By JERRY FLOYD
Contributing Writer

“Kids, I’m going to tell you an incredible story, the story of how I met your mother.”
With these words, the simple premise of “How I Met Your Mother” was established.
The series, which began back in 2005 and wrapped up on March 31, 2014, follows main character Ted Mosby and his friends as they go through life in Manhattan.
As a framing device, Ted, in the year 2030, recounts to his daughter and son the chain of events that led him to meeting their mother.
Throughout its nine-year run, the show was able to win over audiences with its unique structure, great characters and unconventional humor. Utilizing flashbacks and flash-forwards as an integral part of the story telling was daring in what was essentially a standard sitcom.
With this structure, the creators were able to swap back and forth between past and present and tell more engaging stories because of this. Some of the best character moments of the show came out of these flashbacks. They were also able to do hints to the future by flashing forward in time.
“How I Met Your Mother” would not have been the television show it was without its amazing cast of characters. The five mains had great chemistry with one another and nothing felt forced. Another thing that was great about the characters is that they were all very likeable and the viewer wanted to see them succeed in their endeavors.
Also, the creators were not afraid of letting the characters grow and evolve over the course of the series.
Characters got job promotions, new jobs entirely, moved to new places and began long-running relationships with non-core characters. This kept things interesting. It also kept viewers on their toes and spawned theories on what would happen next. This is what kept the show fresh.
One of the biggest draws to the show was the humor. Using running gags to their full potential, the show was able to introduce us to great things.
These include gags such as Robin Sparkles, the Slap-Bet, the Intervention Banner, and Barney’s catchphrases, all of which have made appearances throughout the nine seasons.
Another stand-out point of the show’s humor was its social rules. Many of these rules would make the viewer go “That’s completely true!” making the link between the viewers that much better.
While the humor is fantastic, the show was also able to flex its dramatic muscles as well. After an episode had you laughing, it would then tug at your heartstrings leaving the viewer with something lasting. “How I Met Your Mother” was able to walk the line between comedy and drama very well and was a more substantial show because of it.
While the series finale was met with a mixed reaction, the show as a whole was something very special.
Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, the creators, managed to buck standard sitcom traditions and make a show that was completely out of the box and the show will forever remain legendary because of this.