How I Met Your Motheris a legendary sitcom beloved by critics and audiences, but there is another TV show that aired at the same time that offered an even better comedic take on finding love. The 2000s saw many sitcoms likeHow I Met Your Mothertry to reinvent theFriendsformat of a close-knit friend group, andHow I Met Your Motherwas one of the most successful and longest-running of those shows.Happy Endingswas a critically acclaimed and criminally short-lived sitcom, as well as aperfect replacement show forHIMYM.
Both shows use romantic narrative devices.HIMYMfamously uses a frame story of futureTed Mosby voiced by Bob Sagettelling his children the story of how he met their mother, whileHappy Endingsbegins with a friend group navigating how to stay friends after a breakup.The shows are thematically similar, butHappy Endingshas aged better.Anyone who lovesHow I Met Your Motherbut now sees Barney in a different context than they did in 2005 should check outHappy Endings.
Similarities & Differences Between Happy Endings and How I Met Your Mother
One HIMYM Character Aged Especially Poorly
Happy EndingsandHow I Met Your Mothershare thematic overlap. Both are low-concept hangout sitcoms about an insular group of yuppies in major American metropolitan areas, built around a romantic framing device. Even the breakdown of the relationship statuses between the friend groups mirrors each other: the central on-again-off-again couple, the longstanding married couple, and one chronically single person constantly searching for love or sex.
Tonally,HIMYMis a more earnest show and willing to occasionally dip into dramedy territory, whileHappy Endingsis a true network sitcom joke machine.Happy Endingsonly ran for three seasons whileHow I Met Your Motherran for nine seasons, so perhapsHappy Endingshad a longer run it also would have gone into soapier territory,likethe death of Marshall’s father in HIMYMor the reveal of Robin’s infertility.Happy Endingsdoes not get more serious than Max coming out to his parents, who immediately pivot to setting him up with Jewish boys instead of Jewish girls.
Each of the six main charactersHappy Endingscharacters has an archetype - dumb blonde, chronically single, control freak - but is imbued with so much weirdness and specificity that they are anything but stereotypes.
Perhaps to offset the more emotional storylines, Barney Stinson is always there seducing women in increasingly comical ways. Barney has catchphrases, schemes, and suits to spare, but his character has aged poorly since the show’s release in 2005.Barney Stinson’s Playbookschemes might have been played for laughs, but without the laugh track, they could be seen as rape by deception through a contemporary lens.Only Neil Patrick Harris’ irrepressible charm makes the character palatable on rewatch.
12 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching How I Met Your Mother
While How I Met Your Mother is a beloved and very funny sitcom, there are some jokes and characters that don’t sit well.
By contrast,Happy Endingsseems to get better with age. By 2010s sitcom standards,Happy Endingswas relatively diverse. Race and sexuality are addressed in light, comedic ways, like Brad grumbling, “What’s the point of having white friends?” when he’s stuck with the brunch bill, or Penny complaining she fits more gay men stereotypes than Max does. Each of the six mainHappy Endingscharacters has an archetype - dumb blonde, chronically single, control freak - but is imbued with so much weirdness and specificity that they are anything but stereotypes.
If Happy Endings Is So Great, Why Did It Get Canceled?
Scheduling Changes Did Happy Endings No Favors
Happy Endingsfaced stiff competition. The show ran from 2011 to 2013, during a time that was an embarrassment of riches for sitcom fans.Happy Endingswas competing for eyeballs against shows likeNew Girl, Parks & Rec, Modern Family, 30 RockandHIMYM, which were all running contemporaneously. ABC, the network behind the show, prioritizedModern FamilyandThe MiddleoverHappy Endingswhen it came to marketing, so the viewership numbers aren’t reflective of the show’s quality.
ABC’s lack of focus onHappy Endingswas reflected in the show’s tumultuous broadcasting schedule. Season 1 episodes were aired out of order and had an atypical release schedule of two episodes dropping a week. The following season the time slot was changed to accommodate the first season ofDon’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23, and the season was cut short by one episode, which was held for the third season.
The third season had an irregular broadcast schedule. For the third time in as many seasons, the time slot was changed, now losing the slot toDancing with the Stars. Midway through season three, the time slot was changed again without an immediate announcement of when the show would air. Even the finale was pushed when a national news story broke. For fans of the show,it was hard to be loyal watcher given the constant schedule upheavals.
Best Roles You Might Have Seen The Happy Endings Cast In
They Still Appear In Sitcoms
BothHIMYMandHappy Endingspop because of the electric chemistry between the cast, but sometimes that can be lightning in a bottle and does not ensure an ongoing career. Despite the wild success of the show, theHow I Met Your Mothercast has largely not returned to the sitcom realm. They have gone on to indie films, studio comedy movies, reality completion hosting gigs, and even the MCU. Neil Patrick Harris has the most varied career, fromGone Girlto winning a Tony on Broadway.It is curious that none of the cast has had a successful sitcom sinceHIMYMended.
Casey Wilson
Marry Me, Black Monday, The Shrink Next Door
Conversely,theHappy Endingscastdid not become household names, butthey are constantly showing up in TV comedy gems. Damon Wayans Jr. reprised his role as Coach inNew Girl. Elisha Cuthbert starred in Netflix’sThe Ranch, and Eliza Coupe stole every scene in the underrated Hulu sitcomFuture Man. Adam Pally even created his own show,Champaign ILL. It’s fun seeing the talented cast ofHappy Endingspop up in other projects.
Happy Endings
Cast
Happy Endings is a sitcom created by David Caspe that aired for three seasons on the ABC network. Starring Eliza Coupe and Elisha Cuthbert and sees six best friends attempt to keep their group dynamic together when two of them start having issues.
