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How I Met Your Mother
SERIES: CBS, Monday 8:30p (30 minutes)


8.2

based on 25 reviews
read critic reviews
how did we calculate this?

based on 103 votes
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Get more information on this show at TV.com.

Official Show Site

Starring Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris, Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, and Jason Segel

Narrated by an (unseen) man in the year 2030 telling his children the story of his 20-something years, this "Friends"-like sitcom actually revolves around a group of five friends in present-day Manhattan.

GENRE(S):	Comedy
CREATED BY:	Carter Bays Craig Thomas
FIRST AIR DATE:	September 19, 2005

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Orlando Sentinel Hal Boedeker

Romantic comedies depend on appealing actors, and these five are irresistible.

Entertainment Weekly Henry Goldblatt

We never thought we'd laugh out loud with a laugh track again. [23 Sep 2005, p.81]

San Jose Mercury News Charlie McCollum

This is a cast that jells immediately, hitting on all cylinders from the very first scene.

USA Today Robert Bianco

The script is humorous, though not hilarious, and the show boasts a fine cast that could, with time, jell into a great one.

Philadelphia Inquirer Jonathan Storm

How I Met Your Mother is that rare TV comedy that relies more on character than jokes.

Hollywood Reporter Barry Garron

"How I Met Your Mother" introduces a level of unpredictability not usually found in comedies.

Los Angeles Times Robert Lloyd

A considerably above-average Generation Y sitcom that manages to be both sharp and sentimental, like "Seinfeld" with feeling.

Boston Globe Matthew Gilbert

Like ''Friends," this is not a big-themed series so much as a bunch of little character jokes and relationship confusions getting batted around by an able cast.

Chicago Tribune Maureen Ryan

Manages to get the balance of cuddliness and snark just right.

Cleveland Plain Dealer Mark Dawidziak

What truly makes the Bays-Thomas collaboration smarter than your average sitcom is the storytelling chances taken by the script.

Detroit Free Press Mike Duffy

You know you're in the presence of a fresh, original sitcom when you don't even mind the laugh track.

New York Daily News David Hinckley

The format is unusual, and the ending of the premiere nicely surprising - but the element that pushes this show into the potential hit category is Neil Patrick Harris.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Rob Owen

Cute but not overly cuddly, there's an authenticity to the relationships in "Mother" that makes it a comedy worth meeting.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Melanie McFarland

"How I Met Your Mother" may not break any comedic ground, but it's the sort of comfortable, reliable hitter CBS needs on Monday nights.

Newsday Verne Gay

Could... become a very pleasant surprise.

LA Weekly Robert Abele

Time will tell if viewers take to this quintet as completely as they did [Friends'] Central Perk crew... but it seems as if How I Met Your Mother is the most legitimate knockoff yet of that youthful-urbanite juggernaut.

Washington Post Tom Shales

It is a little better than most other sitcoms, past and present -- especially those featuring wacky urban friends in their twenties experiencing the bittersweet mysteries of life.

The Onion A.V. Club

The premise is a winner, and the cast... couldn't be more appealing. But the overtly sitcom-y beats and one-liners seem overworked.

New York Magazine John Leonard

Not so funny but genuinely touching.

The New York Times Alessandra Stanley

The writing does not yet live up to the show's premise, but the series has potential to improve.

Kansas City Star Aaron Barnhart

A viewer-friendly diversion.

New York Post Linda Stasi

The plot is clever and there's a nice twist at the end, but the actors haven't found a rhythm, nor have they developed any chemistry.

Chicago Sun-Times Doug Elfman

The script is just poor.

PopMatters Michael Abernethy

The comedy that does occur in How I Met Your Mother isn't enough to compensate for its inconsistencies.

The New Republic Lee Siegel

Cloying [and] lackluster.

The average user rating for this tv show is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 103 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Andrew C. gave it a10:
You will either love or hate this show. Actually you probably wont hate it, but you wont like it enough to care. The characters are charming and - I find - very easy to relate to. Barney makes the comedy, mostly due to the way the other characters are so unlike him, but he tries to convert them anyway. If you don't love this show in the first couple of episodes, then give up on it. If you like it, however, keep going because most of what I've seen so far is gold.

Eddie J. gave it a10:
It's one of the best shows on tv. it's the nearest thing to real life on tv. It's funny (not the funniest) but it's very easy to relate to. i think if you watch enough episodes you'll start to see yourself and your friends in the show. i and also think it's more for an group between 24-35 yrs. old.

Phil M. gave it a0:
How is this SAD,SAD show even still on? I think the only thing keeping this show afloat is Doogie Howser there and thats not sayin a lot since he's no good either.

Stephen R. gave it a10:
The best thing since sliced bread... you must be having a laugh this challenges the wheel! Although Harris steals the show the cast are all excellent. With witty, unpredictable one liners and cleverly humerous storylines the show is to rival "friends as the greatest sitcom ever!

Nicholas K. gave it a0:
give me a break. this show blows, BIG TIME. This isn't humor its totally stupid. Its created by hacks who could not cut it in real comedy writing. Come to think of it, these writers are just one step below the guys who write Two and a Half Men, an equally stupid show that's only worth watching muted.

Nicole gave it a10:
Amazing. This show is so much better than any and every other sitcom. It has so much heart and these characters are the type of people I would actually want to hang out with in real life. Most importantly, however, it is DIFFERENT than those other shows about young urban groups of friends thanks to its really unique story lines and editing styles.

Jen W. gave it a9:
This is one of the only sitcoms that I have ever actually laughed at. I find it much funnier than friends-the individual characters on this show are much more interesting than Ross and Rachel. Let's hope this continues to get renewed-it's a rare gem in a sea of crappy t.v.

How I Met Your Mother SERIES: CBS, Monday 8:30p (30 minutes)

How I Met Your Mother
SERIES: CBS, Monday 8:30p (30 minutes)