It's a sitcom about how a guy met his future wife, and as of eight and a half seasons, he still hasn't. And yet it's still an entertaining show. Why? Because it's one of the few sitcoms that uses its format in an interesting way. Being a story told through flashbacks, the writers are able to use a lot of callback jokes and even call forward jokes to parts of the future that we've already seen. It also has a strong continuity for a sitcom, and even eight seasons later, a gag can be remembered, like the sword duel. But even disregarding that, the show has a firm base with its characters. Barney, of course, is one of the main attractions, but Neil Patrick Harris isn't the only strong actor of the bunch. Josh Radnor can actually hit those emotional scenes really well, and is able to pull off some good comedy when given the right material. I think it says something when you find out the script for the scene in 'The Final Page' where he's telling Robin to go after Barney never called for him or Cobie Smulders to cry. Cobie is great too, and I look forward to seeing her more in the Marvel movies/Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. Jason Segal has a strong comedic talent, but can do good emotional stuff when needed. Alyson Hannigan is probably the most down-to-earth out of all of them, but incredibly funny at the right moments. But the really great thing is that they all mesh together, and really feel like a family. How fitting that in a show about relationships, chemistry is a large part of what makes it good. Sure, it's not an award winner, and it's not very artistic (though I challenge anyone to watch 'The Time Travelers' and not feel a little sad). But at the end of the day, it's fun, and it provides lots of laughs. It's one of the few sitcoms that gets the comedy part right.
A Surprisingly Entertaining Show
It's a sitcom about how a guy met his future wife, and as of eight and a half seasons, he still hasn't. And yet it's still an entertaining show. Why? Because it's one of the few sitcoms that uses its format in an interesting way. Being a story told through flashbacks, the writers are able to use a lot of callback jokes and even call forward jokes to parts of the future that we've already seen. It also has a strong continuity for a sitcom, and even eight seasons later, a gag can be remembered, like the sword duel. But even disregarding that, the show has a firm base with its characters. Barney, of course, is one of the main attractions, but Neil Patrick Harris isn't the only strong actor of the bunch. Josh Radnor can actually hit those emotional scenes really well, and is able to pull off some good comedy when given the right material. I think it says something when you find out the script for the scene in 'The Final Page' where he's telling Robin to go after Barney never called for him or Cobie Smulders to cry. Cobie is great too, and I look forward to seeing her more in the Marvel movies/Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. Jason Segal has a strong comedic talent, but can do good emotional stuff when needed. Alyson Hannigan is probably the most down-to-earth out of all of them, but incredibly funny at the right moments. But the really great thing is that they all mesh together, and really feel like a family. How fitting that in a show about relationships, chemistry is a large part of what makes it good. Sure, it's not an award winner, and it's not very artistic (though I challenge anyone to watch 'The Time Travelers' and not feel a little sad). But at the end of the day, it's fun, and it provides lots of laughs. It's one of the few sitcoms that gets the comedy part right.