Ever since we found out that How I Met Your Mother was going to be given the reboot treatment, we’ve been eager to know just how it would stack up the original series. With the recent, and tragic, passing of OG series narrator Bob Saget, the stakes are even higher for the remake to hit the spot.
Series co-creator Isaac Aptaker insists that How I Met Your Father is not actually a reboot at all, but rather a “standalone sequel” to the beloved series which ran for nine seasons from 2005-2014.
“People keep referring to the show as a ‘reboot,’ and it’s not a reboot,” Aptaker said during a Television Critics Association press conference.
“It’s set in the world of the previous show, but it’s really its own thing. That said, we love How I Met Your Mother, There are going to be lots of little rewards for people who love the original, if they stick with us.”
Obviously, we have everything cross that those “little rewards” refer to some guest appearances from the original cast members (Alyson Hannagan, Cobie Smulders, Josh Radnor, Jason Segel and Neil Patrick Harris) but even without the former gang, there is much to be excited about in terms of this new outing.
For one thing, those of you who were disappointed that Kim Cattrall refused to join the Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That… will be happy to see her pop up in How I Met Your Father as the future version of Hilary Duff’s character Sophie, as she recounts the story of dating in New York in her 20’s and 30’s.
As the show’s official synopsis reads: “In the near future, Sophie is telling her son the story of how she met his father: a story that catapults us back to the year 2021, where Sophie and her close-knit group of friends are in the midst of figuring out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to fall in love in the age of dating apps and limitless options.”
In addition to Duff as Sophie, How I Met Your Father will also star Chris Lowell (Veronica Mars) as Sophie’s best friend and love interest Jesse — a cynic who has a side hustle as an Uber driver.
Francia Raisa (grown-ish) will play Valentina: Sophie’s roommate and an aspiring stylist while Tom Ainsley (Versaille) has been cast as Charlie — an aspiring model who fell in love with Valentina and has followed her back to New York.
Tien Tran (Candyman) joins the reboot as Jesse’s adopted sister, Ellen, who has moved to New York after splitting from her wife and Suraj Sharma (Little America) rounds out the cast as Ellen’s new roommate, Sid.
So, you’re probably thinking, “This sounds great! So, where can I watch this much-hyped ‘standalone sequel’?
While the series debuts on Hulu (a US streaming service) on January 18, 2022, in Australia, it will be available to watch on Disney+ on March 9.
The original series of How I Met Your Mother is also currently streaming on Disney+, so if you want to catch up before the reboot airs, then sign up here.
How I Met Your Father will premiere on Disney+ on March 9.
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