in 2005, it explores his experiences and adventures with four close friends, leading up to meeting their mother, as depicted through a series of flashbacks.
- Directors
- Michael J. Shea
- Writers
- Chris Harris, Stephen Lloyd, Joe Kelly, Robia Rashid, Greg Malins, Chris Marcil, Phil Lord, Sam Johnson, Tami Sagher, Gloria Calderon Kellett
- Seasons
- 9
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