It’s been off the air since 2014, but the ultra-quotable How I Met Your Mother remains one of the most beloved sitcoms on people’s binge-watching lists. The fact that it’s hilarious helps, for sure. But the show was also unique in its format, jumping through time to explain how hopeless romantic Ted Mosby met the mother of his kids. It’s a love story at heart, but along the way, his friendship with Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), Robin (Cobie Smulders), Marshall (Jason Segel), and Lily (Alyson Hannigan) takes center stage. If you’ve rewatched the series so many times that you’ve memorized everyone’s lines and consider McLaren’s Pub your favorite bar, it’s probably time to find a few other shows like How I Met Your Mother to watch.
The obvious place to start? The reboot of sorts airing on Hulu starring Hilary Duff as Sophie. The premise gets turned on its head as she tells the story of how she met her son’s dad in the spinoff aptly titled How I Met Your Father. Duff told Entertainment Weekly that the series ties into HIMYM — and there might even be appearances from some of the original cast. There’s a little more mystery on this reboot, she explained. “There’s so much opportunity for love stories with this show because it’s Sophie and then three dudes. So, it’s going down that whole rabbit hole of like, well, which one was the father? And you get to like go through all of Sophie’s young experience of finding love and dating and what that’s like in the modern world,” Duff said.
But if you’re not ready to fully replace the legen— wait for it — dary HIMYM just yet, you can try these other sitcoms that are just as funny and lovable.
Shows Like How I Met Your Mother To Binge
1. Superstore (2015-2021)
This offbeat sitcom is about a bunch of retail workers who inevitably end up becoming friends, despite all of their quirks and differences. It’s just as well-written as How I Met Your Mother, and not only will you laugh out loud, you’ll also root for the romances and accomplishments of the whole staff.
2. Grand Crew (2021- )
This new NBC sitcom follows a group of friends who hang out at a wine bar in Los Angeles. Much like the pub was the centerpiece for the HIMYM gang, they meet here to discuss their romantic relationships, careers, and other drama going on in their lives.
3. Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 (2012-2013)
There’s not a lot of romance in this show, but it’s hilarious all the same. Set in NYC, the show is about a well-meaning transplant from a flyover state coming to the city for the first time and moving in with a party girl and scam artist. As she tries to navigate her new life, the two unlikely friends form a tight bond by the end of its two-season run. Come for the laughs; stay for James Van Der Beek playing himself.
4. Happy Endings (2011-2020)
With Happy Endings, you get another off-beat comedy about a group of friends all just trying to make sense of their adult relationships. Much like HIMYM, there’s the married-couple friends, the hopeless romantic, and the goofball sidekicks who always say the wrong thing at all the wrong times. After just a few episodes, you’ll start to feel like you’re one of the crew, too.
5. Living Single (1993-1998)
Let’s just get this straight right out the gate: There could be no HIMYM, or any other friendship sitcom, without Living Single. This show was Friends before Friends was Friends. The series centers on six singles all living in a Brooklyn townhouse: Khadijah James (Queen Latifah), Maxine Shaw (Erika Alexander), Synclaire James (Kim Coles), Regine Hunter (Kim Fields), Kyle Barker (T.C. Carson), and Overton Jones (John Hinton). The guys, who live upstairs, constantly drop in on the women, who live downstairs, to discuss everything from their dating lives to what’s in the fridge… and much more.
6. How I Met Your Father (2022- )
C’mon, how could we not? You might feel hesitant to watch because you’re afraid it won’t live up to HIMYM. Understandable. But you’ve got to give it a shot — Sophie (Duff) and her tight-knit group of friends definitely bring the Ted Mosby and co. vibes.
7. New Girl (2011-2018)
Imagine being the only girl living in an apartment with three other guys. Jess, played by Zooey Deschanel, is a quirky and sweet school teacher who moves into a loft with three eccentric male roommates. Throughout the show, they teach each other valuable lessons about the frustrations and thrills of adulthood. Eventually, they morph into a small, dysfunctional, and endearing family you come to love more and more each episode.
Similar Sitcoms For Your Watch List
- That ’70s Show (1998-2006)
- Martin (1992-1997)
- Will & Grace (1998-2020)
- Friends (1994-2004)
- 2 Broke Girls (2011-2017)
- Girlfriends (2000-2008)
- Rules of Engagement (2007-2013)
- The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019)
- Cougar Town (2009-2015)
- Harlem (2021- )
- You’re the Worst (2014-2019)
- Younger (2015-2021)
- High Fidelity (2020)
- Mad About You (1992-2019)
- Run the World (2021- )
- That ‘70s Show (1998-2006)
- Girls (2012-2017)
This article was originally published on 3.11.2022
