Though How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) is nearing the end of its ninth and final season, the creators of the show recently surprised fans by announcing a new project- a spin off of the original show called How I Met Your Dad.
For fans of HIMYM, the new show is going to be far from the original. Everything is different – from the trademark bar that the cast usually meets in to the main story line.
Fans of actor Josh Radner: prepare to say goodbye to his character Ted Mosby, the original protagonist and the father in the HIMYM series. The position of protagonist (and parent) will be replaced by Sally, the new mother in the series, played by actress Greta Gerwig.
Fans of HIMYM are split into two polarized groups. Some are just craving more of the show and are happy to have their fix, spin-off or not. Others view the spin-off with disdain (why ruin a perfectly good show?), and are desperately fighting to preserve their good memories of HIMYM.
The latter group has a point. Aren’t spin-offs usually destined for failure? Consider the following: If the spin-off is too similar to the original, it’s bound to be hailed as a copycat unoriginal.
But if the spin-off is completely different, the series risks losing its loyal fan following.
Say the spinoff is sub-par, even if only slightly less funny than its predecessor (which doesn’t seem unlikely, as HIMYD has some pretty big shoes to fill). Then, it’s going to be seen as a product of greedy producers that are happy to be riding on the tail of a successful show, but too lazy to make anything new or better. Even if the spinoff is just as good, it’s never really going to hold up to the original. The only way HIMYD can ever be as loved dearly and deeply by its fans is if it far surpasses HIMYM, a task that seems daunting.
The more unlikely (but not impossible) outcome is sure to send chills up the spines of any HIMYM fans: What if the spinoff is far greater than the original? What if HIMYD blows HIMYM out of the water? Will HIMYM lose its place in our hearts?
To that, I say: no matter how good or bad the spinoff is, HIMYM will still be where it all began.