How I Met Your Mother.

Needing a new series to watch on Netflix, my wife and I decided we needed some laughter in our life.  From the few random episodes I had caught on TV, as well as reviews from other folks, we settled on How I Met You Mother. 

We are about 60 episodes in right now, and I don't regret the decision...it's a very funny show. 

The obvious move to make is comparing HIMYM to Friends...both series are based in New York with an attractive group of folks whom appear to live in apartments bigger they can afford, and spend more money on drinking things(coffee in Friends, beer in HIMYM) than they should be able to afford to do. 

They aren't exactly the same though...in HIMYM, there is a little more focus on jobs and incomes...one of the characters is a lawyer, one is an architect, the other does business with North Korea. 

The big difference though, and the reason that HIMYM might be better than Friends(which was a Top 10 series) is one Barney Stinson, played by Neil Patrick Harris. 

Every bit the womanizer that Joey was on Friends, Barney is also a sneaky brilliant bastard...an amoral rougue that never would have fit in on Friends.  The fact that NPH pulls this roll off even though he's, well...you know, GAY and NICE is amazing.  He certainly deserves the Emmy's and Golden Globes he was nominated for. 

Now...to be fair, neither of the young ladies on HIMYM is as flat out hot as Jennifer Aniston was at her peak on Friends...but they are both hotter than Courtney Cox or Lisa Kudrow(although it needs to be noted that Alyson Hannigan looks better with red hair than with brown).

photo borrowed from venus, rising.