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It has a strong ensemble cast and is reported to be an unconventional, unpredictable sitcom, employing a repertoire of contemporary tricks, from freeze frames to split screens, for example.

How I Met Your Mother is a comedy about Ted (Josh Radnor) and how he fell in love. It all starts when Ted's best friend, Marshall (Jason Segal), drops the bombshell that he is going to propose to his long-time girlfriend, Lily (Alyson Hannigan), a kindergarten teacher.

At that moment, Ted realises that he had better get a move on if he too hopes to find true love. Helping him in his quest is Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), a friend with endless, sometimes outrageous opinions, a penchant for suits and a foolproof way to meet women.

When Ted meets Robin (Cobie Smulders), he's sure it's love at first sight, but destiny may have something else in store. The series is narrated through flashbacks from the future. Ted is neurotic, Robin commitment-phobic, Barney a viper, and the engaged couple Lily and Marshall warm and lived-in.

American critics have described it as better than most other sitcoms, past and present, especially those featuring wacky urban friends in their twenties experiencing the bittersweet mysteries of life. This is a cast that jells immediately, hitting on all cylinders from the very first scene.