How I Met Your Mother - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

quadro2000 · 09-20-2005, 06:16 AM

Anybody watch How I Met Your Mother last night? I read a promising article in the NY Times and figured I'd check it out.

I was pretty disappointed (but not surprised, I suppose). There were a few funny lines in there, but for the most part, the show took an interesting premise - a father replays all the events that led up to him meeting his wife (and kids' mother) - and just went the same old formulaic route.

For starters, all the characters are one-dimensional. The character played by Neil Patrick Harris is clearly going to be the obnoxious, sketchy character. (And yet I found his method of hitting the punchlines oddly inconsistent - which I think is more of a writing problem than an acting problem). And I had a bet down that they wouldn't get through the episode without having Allyson Hannigan call someone a bitch - since a similar line in "American Pie" is what really made her well-known.

They also had a random bit where the taxi driver somehow became (temporarily) a part of the group of friends, which I found a little too Seinfeld-esque for me.

To top it off, the laugh track was overused. There actually is a bit of an art to using the laugh track, and they completely missed the boat. I think I laughed maybe three times during the entire episode.

Anybody else watch it? Did you think it was good? Am I missing the boat? All I know is that it's one less show for me to watch this fall.

Still holding out hope for My Name Is Earl...

pixelbend · 09-20-2005, 06:40 AM

Not my favorite, but I enjoyed it.

I never really hear the laugh track anymore. Maybe that means something

(i.e. I need to get off the couch)

guthmund · 09-20-2005, 07:50 AM

I hate the laugh track. I understand the need for it, but, good god, show a little restraint in its use, please.

CBS and Fox series are particularly bad about over using the laugh track.

I watched it, wasn't all that impressed, but I'll probably watch it again next week before I write it off completely.

God of Thunder · 09-20-2005, 09:04 AM

It was OK, I give it another chance.

Oh hell, I'll watch Alyson Hannigan read from the phone book. Yeah, I'll watch it until they cancel it.

/also holding out hope on "My Name's Earl"

Daoust · 09-20-2005, 10:03 AM

I actually really liked Doogie Howsers character in this show... "SUIT UP"
I thought he was funny. Of course I had no prior expectations...

I don't know how they plan on making these shows last longer than one or two seasons. I'm sure many of them don't think beyond the pilot.

quadro2000 · 09-20-2005, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daoust

I don't know how they plan on making these shows last longer than one or two seasons. I'm sure many of them don't think beyond the pilot.

That's very true - and in their defense, it's not a bad way of thinking. So many pilots are developed and filmed, and only a very small few get picked up. It would be a waste of energy to think past a few episodes.

The hope is usually that they can weave in other story lines that will keep the viewer engaged.

Case in point: Desperate Housewives, if I recall correctly, was rejected a number of times, until they threw in the whole "Why did Mary Alice kill herself" line. I'm pretty sure that the writers didn't know why she killed herself until midseason. However, now they've thrown in enough subplots that it doesn't matter - you're interested in the other characters.

I believe I read that How I Met Your Mother is supposed to wrap up the "mystery" of who the mother is by the end of the season, but if they do and it gets picked up for a second year, I don't see how it'll be any different than any other romantic comedy. Maybe that'll be enough for them. I dunno.

quadro2000 · 09-21-2005, 04:51 AM

Huh. Here's a short blurb from this week's Entertainment Weekly:

Quote:

Forgive us, Mother, for we have sinned. We grossly underestimated the comedic talent of Neil Patrick Harris, who makes a very strong case to become this year's television breakout star. We couldn't imagine CBS airing a sitcom so unfuddy-duddy (dare we say - hip?). And we never thought we'd laugh out loud with a laugh track again. We're off to say 45 Hail Marys, but you should watch Mother for all of these reasons, and for the best surprise ending in any pilot this year. A-

Wow. I disagree with just about all of those statements.

RAGEAngel9 · 09-21-2005, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quadro2000

And I had a bet down that they wouldn't get through the episode without having Allyson Hannigan call someone a bitch - since a similar line in "American Pie" is what really made her well-known.
Still holding out hope for My Name Is Earl...

Dude I'm pretty sure the bitch thing isn't the part of American Pie that made "The Delicious One" well known.

Regardless, I'm also hoping heavily on Earl.
Jason Lee 4 Life!

quadro2000 · 09-21-2005, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RAGEAngel9

Dude I'm pretty sure the bitch thing isn't the part of American Pie that made "The Delicious One" well known.

you didn't think CBS was going to put in a line about her putting the flute in her pussy, did you?

My point is that Allyson Hannigan is known from American Pie for being a very sweet character with a filthy mouth. They tried to establish the same thing in this character.

Bill O'Rights · 09-21-2005, 06:08 AM

Saw it.

There's only one reason that I'll be watching it again, and again, and again, and again....

God of Thunder · 09-21-2005, 07:37 AM

Does this mean the Allyson avatars are coming back BOR?

Bill O'Rights · 09-21-2005, 08:29 AM

Mmmmm....we'll see.

BonesCPA · 09-21-2005, 10:47 AM

It hid right where I thought it would for the first episode - right in the middle. It didn't exceed or fall below my expectations. I'm giving it another shot or two before I make up my mind.

Two parts that I liked/thought was interesting:

The narrator is Bob Saget.
The girl he fell in love with isn't the mother. (Although shouldn't the kids have realized that their mother was never a reporter - or maybe she will be....)

Daoust · 09-22-2005, 03:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BonesCPA

The narrator is Bob Saget.

Really? I never picked up on that... interesting.

09-20-2005, 06:16 AM	#1 (permalink)
quadro2000 All Possibility, Made Of Custard Location: New York, NY	How I Met Your Mother Anybody watch How I Met Your Mother last night? I read a promising article in the NY Times and figured I'd check it out. I was pretty disappointed (but not surprised, I suppose). There were a few funny lines in there, but for the most part, the show took an interesting premise - a father replays all the events that led up to him meeting his wife (and kids' mother) - and just went the same old formulaic route. For starters, all the characters are one-dimensional. The character played by Neil Patrick Harris is clearly going to be the obnoxious, sketchy character. (And yet I found his method of hitting the punchlines oddly inconsistent - which I think is more of a writing problem than an acting problem). And I had a bet down that they wouldn't get through the episode without having Allyson Hannigan call someone a bitch - since a similar line in "American Pie" is what really made her well-known. They also had a random bit where the taxi driver somehow became (temporarily) a part of the group of friends, which I found a little too Seinfeld-esque for me. To top it off, the laugh track was overused. There actually is a bit of an art to using the laugh track, and they completely missed the boat. I think I laughed maybe three times during the entire episode. Anybody else watch it? Did you think it was good? Am I missing the boat? All I know is that it's one less show for me to watch this fall. Still holding out hope for My Name Is Earl... __________________ You have to laugh at yourself...because you'd cry your eyes out if you didn't. - Emily Saliers

09-20-2005, 06:40 AM	#2 (permalink)
pixelbend Too hot in the hot tub!	Not my favorite, but I enjoyed it. I never really hear the laugh track anymore. Maybe that means something (i.e. I need to get off the couch) __________________ But I don't want ANY Spam!

09-20-2005, 07:50 AM	#3 (permalink)
guthmund big damn hero	I hate the laugh track. I understand the need for it, but, good god, show a little restraint in its use, please. CBS and Fox series are particularly bad about over using the laugh track. I watched it, wasn't all that impressed, but I'll probably watch it again next week before I write it off completely. __________________ No signature. None. Seriously.

09-20-2005, 09:04 AM	#4 (permalink)
God of Thunder Talk nerdy to me Location: Flint, MI	It was OK, I give it another chance. Oh hell, I'll watch Alyson Hannigan read from the phone book. Yeah, I'll watch it until they cancel it. /also holding out hope on "My Name's Earl" __________________ I reject your reality, and substitute my own -- Adam Savage

09-20-2005, 10:03 AM	#5 (permalink)
Daoust "I'm sorry. What was the question?" Location: Paradise Regained	I actually really liked Doogie Howsers character in this show... "SUIT UP" I thought he was funny. Of course I had no prior expectations... I don't know how they plan on making these shows last longer than one or two seasons. I'm sure many of them don't think beyond the pilot. __________________ I have faith in a few things - divinity and grace But even when I'm on my knees I know the devil preys

09-21-2005, 06:08 AM	#10 (permalink)
Bill O'Rights will always be an Alyson Hanniganite Location: In the dust of the archives	Saw it. There's only one reason that I'll be watching it again, and again, and again, and again.... __________________ "I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony "Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt.

09-21-2005, 07:37 AM	#11 (permalink)
God of Thunder Talk nerdy to me Location: Flint, MI	Does this mean the Allyson avatars are coming back BOR? __________________ I reject your reality, and substitute my own -- Adam Savage

09-21-2005, 08:29 AM	#12 (permalink)
Bill O'Rights will always be an Alyson Hanniganite Location: In the dust of the archives	Mmmmm....we'll see. __________________ "I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony "Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt.

09-21-2005, 10:47 AM	#13 (permalink)
BonesCPA No. It's not done yet. Location: sorta kinda phila	It hid right where I thought it would for the first episode - right in the middle. It didn't exceed or fall below my expectations. I'm giving it another shot or two before I make up my mind. Two parts that I liked/thought was interesting: The narrator is Bob Saget. The girl he fell in love with isn't the mother. (Although shouldn't the kids have realized that their mother was never a reporter - or maybe she will be....) __________________ Back into hibernation.