Just in case fans aren't quite satisfied with nine entire seasons of the hit CBS show "How I Met Your Mother," creator Carter Bays has just confirmed the rumors about a spin-off series, "How I Met Your Dad." This new series will follow the same outline as the original, only it will be told from a female perspective. The mother presumably will be talking to her kids, telling them the long and detailed tale of how she met their father. If it's anything like "HIMYM," it will take her approximately eight years to complete.
Details on the new show have yet to be released, but Bays did announce that none of the characters from the original show will appear on the spin-off, except for in random cameo appearances. He also included that the new characters will not hang out at MacLaren's Bar in New York like before; they will establish their own signature meeting place so as not to infringe on the classic tradition.
I would just like to ask Mr. Bays when he has ever seen a spin-off series become even remotely as successful as its predecessor. Granted, "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off "Private Practice" is still airing, but I know exactly one person who still watches the show. The spin-off of "Friends," "Joey," garnered a negative fan reaction and has been long since forgotten. Even "The Office" tried a spin-off that failed after one episode. Even though it wasn't a TV show, the sequel to "Mean Girls" was quite honestly the most terrible idea on the planet. It didn't even make it to theaters - it was that bad.
The bottom line is, spin-offs are never a good idea. No matter how hard it is to let go of a beloved series after so many years, everything eventually must come to an end. Reruns will also be popular late night entertainment, so the show itself will never fully die out. Especially when the spin-off idea is the mirror image of the original and doesn't have any of the same characters, how many viewers are really going to tune in for more than the pilot episode? I think Carter Bays just has separation issues; he has been working on this show since 2005 and is struggling to let it go.
Quite simply, nothing will ever live up to the iconic series that is "How I Met Your Mother." Especially keeping in mind how awful season nine has been so far compared to the previous eight, I doubt the writers will be able to come up with much fresh and funny material. I can already see the first pilot episode of "HIMYD" (that just looks wrong), with clichés left and right and attempts to reference the original, which will make no sense because the cast will be completely new. And if they try to have a replacement Barney who attempts to be equally suave and suited-up, I will consider starting a protest. No one can play Barney like Neil Patrick Harris.
The future cast has some large shoes to fill; fans of the show have formed such a bond with each character that any attempt to replicate them will feel contrived and sub-par. The team would have to work a miracle in order to impress me with their new series. And lastly, if it's really a parallel show, why isn't it called "How I Met Your Father?" Mistake number one out of many, I am sure.
Contact Maddie Daly at mdaly6@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
