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The Movie: The latest project from Carter Bays and Craig Thomas ("American Dad", the underrated & cancelled Fox sitcom "Oliver Beene"), "How I Met Your Mother" adds a spin on the traditional romantic sitcom by offering the show's main tale in reverse. The series opens with an off-camera father (voiced by Bob Saget) telling his two irritated children the story of how he and their mother met. Not surprisingly, the kids wonder if they are being punished for some unknown broken rule. In the present, Marshall (Jason Segel) has just proposed to girlfriend Lilly (Allison Hannigan, from the "American Pie" series), leading friend Ted (Josh Radnor) to realize that it's time he finally found the one for him. There has to be a fast-talking, womanizing pal pushing the main character, so here we get Barney (Neil Patrick Harris, who gets a good chunk of the best lines.) Shortly in, Ted believes that he's found the one in a local reporter named Robin (Cobie Smulders), although he may find that she doesn't see things quite the same way he does. "Mother" is one of those increasingly rare sitcoms that works (and, even more rare, one that a network actually allowed to last for more than a few episodes.) The series clicks thanks to a stellar cast that has very good chemistry with one another. Hannigan is a highlight; while she gained fame via the "American Pie" movies, she's put to better use here and has good chemistry with Segel. Randor and Smulders also share a pleasant, warm chemistry together, as well. The show's other positive is the writing, as while the show provides a few big laughs throughout the episode, the show's real plus is that it consistently throws out solid, smart laughs on a minute-by-minute basis (while it's great that the show is a success, admittedly its rhythm and flow works even a little better on DVD.) The show's one-liners and bits are presented with a casual, confident style that hooks the interest. The "reverse love story" is a gimmick, but it's a good one that winds up making this journey more fun. "How I Met Your Mother" is a sweet, smart series that will hopefully keep up its status as one of several bright spots on the CBS schedule. Season 1 1. 1- 1 19 Sep 05 Pilot 2. 1- 2 26 Sep 05 Purple Giraffe 3. 1- 3 3 Oct 05 Sweet Taste of Liberty 4. 1- 4 10 Oct 05 Return of the Shirt 5. 1- 5 17 Oct 05 Okay Awesome 6. 1- 6 24 Oct 05 Slutty Pumpkin 7. 1- 7 7 Nov 05 Matchmaker 8. 1- 8 14 Nov 05 The Duel 9. 1- 9 21 Nov 05 Belly Full of Turkey 10. 1-10 28 Nov 05 The Pineapple Incident 11. 1-11 19 Dec 05 The Limo 12. 1-12 9 Jan 06 The Wedding 13. 1-13 23 Jan 06 Drumroll, Please 14. 1-14 6 Feb 06 Zip, Zip, Zip 15. 1-15 27 Feb 06 Game Night 16. 1-16 6 Mar 06 Cupcake 17. 1-17 20 Mar 06 Life Among the Gorillas 18. 1-18 10 Apr 06 Nothing Good Happens After 2 A.M. 19. 1-19 24 Apr 06 Mary the Paralegal 20. 1-20 1 May 06 Best Prom Ever 21. 1-21 8 May 06 Milk 22. 1-22 15 May 06 Come On The DVD VIDEO: "How I Met Your Mother" is presented by Fox in 1.33:1 full-frame, which is dissapointing, given that the show is filmed in widescreen. That said, the show still looks reasonably good here, with sharpness and detail remaining pleasing throughout much of the running time. Aside from a couple of moments of visible artifacting, the picture appeared clean and clear, with no edge enhancement or other concerns. Colors looked bold and accurately presented throughout the show, with no smearing or other issues. SOUND: The show's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack doesn't put the surrounds to very much use at all, which is expected. The show's audio quality is quite pleasant, with crisp, clear dialogue. EXTRAS: Exec producers Carter Bays, Craig Thomas and Pamela Fryman are joined by actors Allison Hannigan, Jason Segel, Josh Radnor, Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smulders. "Okay, Awesome" offers commentary from the cast members. On the second disc, Bays and Thomas offer up their thoughts on "The Pineapple Incident" and are joined by Fryman for a group chat on "Drumroll, Please". On the third disc, Bays and Thomas return for commentary on "Nothing Good Happens After 2AM" and the cast returns for commentary on "Come On". The final disc also includes a pair of highlight reels, a 20-minute "making of" and a terrific 9-minute gag reel. Final Thoughts: "How I Met Your Mother" offers a terrific ensemble cast, has heart and remains consistently funny throughout. The DVD set provides good audio/video quality (although it's unfortunate that the episodes aren't presented in widescreen), along with a solid set of extras. Recommended. |