Saget played the voice of Future Ted Mosby on the CBS sitcom.
The series premiere of the offshoot concluded with a title card in honor of Saget.
Josh Radnor, who played present-day Ted on the original series, paid tribute via social media when news of Saget's passing broke.
"Bob Saget was the older wiser 'me' for nine years on How I Met Your Mother," the actor wrote.
"He was the kindest, loveliest, funniest, most supportive man. The easiest person to be around. A mensch among mensches."
"I had so much imposter syndrome when HIMYM started, thought I'd be found out, kicked off set & sent home," he continued.
"When I'd run into Bob on the Fox lot in those early days he'd gush over my performance & tell me how he was studying me to make sure his vocal performance felt right."
Radnor said receiving that validation from Saget changed his entire perspective.
"This man that I'd delighted in seeing on TV for years cheering me on, letting me know I had a right to be there and playing that character... I can't overstate how meaningful his words were," he wrote, adding:
"(He also, true to form, told me jokes that I cannot tell here or in polite company)."
"We had a very special bond from Day 1, were never out of touch for long. We found a way to grab dinner once a year, even after HIMYM wrapped," Radnor added.
"We went to see each other in our Broadway plays. We talked a lot about how to live a meaningful life amidst all the chaos."
He concluded, "I'm endlessly grateful that HIMYM brought Bob Saget into my life. I'll hear his voice in my head for the rest of my days."
Saget was best known for his role on Full House and its sequel series, Fuller House.
The beloved actor and comedian was laid to rest last week at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills.
How I Met Your Father is set in the same universe as the original series, with Kim Cattrall taking over the narration duties as a new story is told.
How I Met Your Mother's terrible ending overshadows its terrific beginning.
The sequel series, How I Met Your Father, is off to a far less promising start.
If I could only use one word to describe the series so far, it would be tepid.
It's reassuring How I Met Your Father is aware of the How I Met Your Mother backlash and seems intent on avoiding its predecessor's mistakes. However, the fear of making those mistakes is preventing the show from being good.
A large part of it is because the characters are robots going through the motions rather than humans. It's not the actors' fault. It's the anemic material they have to work with.
In contrast, How I Met Your Mother's pilot was successful because of the vibrancy of the characters, especially Barney Stinson.
It's true Barney's womanizing hasn't aged well, but the real appeal of Barney is his joie de vivre. Besides making him legen -- wait for it -- dary, his over-the-top enthusiasm for anything from licking the Liberty Bell to creating the perfect playlist injects life into How I Met Your Mother.
How I Met Your Father needs a character like that.
The good news is How I Met Your Father already has a couple of characters who could step in to play the Barney role.
Ellen seems like the most natural fit.
She already has a lot in common with Barney. She made a drastic lifestyle change after a failed relationship. Even though she is Jesse's brother, she seems to occupy the outsider role within the group. Her goal of wanting to ask out Kate McKinnon is very Barney-esque.
Perhaps most importantly, she seems the most interested in having adventures for the sake of the adventure. On How I Met Your Father Season 1 Episode 2, she realized the experience of being rejected over and over was as valuable as scoring a date.
Charlie is another possibility.
Like Ellen, he is also interested in trying out new things and having experiences for the sake of the experience. He hangs out with the yentas in his building, for instance. He's the most out of touch with reality.
One of Barney's most essential roles on How I Met Your Mother was convincing other characters to do things they wouldn't normally do. Charlie also seems to have a knack for pushing the other characters out of their comfort zones.
On How I Met Your Mother Season 1 Episode 5, he spearheaded the effort to help Sid overcome his awkwardness around Sophie's mom and for Jesse to return to where he humiliated himself with the failed proposal. This has the added benefit of making Jesse and Sid more interesting as well.
Another similarity both Ellen and Charlie have to Barney is they tend to have more surreal plots, which are relatively more interesting than the A-stories. One of the smarter moves How I Met Your Father made so far is to make them and allow them to bounce off each other.
So the potential for How I Met Your Father to have character(s) as vivacious Barney exists; it's the writing that needs to get up to par. Even though it seems unlikely based on what's aired so far, it's not out of the realm for How I Met Your Father to improve drastically.
Comedies often need more time than dramas to figure out the characters and find their identity.
Parks and Recreation didn't figure out what made Leslie Knope a watchable character until the end of its first season.
Remember how cringey Cougar Town was until it dropped the cougar on the prowl premise and found life as a hangout comedy? Some say Seinfeld didn't become Seinfeld until its fourth season.
Sadly, the current age of TV doesn't favor giving time for TV shows to find their identity. Who knows if I How I Met Your Father will get another season. It wouldn't be the first time a TV show fails to live up to its promise before cancelation.
Still, if I How I Met Your Father wants to have any chance of becoming a good show, it needs to lighten up. It needs to wholeheartedly embrace the strange and surreal like its predecessor did. No character represented that aspect of How I Met Your Mother better than Barney Stinson.
How I Met Your Father shouldn't take every page from Barney Stinson's playbook, but there are a lot of pages they can use for inspiration.
Otherwise, it's a dull TV show, which is arguably worse than bad.
Despite the decline, or maybe because of it, of How I Met Your Mother quality in later years, people still remember it and discuss it passionately because it was memorable.
One of the best ways for a TV show to be memorable is to create memorable characters like Barney Stinson -- something How I Met Your Father desperately needs.
Over to you, TV Fanatics!
What are your thoughts on How I Met Your Father so far?
Do you think any of the characters can step up to fill the Barney void?
It's been eight years since How I Met Your Mother wrapped its run on CBS and the season finale of spinoff How I Met Your Father brought back an original star.
Hilary Duff's Sophie Tompkins made her way into McLaren's pub on Tuesday's season-ender and found herself getting some relationship advice from Robin Scherbatsky.
Yes, Cobie Smulders reprised the role, and it has got to be one of the stealthiest casting decisions in recent memory.
Far too often, big returns leak to the media several months in advance, but thankfully, this was a shocker kept well under wraps.
Ahead of the big meeting, Sophie questioned her relationship with Jesse after he told her that he loved her after they spent the night together.
“I once had a guy say ‘I love you’ on our first date,” Robin shared.
“Dude sounds like a real piece of work,” Sophie chimed in.
“You have no idea,” Robin tells her.
“But a good piece of work. Which brings me to my advice: Do not waste your time being scared, Sophie."
"Fear can make you run away from things that could be good — great even, things that are supposed to be a part of your story."
"So, really think about it: What did Jesse do wrong other than say everything you ever wanted a guy to say, just faster than you expected," Robin concludes.
Sophie goes back to Jesse's apartment, but is left reeling when she sees him kissing Jesse.
“If I’ve learned anything at all about love, it’s that timing is everything. Sometimes, timing’s a bitch," Robin says when Sophie fills her in about that part.
However, the two women agree to meet again in 20 years, which should be fun.
Bringing anyone back from the original series was always going to be huge for fans, and with the news that How I Met Your Father has been renewed for a supersized second season, we should probably expect more stunt casting.
“[Series creators] Isaac [Aptaker] and Elizabeth [Berger]’s inspired vision for How I Met Your Father has proven to be true appointment viewing that fans cannot get enough of week to week,” Jordan Helman, Head of Scripted Content at Hulu Originals, said in a statement when Season 2 was revealed.
“The lives of these characters, as portrayed by the immensely talented cast led by Hilary Duff, are just starting to unfold and we’re thrilled to bring more of this group’s journey to our viewers with a supersized second season.”
The spinoff 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.
Chris Lowell, Francia Raisa, Tom Ainsley, Tien Tran, and Suraj Sharma star alongside Hilary Duff.
It's easy to get lost in our favorite 'ships. The will-they-won't-they stories keep us on our toes, hoping for everything to work out in the end.
The emotions were strong. The tears were real. And the fandom felt it all right down in our hearts.
Plus, the chemistry! It's so fierce and fiery at times. (The chemistry is what hooks us in.)
No one does it better than a TV couple. The writers know how to play with our emotions when wanting endgame status.
Below, we look at some TV romances that kept us glued to the screen wanting everything to work out.
We rooted for them, against their competition, and rooted for that happy ending. These couples played with all our emotions.
Sometimes the good ones and sometimes the bad.
[Author's Note: It goes without saying, but there will be some spoilers below. Make sure you catch up by watching TV Fanatic online for any shows you may have missed.]
Rue and Jules (Euphoria)
Euphoria has a bevy of complicated and messy relationships. We could talk about the toxic Maddy/Jake/Cassie love triangle or the implosion of Kat and Ethan, but the original mainstay couple is the one that makes our list.
Jules and Rue's love story is what defined Euphoria Season 1. Their fairytale-like chemistry hooked us, but just like Rue's many secrets, their chemistry and lies became more of a habit than a relationship. Neither were at a solid place to make the romance work.
Our hearts broke when Rue left Jules on the train. And when we thought there was a chance of them getting back together, Rue's drug spiraling and Jules' new romance tore them apart once again.
There's always a chance for them to get back together, but it's been a roller coaster, and it will most likely happen again.
Ryan and Marissa (The OC)
She said, "Who are you?" He said, "Whoever you want me to be."
Those now-iconic words were just the start of the classic "popular girl dates the new bad boy" storyline. Who wasn't rooting for Marissa and Ryan to end up together? They were peak The OC.
Whenever we thought there was a chance to bring them together, something would come between them. New romances, Ryan's surprise baby, family arrivals, and explosive fights were some of the twists that kept us on our toes.
And just when it seemed like they had a happy ending, the car crash ended it all. Marissa dying in Ryan's arms will always bring on the tears.
Ace and Nancy (Nancy Drew)
Why can't they be together?!
Nancy Drew Season 3 ended with Ace finally confessing his feelings to Nancy, but a death curse is keeping them apart. We want Ace and Nancy to have their happy ending. However, Nancy taking that risk and acting on her feelings might be too high of a cost to pay.
Their romance grew over time. We've been there through the longing looks, the light flirtation, and the bubbling chemistry.
Nancy Drew lifted us with the possibility of them getting together just for another hurdle to get in the way. Mark my words, it'll feel so satisfying when they get past this curse!
Nick and Charlie (Heartstopper)
Did watching Heartstopper make me cry? Yes.
Did Nick and Charlie give me major FOMO couple goals? Abso-freaking-lutely!
Nick and Charlie are the definitions of pure joy and happiness. Their relationship grew in such a sweet and tender way that you could feel the chemistry burning. It took us on an emotional roller coaster high.
And when it seemed like they might end, that nightmare hit us like a ton of bricks. (Thankfully, they're still together!) A TV world without Nick and Charlie is too dark to imagine.
Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead (Riverdale)
Betty and Archie? Veronica and Archie? Jughead and Betty? Or were you a Jughead and Veronica person?!
The core four of Riverdale have played the game of relationship roulette to see what works and what doesn't. Even when it seemed like a pair were endgame status, something would tear them apart and reunite later on.
These four have had many romantic highs, like Veronica/Archie's steamy shower and Betty/Archie's first kiss. But, they've had many lows, like not discussing their problems or keeping many secrets.
At this point, any possibility is on the table. Riverdale loves to tease futures for these couples without defining who will win out in the end.
Kate and Anthony (Bridgerton)
Let's talk about chemistry. Kate and Anthony from Bridgerton Season 2 radiate with a fiery passion like the sun.
In the Regency era of England, all they had were longing looks and the constant denial of their attraction. If they ever hooked up, it would be a scandal! One worthy of a Lady Whistledown report.
It was clear that Kate and Anthony were into each other. But the added stress of Anthony courting Kate's sister Edwina served as an extra layer of scandal.
Every longing look, encounter in the garden, and every fight where they denied their feelings stoked the fires. It was a grand time at the ball waiting for these two to figure out their feelings.
Klaus and Caroline (The Vampire Diaries)
Klaus and Caroline ended before they ever had a chance. This couple is the biggest missed opportunity from The Vampire Diaries universe.
The fans wanted it. The chemistry burned on the screen. The storyline potential was there for them to make it work and explore their feelings.
Whenever Klaus and Caroline were together, their scenes always verged on flirting; it gave us hope. It seemed like they were one step away from getting together, but it wasn't meant to be.
At least we'll have their kiss and the many flirting moments of what could've been.
Rory and Jess (Gilmore Girls / Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life)
Rory's three main boyfriends have been the biggest debate topics for fans of the series. But, it's her time with bad-boy Jess that hit us the hardest.
Like Ryan and Marissa above, it was the classic case of the good girl dating the bad boy. Jess and Rory tried to make it work, but Jess' many walls made it hard for them to grow. The temptation to be with him was too strong to resist, and she could change him.
Though, we'll never forget when Jess left without warning. How could he do that to Rory?!
We hoped time and age could fix things between them in the sequel series, and yet again, we were left hanging. The pair may have given us sadness, but a part of us still hopes for the passion again.
Ross and Rachel (Friends)
Any Friends fan can agree that the Ross and Rachel relationship was the most frustrating and satisfying romance across its ten seasons. They started as a longtime crush Ross had on Rachel since they were kids, but it soon morphed into an on-again, off-again relationship of high highs and low lows.
A drunken wedding in Las Vegas, Rachel crashing Ross' wedding to Emily, and her getting off the plane were some of their long list of moments that packed the emotional punch.
And regardless of which side you sat on if it was a break or not (it was 100% a break!), their first epic break-up brought on all the uncomfortable feelings of how it felt when a relationship ends.
Ross and Rachel took us on a roller coaster, teasing the many reasons this couple should be together and why they couldn't make it work. At least their fate of being each other's lobster worked out in our favor.
Wanda and Vision (WandaVision)
Wanda Maximoff and Vision deserved their happy ending. It's a shame that it wasn't meant to be in the grand scheme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Wanda has gone through a lot in her life, especially losing Vision during the war against Thanos. WandaVision Season 1 gave us the chance to live through their peak couple goals in a mysterious and picturesque world.
We knew something shady was going on in Westview, but Wanda and Vision living their dream distracted us from their eventual outcome. You can't help but feel all the emotions as they get their new house and become new parents.
But as WandaVision Season 1 (and the push into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) has shown, it's that some happy endings are too out of reach to happen.
Meredith and Derek (Grey's Anatomy)
How could you not root for Meredith to end up with McDreamy? The nickname said it all.
The original crush spiced up the medical drama and teased us with plenty of "Will they? Won't they?" moments like no other. Both broke our hearts when they found reasons not to be together and then gave us the satisfaction when they finally made it work.
We had dreams of endgame status as this couple built a family and seemed like a sure thing. Yet, we were dealt the biggest blow as Derek's death broke this couple for the last time.
Curse you, truck! It would be hard for anyone to hold back the tears watching Meredith sit by Derek's side as he passed away.
Ted and Tracy (How I Met Your Mother)
The series finale of How I Met Your Mother did this couple dirty! Seriously, it's still one of the worst series finales ever.
Ted spent nine seasons searching for the mythical "Mother" and talking about her to his future kids. We got invested in his journey, waiting to meet Tracy and learn the truth for ourselves. Ultimately, the wait was worth it.
Tracy and Ted's chemistry was beautiful; they fit so well together, and Tracy was fantastic as the long-awaited character. It finally seemed like the right end to the storybook romance after all the highs and lows of Ted's dating life.
Instead, the perfect ending was ripped away and left us frustrated. Why spend nine seasons building up a relationship to erase it in the final moments?
Carrie and Big (Sex and the City / And Just Like That)
Carrie Bradshaw and Big's romance is either a Manhattan fairytale or a toxic mess. It depends on who you ask, but it's a little of both.
They worked so well together on paper, but they never seemed to be on the same page. Big couldn't commit, and Carrie kept going back to him, even when it was a bad decision. Break-ups, affairs, and glamorous love were all on the table.
Their eventual wedding during the movies equally had high emotions and dating troubles. And the soapy drama continued right into the sequel series.
Carrie and Big got their happy ending for a time, but the journey to get there was anything but smooth.
Wilhelm & Simon (Young Royals)
Let's all have a collective sigh of relief that Wilhelm and Simon's story continued for another day. Their ending on Young Royals Season 1 was too bittersweet to make that their final chapter.
There's something about two people discovering their attraction for each other that warms our hearts. And in the case of Prince Wilhelm, it was a new side toward living his authentic life.
Unfortunately, his position as a royal kept getting in the way.
Whenever there was a moment of Simon and Wilhelm being happy, there was also the looming threat of someone discovering their secret. It was a delicate balance that pushed us between happiness and worry. Let's hope these two can eventually make it work.
Veronica and Logan (Veronica Mars)
The "Marshmallows" lived for this pairing. The disgraced rich boy and the sarcastic investigator had the chemistry that radiated heat. And for a long time, it seemed like Veronica and Logan were riding off into the sunset together.
Unfortunately, Veronica Mars Season 4 packed a heavy blow on a final twist no one liked.
Why couldn't Veronica and Logan be together? They overcame their high school drama, processed most of their past trauma, and both characters grew into (somewhat) mature adults.
Veronica and Logan became the people they needed to be in a healthy couple. Their future was ripped from us in a heartbreaking twist that dangled a happy ending and a long-awaited wedding.
Carla and Samuel (Elite)
Sometimes that high school romance is what it is: a high school romance.
Rich girl Carla and new kid Samuel developed into Elite's most passionate star-crossed lovers. They shouldn't work as a pair, but the sexual tension kept bringing them back together. Even the betrayals and secrets couldn't deny their chemistry.
When we thought they could be together, Samuel would either betray Carla or she couldn't trust him again. No amount of pleading or stolen kisses could fix the damage done.
Carla might've ultimately made the wisest decision to end their romance; they did have a toxic edge. But, all the ups and downs to get there added plenty of fuel to Elite's fire.
Chuck and Blair (Gossip Girl)
It took three little words to end the back-and-forth in Blair and Chuck's messy dating life.
Like many couples on this list, there were plenty of break-ups and secrets between them. They worked so well scheming and plotting together, but they'd self-sabotage. Whenever Chuck and Blair blew up, it would be the coldest edge.
Gossip Girl teased plenty of chances for them to get back together. Each time it was more dramatic than the last; a cold goodbye, a teary-eyed heartbreak, or a loving embrace.
We never knew they'd last until those final moments they said, "I do." The Gossip Girl reboot could still throw us for a loop and mess with their romance.
Willow and Tara (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer's most heartwarming relationship came between Willow and Tara. The iconic couple changed the face of TV and still ranks one of the best TV couples.
Still, their journey wasn't the picture-perfect path we all thought.
We had the highs of Willow discovering herself and starting a new romance with Tara. We had the lows of Willow's addiction to magic tearing them apart. But when we thought there was a happy ending, Warren took them away from us.
If Buffy the Vampire Slayer came out today, Willow and Tara would still be together. The loss of Tara and this relationship still hurts after all these years.
Max and Helen (New Amsterdam)
The "Sharpwin" shippers have felt this struggle after many seasons of waiting for the romance to happen.
Max and Helen are the definitions of teasing a potential romance. The pair had lots of chemistry, but they kept it strictly platonic and professional, even when we knew better. The tension felt like it needed a little push to tip them over the edge.
Thankfully, the long-awaited kiss brought them together, but it's still been many challenges along the way since then.
Will they have their happy ending? WIll another challenge come between them? We can't handle not knowing!
If you've seen Rose McIver or Utkarsh Ambudkar on Stephen Colbert, CBS Mornings, or various other stops on the press circuit lately, it's because they are now the stars of a big TV show in Ghosts.
Adapted from a British TV show by Joe Port, many viewers might not have had a lot of hope for the show considering the mixed history of British TV spin-offs and the fact that it was dumped onto network TV rather than an edgier network.
However, the show was network television's highest-rated new comedy last year.
It has also continued to build its audience after its first season success: Variety reported that Ghosts was the network's top comedy on both live viewing and the Paramount Plus streaming site, and the show has helped lift the slate of CBS sitcoms above the competition.
But why has this show broken through from such a disadvantaged start?
Let's catch you up on what this show's about and why its comic premise is so strong. Ghosts follows a young couple who move from the city into a mansion to open up a bed and breakfast, only to find that eight different generations of past inhabitants haunt it.
To further complicate matters, wife Sam (McIver) can see the ghosts, while husband Jay (Ambudkar) has to live with the discomfort of constantly being watched by a coterie of American history while he showers, among other things.
He's also kind of lonely and misses out on the fun of his wife interacting with revolutionary war soldiers, Vikings, and Guilded Age aristocrats. Oh my!
If that sounds like a horror film or a children's cartoon, it very well could be if the show's writers didn't do such a good job at maintaining a light tone. It also helps that the octet of ghosts wasn't such a loveable group of buffoons.
Ghosts is a show chock-full of memorable quotes from writers milking the full potential of nearly every angle.
The show plays on character beats, with characters like Hetty, Flower, and Isaac bringing their brand of character to their lines.
Alberta: Sam, if Trevor saying even the hot one has to go, we have to take him seriously. Sam: That is alarming, but I’m sure there is an innocent explanation. Hetty: Samantha, if Jay truly is being offered a snake oil opportunity, one must at least entertain the notion.
There is also a lot of humor that plays on the irony of the sitcom's premise itself. Samantha is often trapped between a rock and a hard place, and the show rarely misses an opportunity to exploit that awkwardness.
Most importantly, the show plays on the potential differences between characters trapped in different historic mindsets. One running gag is Isaac's frustration that his bitter rival Alexander Hamilton made it to fame. Another is Pete's devastation at learning travel agents are obsolete.
Pete: Look, I may not have had the perfect marriage. And at work, I was a good travel agent, but I was no Brent Flanagan. [Awkward silence] Pete: Famous travel agent. Sam: There are no famous travel agents.
If you were to look at television 20 years ago, the TV season that ran from 2002-2003 produced ten comedies that ranked in the top 30 on Broadcast TV: Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Will and Grace, Scrubs, Still Standing, Good Morning Miami, Yes Dear, The King of Queens, Frasier, and My Big Fat Greek Life.
During that decade, broadcast TV would host edgy comedies like Ugly Betty, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, My Name is Earl, The Office, and Parks and Recreation, but those weren't rating hits except The Office.
Many creative forces behind these shows, like Tina Fey, Mitch Hurwitz, Greg Daniels, Robert Carlock, and Greg Garcia, would migrate to cable and streaming over the next decade.
In the interim, fares like Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, Mom, According to Jim, The Big Bang Theory, and Modern Family would be the rare shows that would make a splash.
Broad TV
A lot of what is said to succeed on broadcast TV is often given the adjective "broad." Due to the nature of their time slot, these shows have to bring in a large audience. That, in turn, affects the way these shows are made.
Is this a good or bad thing? It depends. I wouldn't be caught dead watching something like Two and a Half Men, but there are familiar elements to many of the shows mentioned above that work for many other viewers and me.
The difference is that many shows cling to traditional elements while providing something novel.
Mom is the rare network show to focus primarily on female relationships and the slow arc of recovery. How I Met Your Mother boasts a clever premise of a narrator framing the sitcom as a bedtime story for his kids (even if it got strained out to an ungodly tiring nine seasons).
Big Bang Theory popularized nerd culture when it premiered in 2007: A time when nerd was almost a derogatory term. But these shows all had laugh tracks.
On the other end of the spectrum, Modern Family and some of the NBC comedies of the era, like Superstore, have shown innovation in creating comic climates without resorting to multi-camera.
But at the same time, they are very traditional sitcoms in topic and structure. Modern Family is pretty much like every 80s and 90s family TV show with a more updated understanding of what a family is.
For comparison, one can see Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan's new show Reboot on Hulu to see him pushing the boundaries of TV content-wise. But the best element about all of these shows is that they have heart.
Feel Good TV
Comedies that have a dreary (Louie), sarcastic (Curb Your Enthusiasm), aimless (Dollface), whiny (Girls), or nihilistic (The End of the F***ing World) tone don't really fit in with network television. The vast majority of broad television makes you feel good in a TGIF way.
And the best shows -- the ones that win the ratings -- make you feel really good.
That is the kind of show Ghosts is. Yes, there is the lovey-dovey nature of Sam and Jay's marriage and the way they solve problems together, but I'd argue it's more than that.
Look at the friendship and camaraderie between the eight primary ghosts. Even with the occasional sitcom-sized squabble, there is rarely a conflict that threatens the friendship of anyone in this octet.
It's a rare fight to write eight characters as comically strong as these eight, but it's even rarer to preserve a balance between characters where it feels like the camaraderie is spread so evenly.
To the extent that shows can be relevant to our times, this is all the more curative when we consider how polarized our society is.
The show has a clear bigot in Hetty, a self-absorbed Isaac (who could be a stand-in for today's coastal elite), and a d-bag in Trevor, but these edges are significantly sanded, so they're nowhere near as bad as how they might seem on paper.
The irony of Hetty's character is that her hatred is irrationally directed at the Irish, but she coexists perfectly with a Black character.
Hetty: So, the harlot just remains?! Molly: Well, I may have been a harlot, but what about you?! You were a cruel and vindictive boss! Hetty: It’s too late for flattery.
From our modern perspective, she's harmless, which allows her to be loveable. Likewise, the image-conscious Trevor is seen hugging the dorky scoutmaster in the pilot episode, which immediately shows he's gentle on the inside.
Feel-good TV is about characters coming together. It's what our society needs now, and it's what the ratings have shown that viewers can't get enough of right now.
If you are finally on board, please watch Ghosts online right here via TV Fanatic!
How I Met Your Father Season 2 got underway on Hulu on Tuesday morning with quite a surprise for fans of How I Met Your Mother.
During the season premiere, Sophie (Hillary Duff) hit Barney's car while driving.
It was a true shocker because the series managed to keep it under wraps until transmission, which is practically unheard of these days.
Harris previously interviewed Duff for Wondercade and was vocal about not thing Barney's antics would work in a show in 2022.
"Barney's antics, his overt delusions of grandeur, would likely get everyone in trouble," he said.
"So, unless he's changed his ways or joined a nunnery (insert an insert joke here), not sure if it's in anyone's best interest."
"I'm not sure how you feel about this, but I'm pretty sure Barney would … be in jail in 2022," Duff told him.
"Since we're living in the world of females coming into power, I'm assuming that's why they made [Valentina, the Barney-esque character in HIMYF] a woman!"
According to TV Line, Harris will appear in subsequent episodes of the Hulu sequel.
But, how long was the big return in the works?
HIMYF creators Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger told TV Line that it had been the works for some time.
"Thankfully, his relationship with [HIMYM and HIMYF director/executive producer] Pamela Fryman is so phenomenal that she was able to reach out to him and get a very quick, 'Let's talk about it,'" Berger said.
"We did a creative Zoom with him to talk about what we were thinking, and that was it."
"He was game, which was so incredible for us. It was the best way we could imagine coming back."
It's unclear at this stage how many episodes Harris will be a part of, but we have 20 episodes this season.
After a hard day working, some people prefer resting at home before the next day begins. Others go to their favorite bar for a cold drink and honest, unfiltered conversation.
On TV, bars are much more significant. They are more than the place you go to get drunk and probably make bad decisions. Essential plot points happen in bars. People meet and fall in love inside bars. Breakups also occur in them.
For some characters, bars help them put food on the table and clothes on their backs.
We have rounded up seventeen iconic bars and clubs that viewers and characters adore or hate. They may even inspire the name of the bar you might open.
17. Cheers (Cheers)
Kicking us off is the bar, where an entire show is almost exclusively set in.
Cheer is owned by Sam but has had many owners before him, and he later sells it to someone else.
Cheer is the perfect setting to dive into issues such as feminism, homosexuality, and addiction.
Cheers was never afraid to discuss the seemingly undiscussable, and any stranger or regular could walk into Cheers and teach the others a little something.
16. How I Met Your Mother (McLaren's)
This bar is essential in the show as many vital moments happen here.
It is where Ted, Barney, Lily, Robin, and Marshall hang out, as it is conveniently located under Ted, Lily, and Marshal's apartment.
The bar differs from most of this list because it offers a full kitchen service.
Fun fact: the bar is based on four bars where the show's crew used to drink and is named after its associate producer.
15. Chicago Fire (Molly's)
Molly's had a few names before the owners chose to call it so.
It is owned by Christopher, Mouch, and Trudy Pratt but has had other owners.
Members of Firehouse 51, as well as other first responders, frequent the bar.
It is inspired by a real bar called Lotties Pub, where the show's exterior scenes are shot.
14. Grey's Anatomy (Emerald City Bar)
The bar is located across from Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital and is owned by Joe. It has been nicknamed Joe's after the owner.
It is where staff from the hospital go on dates and relax after their shifts.
Joe has owned it for over fifteen years, although he hasn't been seen in it in recent years, like early on.
Many first meetings of romantically inclined couples have happened here.
13. Three's a Company (The Regal Beagle)
The Regal Beagle was where the roommates would usually hang out.
Before its use lessened in later seasons, it was where they would meet each other and their dates and relax and drink beer.
At some point, the bar inspired real-life cocktails based on the show's era.
12. Revenge (Porter's Stowaway Tavern)
The bar is located in Montauk, New Jersey, and is owned by The Porters.
The bar is the lifeline for the family when they have money problems and have to sell their house, thus moving above the tavern.
It was destroyed when Charlotte set it on fire, and Jack decided not to rebuild it.
11. Riverdale (La Bonne Nuit)
La Bonne Nuit is owned by Veronica Lodge and can be found under Pops.
It is a speakeasy that shelters the characters from the reaches of Riverdale's big bad, Hiram Lodge.
Over the years, despite Hiram's efforts to get it closed, it has persevered.
It has been the venue for some of the most iconic musical number performances by Veronica, Cheryl, Toni, and Kevin.
10. Animal Kingdom (The Drop)
The Drop is owned by Deran Cody, the youngest of the Cody brothers, and is found at Oceanside.
After realizing that crime won't pay for long, Deran decides to invest his money and buy the bar. It is not the best investment decision since the bar seems to cause more trouble than it returns in profit.
The bar has a back room where beer is stored, and Deran crashes sometimes.
It has seen wild sex from Deran's hookups, some brawls, and assaults, and it's even home to a murder.
09. Power (Truth)
Truth is a high-end club owned by James St. Patrick in New York.
Like Deran, James used Truth to escape his life of crime.
From its early days, Truth was a headache for James. From constant attacks by New York's night scene giants and the constant intrusion by his double lives when they would bleed into each other, it gave him sleepless nights.
It was almost poetic when the club was the last place James breathed despite it being his second chance at life.
08. Walker (The Sidestep)
The Sidestep is owned by The Walker family and is located in Texas.
It is a family-run business where anyone of age has worked, including Cordell, Liam, and Stella.
It has been the scene for rivalries, romance, and self-searching.
It offers a soft landing for the Walkers but has also faced legal problems, especially when August -- a minor -- has a party there. And served alcohol to other minors!
07. Queer as Folk (2000) (Babylon)
Babylon's owner is unknown, located in Pittsburgh, where the show is set.
In a world that openly hates Queer people to the point of shooting out gay bars, Babylon offers a safe space for Queer men in Pittsburgh.
It has the signature thumpa thumpa found in many gay bars from loud pop music.
The number of sexual and romantic quests on its dance floor and bathrooms can't be quantified.
06. P-Valley (The Pynk)
The Pynk is primarily owned by Uncle Clifford and situated on one side of the Mississippi River. Uncle Clifford inherited it from their mother after she passed on.
It is the lifeline to many souls in the south and most to the strippers who grace it every evening.
It has been the venue for drama, arguments, sex, drugs, alcohol, and an occasional shootout.
It has undergone various problems, including a potential rival casino, crime, and COVID.
05. Family Guy (The Drunken Clam)
The Drunken Clam is owned by Jerome and is found at the fictional Quahog.
It is where the four friends come to drink after doing nothing.
Many not-so-brilliant ideas have occurred to the gang here, whether under alcohol or not.
It has also been the scene for a fight between Peter and his biggest enemy -- the chicken.
04. The Sopranos (Bada Bing)
Bada Bing is owned by mob boss Tony Soprano and is located somewhere in New Jersey.
It serves as a regular strip club and a front for mob operations.
At the back, there is an office and a lounge where the mob guys hang out doing absolutely nothing before going to harass and shakedown actual business owners.
It has been a scene for drugs and murder. Despite the gentrification happening in the neighborhood, it perseveres.
03. Letterkenny (MoDean's)
MoDean's is owned by Gail and is found in Letterkenny. It is arguably the only bar in Letterkenny.
It is where the hockey players go to be roasted by Shoresy and rejected by girls.
The hicks may not fight at weddings but show muscle at MoDean's.
Someone might have a good time if they are not constantly sexually harassed by Gail.
02. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Paddy's Pub)
Paddy's ownership is a murky affair like many others in Sunny. Charlie, the whole gang, or no one might own it. It is found in Philadelphia.
Many events happen here. It is impossible to single out one thing. But it can be said with absolute certainty that many horrible ideas have been born here.
The fact that the bar still stands is a miracle as it runs itself.
Many crimes and immoral things have happened here. The list is endless.
01. Shameless (The Alibi)
Veronica and Kevin Fisher own the Alibi. It is found in Chicago.
The Alibi is as iconic as the Gallagher kitchen.
Insane stuff has happened here, including illegal business, death, robbery, and multiple sexual assaults. The bar boasts the title of the most rapey bar in the Southside.
It is where Mickey iconically came out and declared his love for Ian. Of course, it ended in a massive fight between Mickey and his dad, but a stand was made that day.
•••••
So, which one of these fictional bars would you want to mingle with its patrons if you had the chance? Which one would you not pass near its street if it saved your life? Let us know in the comments.
You have to play fair, giving the audience enough clues to figure out the truth but not so many clues that the answer is obvious.
Some TV mysteries were so well done that we kicked ourselves for not realizing the solution before it was revealed, and we're celebrating those mysteries today.
Ideally, all shows should have a bit of mystery, so some of the best ones are shows you wouldn't expect, such as cartoons or comedies.
Every genre of show can keep certain things secret, teasing viewers with clues so they think they know what's going on but have to tune in to find out if they're right.
Please scroll down to check out our top nine mysteries. Some of these we solved ourselves, while others we couldn't believe we missed.
[NOTE: This list contains spoilers, as it reveals the solutions to mysteries, so keep that in mind if you haven't watched all the shows on our list.]
1. The Identity of the Mother - How I Met Your Mother
Although How I Met Your Mother is often associated with Neil Patrick Harris's Barney, the show's premise rested on a season-long mystery: who was the mother the main character told his kids about?
The Mother, eventually revealed to be named Tracy, was hinted at as early as the first season, with what seemed to be a joke about Ted meeting a stripper named Tracy.
Clues were sprinkled throughout the remaining seasons, most famously when Ted spent a lot of time with the Mother's roommate, Cindy, who was constantly jealous of her roommate.
After the series ended, fans were outraged by the Mother's random death, which meant that Ted and Robin could get together rather than the Mother turning out to be any of the main characters.
Nevertheless, there were enough clues that sharp-eyed viewers could have figured out this plot twist before the end.
2. Who Rose Quartz Really Was - Steven Universe
Steven Universe was a quirky Cartoon Network series about a boy who lives with the Crystal Gems, mineral aliens with magical powers, and whom he helps on various adventures.
Throughout the series, Steven learns more about the Crystal Gems and that the alien race has a questionable past. He has to solve various mysteries along the way, one of which involves the identity of Rose Quartz.
Rose Quartz is a Crystal Gem originally introduced as a leader who led a successful rebellion against the Gem Empire.
Throughout the series, Steven learns more about the war between the Crystal Gems and the Empire, including that his mother was assassinated by someone named Pink Diamond -- who turns out to still be alive and, in fact, is Rose.
Rose was often depicted as a nonconformist who strongly believed in making one's fate rather than accepting the identity given to one. She often dressed in pink, which was another clue to her identity.
3. Who Killed Laura Palmer? - Twin Peaks
Thirty years before the Showtime reboot, Twin Peaks was a quirky series about a small town full of secrets. It revolved around the mystery of who killed local teenager Laura Palmer.
The series combined standard clues with supernatural and other strange happenings throughout the first season and a half.
This should have tipped viewers off that the solution to the mystery would be anything but traditional!
One early sequence had Laura's father, Leland, develop a head full of white hair overnight, suggesting something was wrong with him.
This foreshadowed the idea that Leland was possessed by BOB, an evil entity that drove him to kill his daughter in a fit of rage.
4. Henry Thorpe Is the Main Antagonist - Sugar
Jason Butler Hamber's presence might have given away his character's true identity for some viewers. This actor is gifted at playing seemingly lovely guys who turn out to be evil.
Henry Thorpe was precisely that kind of character on Sugar.
He seemed incapable of hurting anyone, first appearing at Ruby's party and seeming so timid and inconsequential that almost nobody noticed him.
Throughout the season, however, Henry became increasingly consequential to the story.
By the end, the reveal that he was an alien who tortured human women as part of sinister experiments is both shocking and completely logical.
5. Crowley's True Intentions - Rabbit Hole
Jason Butler Hamber also appears on Paramount+'s Rabbit Hole, a one-season series in which Kiefer Sutherland plays an espionage agent framed for murder, but he's not the main villain.
He again plays a guy who seems to be a good guy but is helping Crowley, the main antagonist.
Crowley's evil intentions were again more apparent in retrospect than upon first viewing, especially for viewers familiar with Peter Weir, who played him.
Weir almost always plays a villain, so why should this character have been an exception, especially with a name like Crowley?
6. Patrick Lloyd is An Overly Obvious Villain -- Designated Survivor
I know Terry Serpico as Law & Order: SVU's Chief McGrath, who recently resigned after years of being an annoying department head.
However, he also played the villain in the first season of Netflix's Designated Survivor.
Designated Survivor is, as the name implies, about the only survivor of a deadly attack on the Presidency ascending to the top position while trying to find the culprit.
Serpico's character, Patrick Lloyd, was the CEO of a now-defunct military firm who would have had access to poison gas and a strong motive to kill the President.
This was a case of classic misdirection, in which the solution to the mystery was so obvious that viewers thought it couldn't possibly be correct.
7. Lily Kane's Killer - Veronica Mars
The first season of Veronica Mars focused on the title character's search for answers after her best friend was murdered.
Lilly Kane's killer was played by Harry Hamlin, which was one major clue. Hamlin is best known for L.A. Law but often plays villains, and this role was no exception.
This season-long mystery included false leads and red herrings before revealing who killed Lilly and why.
Each episode contained enough clues that sharp-eyed viewers could figure out the mystery, even though it wasn't necessarily easy.
8. Who Susan Twist Was Playing - Doctor Who
The newest season of Doctor Who involved two mysteries, and one of them was more solvable than it seemed.
Throughout the eight-episode season, actress Susan Twist appeared in bit parts in each story.
Showrunner Russell T Davies purposely led viewers to believe she was playing the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan, only for it to be revealed that she was a vessel for Sutekh, the god of death who had last appeared 50 years earlier.
This mystery was easier to solve if you were a long-time fan familiar with the original story, but there were references to Sutekh throughout the episodes.
Episode 7 also contained an anagram fakeout that also included the real answer. Susan Twist was revealed to be Susan Triad, and her company was Sue Tech, a homonym of Sutekh.
9. The Identity of the Erinsborough Poisoner - Neighbours
The Australian soap Neighbours recently offered a compelling mystery with a solution under our noses.
Ever since Dr. Gavin Bowman came to Erinsborough, he seemed shady and was soon revealed to be a serial sexual harasser who threatened Remi when she reported him to HR.
However, Holly's theory that Bowman was poisoning people so he could play the hero at the hospital and get out of trouble seemed like yet another wild speculation on her part, especially after she was wrong twice before and nearly got arrested for attacking a podcaster she thought did it.
Yet Holly was correct, and the clues added up once she laid them out for her friends, not that anyone listened to her.
How I Met Your Father will kick off in 2022, and the cast photo for the How I Met Your Mother spinoff has been revealed.
Disney Television Studios unveiled the cast photo Thursday, and the cast looks great.
The photo includes Chris Lowell (Veronica Mars) as Jesse, Francia Raisa (grown-ish) as Valentina, Tom Ainsley (The Royals) as Charlie, Hillary Duff (Younger) as Sophie, Tien Tran (Space Force) as Ellen, and Suraj Sharma (God Friended Me) as Sid.
(Disney/Patrick Wymore)
HIMYF nabbed a series order in April, with Hulu ordering up 10 new episodes at the time.
It marks a long road to the screen for an offshoot of the CBS original series.
"Kids, I’m going to tell you an incredible story: It’s the story of how two writers got lucky enough to make their dream TV show for nine seasons and now get to pass the torch to an inspired new creative team with their own incredible story to tell, the story of How I Met Your Father,"original series creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas said in a joint statement.
(Nicole Rivelli/2021 ViacomCBS, Inc.)
We are honored by their passion and vision, and look forward to helping them tell a legendary new story. (Thanks to all the HIMYM fans out there who waited for it.)"
As for what the new show is about, here's the logline:
In the near future, Sophie (Duff) 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.
((Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images))
"I've been incredibly lucky in my career to play some wonderful characters and I’m looking forward to taking on the role of Sophie," said Duff when the show was ordered.
"As a huge fan of How I Met Your Mother, I’m honored and even a little nervous that Carter and Craig would trust me with the sequel of their baby."
"Isaac and Elizabeth are brilliant, and I can’t wait to work alongside them and all of their genius."
(Nicole Rivelli/2021 ViacomCBS, Inc.)
"Just fangirling over here getting to join the Hulu Originals and 20th families. I realize these are big shoes to fill and I’m excited to slip my 6½'s in there!"
The first trailer for How I Met Your Father signals a big departure from How I Met Your Mother.
Bob Saget narrated the original series as an older Ted, but he was never seen on-screen.
The spinoff is a gender-flipped take on the format with Kim Cattrall playing an older version of Hilary Duff's character.
(Hulu)
Thankfully, Cattrall will be present on the screen and will not just narrate.
The series picks up In the near future, with Sophie (Duff) is telling her son the story of how she met his father.
The story 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.
(Hulu)
The series was ordered earlier this year and comes from This Is Us and Love, Victor showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger.
HIMYM creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas will return to exec produce the series alongside Aptaker and Berger.
Bays and Thomas said in a joint statement when the show was ordered:
"Kids, I’m going to tell you an incredible story: It’s the story of how two writers got lucky enough to make their dream TV show for nine seasons and now get to pass the torch to an inspired new creative team with their own incredible story to tell, the story of How I Met Your Father."
((Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images))
"We are honored by their passion and vision, and look forward to helping them tell a legendary new story. (Thanks to all the HIMYM fans out there who waited for it.)"
"We are beyond excited to be bringing How I Met Your Father to Hulu," said Aptaker and Berger.
The trailer shows off the new world the characters live in, and we get out first glimpse at the rest of the cast in action.
Chris Lowell, Francia Raisa, Tom Ainsley, Tien Tran, and Suraj Sharma star alongside Duff.
(Nicole Rivelli/2021 ViacomCBS, Inc.)
The trailer takes on a humorous tone, similar to the one employed by the parent series.
The series launches Tuesday, January 18 with a two-episode launch.
Episodes will air weekly thereafter until the 10-part season is complete.
The late actor served as narrator for the original series How I Met Your Mother.
Saget played the voice of Future Ted Mosby on the CBS sitcom.
The series premiere of the offshoot concluded with a title card in honor of Saget.
Josh Radnor, who played present-day Ted on the original series, paid tribute via social media when news of Saget's passing broke.
((Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images))
"Bob Saget was the older wiser 'me' for nine years on How I Met Your Mother," the actor wrote.
"He was the kindest, loveliest, funniest, most supportive man. The easiest person to be around. A mensch among mensches."
"I had so much imposter syndrome when HIMYM started, thought I'd be found out, kicked off set & sent home," he continued.
"When I'd run into Bob on the Fox lot in those early days he'd gush over my performance & tell me how he was studying me to make sure his vocal performance felt right."
((Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images))
Radnor said receiving that validation from Saget changed his entire perspective.
"This man that I'd delighted in seeing on TV for years cheering me on, letting me know I had a right to be there and playing that character… I can't overstate how meaningful his words were," he wrote, adding:
"(He also, true to form, told me jokes that I cannot tell here or in polite company)."
"We had a very special bond from Day 1, were never out of touch for long. We found a way to grab dinner once a year, even after HIMYM wrapped," Radnor added.
((Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for The Scleroderma Research Foundation))
"We went to see each other in our Broadway plays. We talked a lot about how to live a meaningful life amidst all the chaos."
He concluded, "I'm endlessly grateful that HIMYM brought Bob Saget into my life. I'll hear his voice in my head for the rest of my days."
Saget was best known for his role on Full House and its sequel series, Fuller House.
The beloved actor and comedian was laid to rest last week at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills.
((Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images))
How I Met Your Father is set in the same universe as the original series, with Kim Cattrall taking over the narration duties as a new story is told.
How I Met Your Mother's terrible ending overshadows its terrific beginning.
The sequel series, How I Met Your Father, is off to a far less promising start.
If I could only use one word to describe the series so far, it would be tepid.
(Hulu)
It's reassuring How I Met Your Father is aware of the How I Met Your Mother backlash and seems intent on avoiding its predecessor's mistakes. However, the fear of making those mistakes is preventing the show from being good.
A large part of it is because the characters are robots going through the motions rather than humans. It's not the actors' fault. It's the anemic material they have to work with.
In contrast, How I Met Your Mother's pilot was successful because of the vibrancy of the characters, especially Barney Stinson.
It's true Barney's womanizing hasn't aged well, but the real appeal of Barney is his joie de vivre. Besides making him legen — wait for it — dary, his over-the-top enthusiasm for anything from licking the Liberty Bell to creating the perfect playlist injects life into How I Met Your Mother.
(CBS)
How I Met Your Father needs a character like that.
The good news is How I Met Your Father already has a couple of characters who could step in to play the Barney role.
Ellen seems like the most natural fit.
She already has a lot in common with Barney. She made a drastic lifestyle change after a failed relationship. Even though she is Jesse's brother, she seems to occupy the outsider role within the group. Her goal of wanting to ask out Kate McKinnon is very Barney-esque.
Perhaps most importantly, she seems the most interested in having adventures for the sake of the adventure. On How I Met Your Father Season 1 Episode 2, she realized the experience of being rejected over and over was as valuable as scoring a date.
(2021 Hulu)
Charlie is another possibility.
Like Ellen, he is also interested in trying out new things and having experiences for the sake of the experience. He hangs out with the yentas in his building, for instance. He's the most out of touch with reality.
One of Barney's most essential roles on How I Met Your Mother was convincing other characters to do things they wouldn't normally do. Charlie also seems to have a knack for pushing the other characters out of their comfort zones.
On How I Met Your Mother Season 1 Episode 5, he spearheaded the effort to help Sid overcome his awkwardness around Sophie's mom and for Jesse to return to where he humiliated himself with the failed proposal. This has the added benefit of making Jesse and Sid more interesting as well.
Another similarity both Ellen and Charlie have to Barney is they tend to have more surreal plots, which are relatively more interesting than the A-stories. One of the smarter moves How I Met Your Father made so far is to make them and allow them to bounce off each other.
(Hulu)
So the potential for How I Met Your Father to have character(s) as vivacious Barney exists; it's the writing that needs to get up to par. Even though it seems unlikely based on what's aired so far, it's not out of the realm for How I Met Your Father to improve drastically.
Comedies often need more time than dramas to figure out the characters and find their identity.
Parks and Recreation didn't figure out what made Leslie Knope a watchable character until the end of its first season.
Remember how cringey Cougar Town was until it dropped the cougar on the prowl premise and found life as a hangout comedy? Some say Seinfeld didn't become Seinfeld until its fourth season.
Sadly, the current age of TV doesn't favor giving time for TV shows to find their identity. Who knows if I How I Met Your Father will get another season. It wouldn't be the first time a TV show fails to live up to its promise before cancelation.
(Hulu)
Still, if I How I Met Your Father wants to have any chance of becoming a good show, it needs to lighten up. It needs to wholeheartedly embrace the strange and surreal like its predecessor did. No character represented that aspect of How I Met Your Mother better than Barney Stinson.
How I Met Your Father shouldn't take every page from Barney Stinson's playbook, but there are a lot of pages they can use for inspiration.
Otherwise, it's a dull TV show, which is arguably worse than bad.
Despite the decline, or maybe because of it, of How I Met Your Mother quality in later years, people still remember it and discuss it passionately because it was memorable.
One of the best ways for a TV show to be memorable is to create memorable characters like Barney Stinson — something How I Met Your Father desperately needs.
(HULU/Patrick Wymore)
Over to you, TV Fanatics!
What are your thoughts on How I Met Your Father so far?
Do you think any of the characters can step up to fill the Barney void?
Hit the comments below.
19 Characters Who Would Sacrifice Their Love Lives for the Greater Good
It's been eight years since How I Met Your Mother wrapped its run on CBS and the season finale of spinoff How I Met Your Father brought back an original star.
Hilary Duff's Sophie Tompkins made her way into McLaren's pub on Tuesday's season-ender and found herself getting some relationship advice from Robin Scherbatsky.
Yes, Cobie Smulders reprised the role, and it has got to be one of the stealthiest casting decisions in recent memory.
(Hulu)
Far too often, big returns leak to the media several months in advance, but thankfully, this was a shocker kept well under wraps.
Ahead of the big meeting, Sophie questioned her relationship with Jesse after he told her that he loved her after they spent the night together.
“I once had a guy say ‘I love you’ on our first date,” Robin shared.
(PATRICK WYMORE/HULU)
“Dude sounds like a real piece of work,” Sophie chimed in.
“You have no idea,” Robin tells her.
“But a good piece of work. Which brings me to my advice: Do not waste your time being scared, Sophie."
"Fear can make you run away from things that could be good — great even, things that are supposed to be a part of your story."
(PATRICK WYMORE/HULU)
"So, really think about it: What did Jesse do wrong other than say everything you ever wanted a guy to say, just faster than you expected," Robin concludes.
Sophie goes back to Jesse's apartment, but is left reeling when she sees him kissing Jesse.
“If I’ve learned anything at all about love, it’s that timing is everything. Sometimes, timing’s a bitch," Robin says when Sophie fills her in about that part.
However, the two women agree to meet again in 20 years, which should be fun.
(PATRICK WYMORE/HULU)
Bringing anyone back from the original series was always going to be huge for fans, and with the news that How I Met Your Father has been renewed for a supersized second season, we should probably expect more stunt casting.
“[Series creators] Isaac [Aptaker] and Elizabeth [Berger]’s inspired vision for How I Met Your Father has proven to be true appointment viewing that fans cannot get enough of week to week,” Jordan Helman, Head of Scripted Content at Hulu Originals, said in a statement when Season 2 was revealed.
“The lives of these characters, as portrayed by the immensely talented cast led by Hilary Duff, are just starting to unfold and we’re thrilled to bring more of this group’s journey to our viewers with a supersized second season.”
(PATRICK WYMORE/HULU)
The spinoff 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.
Chris Lowell, Francia Raisa, Tom Ainsley, Tien Tran, and Suraj Sharma star alongside Hilary Duff.
What are your thoughts on the big return?
Hit the comments below.
These Are The Current ‘Ships That Invented Chemistry
It's easy to get lost in our favorite 'ships. The will-they-won't-they stories keep us on our toes, hoping for everything to work out in the end.
The emotions were strong. The tears were real. And the fandom felt it all right down in our hearts.
Plus, the chemistry! It's so fierce and fiery at times. (The chemistry is what hooks us in.)
No one does it better than a TV couple. The writers know how to play with our emotions when wanting endgame status.
(The CW, HBO)
Below, we look at some TV romances that kept us glued to the screen wanting everything to work out.
We rooted for them, against their competition, and rooted for that happy ending. These couples played with all our emotions.
Sometimes the good ones and sometimes the bad.
[Author's Note: It goes without saying, but there will be some spoilers below. Make sure you catch up by watching TV Fanatic online for any shows you may have missed.]
(Eddy Chen/HBO)
Rue and Jules (Euphoria)
Euphoria has a bevy of complicated and messy relationships. We could talk about the toxic Maddy/Jake/Cassie love triangle or the implosion of Kat and Ethan, but the original mainstay couple is the one that makes our list.
Jules and Rue's love story is what defined Euphoria Season 1. Their fairytale-like chemistry hooked us, but just like Rue's many secrets, their chemistry and lies became more of a habit than a relationship. Neither were at a solid place to make the romance work.
Our hearts broke when Rue left Jules on the train. And when we thought there was a chance of them getting back together, Rue's drug spiraling and Jules' new romance tore them apart once again.
There's always a chance for them to get back together, but it's been a roller coaster, and it will most likely happen again.
(FOX)
Ryan and Marissa (The OC)
She said, "Who are you?" He said, "Whoever you want me to be."
Those now-iconic words were just the start of the classic "popular girl dates the new bad boy" storyline. Who wasn't rooting for Marissa and Ryan to end up together? They were peak The OC.
Whenever we thought there was a chance to bring them together, something would come between them. New romances, Ryan's surprise baby, family arrivals, and explosive fights were some of the twists that kept us on our toes.
And just when it seemed like they had a happy ending, the car crash ended it all. Marissa dying in Ryan's arms will always bring on the tears.
(Colin Bentley/The CW)
Ace and Nancy (Nancy Drew)
Why can't they be together?!
Nancy Drew Season 3 ended with Ace finally confessing his feelings to Nancy, but a death curse is keeping them apart. We want Ace and Nancy to have their happy ending. However, Nancy taking that risk and acting on her feelings might be too high of a cost to pay.
Their romance grew over time. We've been there through the longing looks, the light flirtation, and the bubbling chemistry.
Nancy Drew lifted us with the possibility of them getting together just for another hurdle to get in the way. Mark my words, it'll feel so satisfying when they get past this curse!
(Netflix)
Nick and Charlie (Heartstopper)
Did watching Heartstopper make me cry? Yes.
Did Nick and Charlie give me major FOMO couple goals? Abso-freaking-lutely!
Nick and Charlie are the definitions of pure joy and happiness. Their relationship grew in such a sweet and tender way that you could feel the chemistry burning. It took us on an emotional roller coaster high.
And when it seemed like they might end, that nightmare hit us like a ton of bricks. (Thankfully, they're still together!) A TV world without Nick and Charlie is too dark to imagine.
(The CW)
Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead (Riverdale)
Betty and Archie? Veronica and Archie? Jughead and Betty? Or were you a Jughead and Veronica person?!
The core four of Riverdale have played the game of relationship roulette to see what works and what doesn't. Even when it seemed like a pair were endgame status, something would tear them apart and reunite later on.
These four have had many romantic highs, like Veronica/Archie's steamy shower and Betty/Archie's first kiss. But, they've had many lows, like not discussing their problems or keeping many secrets.
At this point, any possibility is on the table. Riverdale loves to tease futures for these couples without defining who will win out in the end.
(Netflix)
Kate and Anthony (Bridgerton)
Let's talk about chemistry. Kate and Anthony from Bridgerton Season 2 radiate with a fiery passion like the sun.
In the Regency era of England, all they had were longing looks and the constant denial of their attraction. If they ever hooked up, it would be a scandal! One worthy of a Lady Whistledown report.
It was clear that Kate and Anthony were into each other. But the added stress of Anthony courting Kate's sister Edwina served as an extra layer of scandal.
Every longing look, encounter in the garden, and every fight where they denied their feelings stoked the fires. It was a grand time at the ball waiting for these two to figure out their feelings.
Klaus and Caroline (The Vampire Diaries)
Klaus and Caroline ended before they ever had a chance. This couple is the biggest missed opportunity from The Vampire Diaries universe.
The fans wanted it. The chemistry burned on the screen. The storyline potential was there for them to make it work and explore their feelings.
Whenever Klaus and Caroline were together, their scenes always verged on flirting; it gave us hope. It seemed like they were one step away from getting together, but it wasn't meant to be.
At least we'll have their kiss and the many flirting moments of what could've been.
Rory and Jess (Gilmore Girls / Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life)
Rory's three main boyfriends have been the biggest debate topics for fans of the series. But, it's her time with bad-boy Jess that hit us the hardest.
Like Ryan and Marissa above, it was the classic case of the good girl dating the bad boy. Jess and Rory tried to make it work, but Jess' many walls made it hard for them to grow. The temptation to be with him was too strong to resist, and she could change him.
Though, we'll never forget when Jess left without warning. How could he do that to Rory?!
We hoped time and age could fix things between them in the sequel series, and yet again, we were left hanging. The pair may have given us sadness, but a part of us still hopes for the passion again.
(NBC)
Ross and Rachel (Friends)
Any Friends fan can agree that the Ross and Rachel relationship was the most frustrating and satisfying romance across its ten seasons. They started as a longtime crush Ross had on Rachel since they were kids, but it soon morphed into an on-again, off-again relationship of high highs and low lows.
A drunken wedding in Las Vegas, Rachel crashing Ross' wedding to Emily, and her getting off the plane were some of their long list of moments that packed the emotional punch.
And regardless of which side you sat on if it was a break or not (it was 100% a break!), their first epic break-up brought on all the uncomfortable feelings of how it felt when a relationship ends.
Ross and Rachel took us on a roller coaster, teasing the many reasons this couple should be together and why they couldn't make it work. At least their fate of being each other's lobster worked out in our favor.
(Disney+)
Wanda and Vision (WandaVision)
Wanda Maximoff and Vision deserved their happy ending. It's a shame that it wasn't meant to be in the grand scheme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Wanda has gone through a lot in her life, especially losing Vision during the war against Thanos. WandaVision Season 1 gave us the chance to live through their peak couple goals in a mysterious and picturesque world.
We knew something shady was going on in Westview, but Wanda and Vision living their dream distracted us from their eventual outcome. You can't help but feel all the emotions as they get their new house and become new parents.
But as WandaVision Season 1 (and the push into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) has shown, it's that some happy endings are too out of reach to happen.
(ABC)
Meredith and Derek (Grey's Anatomy)
How could you not root for Meredith to end up with McDreamy? The nickname said it all.
The original crush spiced up the medical drama and teased us with plenty of "Will they? Won't they?" moments like no other. Both broke our hearts when they found reasons not to be together and then gave us the satisfaction when they finally made it work.
We had dreams of endgame status as this couple built a family and seemed like a sure thing. Yet, we were dealt the biggest blow as Derek's death broke this couple for the last time.
Curse you, truck! It would be hard for anyone to hold back the tears watching Meredith sit by Derek's side as he passed away.
(CBS/Fox/Ron P. Jaffe)
Ted and Tracy (How I Met Your Mother)
The series finale of How I Met Your Mother did this couple dirty! Seriously, it's still one of the worst series finales ever.
Ted spent nine seasons searching for the mythical "Mother" and talking about her to his future kids. We got invested in his journey, waiting to meet Tracy and learn the truth for ourselves. Ultimately, the wait was worth it.
Tracy and Ted's chemistry was beautiful; they fit so well together, and Tracy was fantastic as the long-awaited character. It finally seemed like the right end to the storybook romance after all the highs and lows of Ted's dating life.
Instead, the perfect ending was ripped away and left us frustrated. Why spend nine seasons building up a relationship to erase it in the final moments?
Carrie and Big (Sex and the City / And Just Like That)
Carrie Bradshaw and Big's romance is either a Manhattan fairytale or a toxic mess. It depends on who you ask, but it's a little of both.
They worked so well together on paper, but they never seemed to be on the same page. Big couldn't commit, and Carrie kept going back to him, even when it was a bad decision. Break-ups, affairs, and glamorous love were all on the table.
Their eventual wedding during the movies equally had high emotions and dating troubles. And the soapy drama continued right into the sequel series.
Carrie and Big got their happy ending for a time, but the journey to get there was anything but smooth.
(Netflix)
Wilhelm & Simon (Young Royals)
Let's all have a collective sigh of relief that Wilhelm and Simon's story continued for another day. Their ending on Young Royals Season 1 was too bittersweet to make that their final chapter.
There's something about two people discovering their attraction for each other that warms our hearts. And in the case of Prince Wilhelm, it was a new side toward living his authentic life.
Unfortunately, his position as a royal kept getting in the way.
Whenever there was a moment of Simon and Wilhelm being happy, there was also the looming threat of someone discovering their secret. It was a delicate balance that pushed us between happiness and worry. Let's hope these two can eventually make it work.
Veronica and Logan (Veronica Mars)
The "Marshmallows" lived for this pairing. The disgraced rich boy and the sarcastic investigator had the chemistry that radiated heat. And for a long time, it seemed like Veronica and Logan were riding off into the sunset together.
Unfortunately, Veronica Mars Season 4 packed a heavy blow on a final twist no one liked.
Why couldn't Veronica and Logan be together? They overcame their high school drama, processed most of their past trauma, and both characters grew into (somewhat) mature adults.
Veronica and Logan became the people they needed to be in a healthy couple. Their future was ripped from us in a heartbreaking twist that dangled a happy ending and a long-awaited wedding.
(Netflix)
Carla and Samuel (Elite)
Sometimes that high school romance is what it is: a high school romance.
Rich girl Carla and new kid Samuel developed into Elite's most passionate star-crossed lovers. They shouldn't work as a pair, but the sexual tension kept bringing them back together. Even the betrayals and secrets couldn't deny their chemistry.
When we thought they could be together, Samuel would either betray Carla or she couldn't trust him again. No amount of pleading or stolen kisses could fix the damage done.
Carla might've ultimately made the wisest decision to end their romance; they did have a toxic edge. But, all the ups and downs to get there added plenty of fuel to Elite's fire.
(The CW)
Chuck and Blair (Gossip Girl)
It took three little words to end the back-and-forth in Blair and Chuck's messy dating life.
Like many couples on this list, there were plenty of break-ups and secrets between them. They worked so well scheming and plotting together, but they'd self-sabotage. Whenever Chuck and Blair blew up, it would be the coldest edge.
Gossip Girl teased plenty of chances for them to get back together. Each time it was more dramatic than the last; a cold goodbye, a teary-eyed heartbreak, or a loving embrace.
We never knew they'd last until those final moments they said, "I do." The Gossip Girl reboot could still throw us for a loop and mess with their romance.
(WB/CW)
Willow and Tara (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer's most heartwarming relationship came between Willow and Tara. The iconic couple changed the face of TV and still ranks one of the best TV couples.
Still, their journey wasn't the picture-perfect path we all thought.
We had the highs of Willow discovering herself and starting a new romance with Tara. We had the lows of Willow's addiction to magic tearing them apart. But when we thought there was a happy ending, Warren took them away from us.
If Buffy the Vampire Slayer came out today, Willow and Tara would still be together. The loss of Tara and this relationship still hurts after all these years.
(Will Hart/NBC)
Max and Helen (New Amsterdam)
The "Sharpwin" shippers have felt this struggle after many seasons of waiting for the romance to happen.
Max and Helen are the definitions of teasing a potential romance. The pair had lots of chemistry, but they kept it strictly platonic and professional, even when we knew better. The tension felt like it needed a little push to tip them over the edge.
Thankfully, the long-awaited kiss brought them together, but it's still been many challenges along the way since then.
Will they have their happy ending? WIll another challenge come between them? We can't handle not knowing!
These Are The Current ‘Ships That Invented Chemistry
If you've seen Rose McIver or Utkarsh Ambudkar on Stephen Colbert, CBS Mornings, or various other stops on the press circuit lately, it's because they are now the stars of a big TV show in Ghosts.
Adapted from a British TV show by Joe Port, many viewers might not have had a lot of hope for the show considering the mixed history of British TV spin-offs and the fact that it was dumped onto network TV rather than an edgier network.
However, the show was network television's highest-rated new comedy last year.
(Bertrand Calmeau/CBS)
It has also continued to build its audience after its first season success: Variety reported that Ghosts was the network's top comedy on both live viewing and the Paramount Plus streaming site, and the show has helped lift the slate of CBS sitcoms above the competition.
But why has this show broken through from such a disadvantaged start?
(Bertrand Calmeau/CBS)
Let's catch you up on what this show's about and why its comic premise is so strong. Ghosts follows a young couple who move from the city into a mansion to open up a bed and breakfast, only to find that eight different generations of past inhabitants haunt it.
To further complicate matters, wife Sam (McIver) can see the ghosts, while husband Jay (Ambudkar) has to live with the discomfort of constantly being watched by a coterie of American history while he showers, among other things.
He's also kind of lonely and misses out on the fun of his wife interacting with revolutionary war soldiers, Vikings, and Guilded Age aristocrats. Oh my!
If that sounds like a horror film or a children's cartoon, it very well could be if the show's writers didn't do such a good job at maintaining a light tone. It also helps that the octet of ghosts wasn't such a loveable group of buffoons.
(Bertrand Calmeau/CBS)
Ghosts is a show chock-full of memorable quotes from writers milking the full potential of nearly every angle.
The show plays on character beats, with characters like Hetty, Flower, and Isaac bringing their brand of character to their lines.
Alberta: Sam, if Trevor saying even the hot one has to go, we have to take him seriously.
Sam: That is alarming, but I’m sure there is an innocent explanation.
Hetty: Samantha, if Jay truly is being offered a snake oil opportunity, one must at least entertain the notion.
There is also a lot of humor that plays on the irony of the sitcom's premise itself. Samantha is often trapped between a rock and a hard place, and the show rarely misses an opportunity to exploit that awkwardness.
Most importantly, the show plays on the potential differences between characters trapped in different historic mindsets. One running gag is Isaac's frustration that his bitter rival Alexander Hamilton made it to fame. Another is Pete's devastation at learning travel agents are obsolete.
Pete: Look, I may not have had the perfect marriage. And at work, I was a good travel agent, but I was no Brent Flanagan.
If you were to look at television 20 years ago, the TV season that ran from 2002-2003 produced ten comedies that ranked in the top 30 on Broadcast TV: Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Will and Grace, Scrubs, Still Standing, Good Morning Miami, Yes Dear, The King of Queens, Frasier, and My Big Fat Greek Life.
During that decade, broadcast TV would host edgy comedies like Ugly Betty, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, My Name is Earl, The Office, and Parks and Recreation, but those weren't rating hits except The Office.
Many creative forces behind these shows, like Tina Fey, Mitch Hurwitz, Greg Daniels, Robert Carlock, and Greg Garcia, would migrate to cable and streaming over the next decade.
In the interim, fares like Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, Mom, According to Jim, The Big Bang Theory, and Modern Family would be the rare shows that would make a splash.
(NBC)
Broad TV
A lot of what is said to succeed on broadcast TV is often given the adjective "broad." Due to the nature of their time slot, these shows have to bring in a large audience. That, in turn, affects the way these shows are made.
Is this a good or bad thing? It depends. I wouldn't be caught dead watching something like Two and a Half Men, but there are familiar elements to many of the shows mentioned above that work for many other viewers and me.
The difference is that many shows cling to traditional elements while providing something novel.
Mom is the rare network show to focus primarily on female relationships and the slow arc of recovery. How I Met Your Mother boasts a clever premise of a narrator framing the sitcom as a bedtime story for his kids (even if it got strained out to an ungodly tiring nine seasons).
(CBS/Bill Inoshita)
Big Bang Theory popularized nerd culture when it premiered in 2007: A time when nerd was almost a derogatory term. But these shows all had laugh tracks.
On the other end of the spectrum, Modern Family and some of the NBC comedies of the era, like Superstore, have shown innovation in creating comic climates without resorting to multi-camera.
But at the same time, they are very traditional sitcoms in topic and structure. Modern Family is pretty much like every 80s and 90s family TV show with a more updated understanding of what a family is.
For comparison, one can see Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan's new show Reboot on Hulu to see him pushing the boundaries of TV content-wise. But the best element about all of these shows is that they have heart.
Feel Good TV
(Bertrand Calmeau/CBS)
Comedies that have a dreary (Louie), sarcastic (Curb Your Enthusiasm), aimless (Dollface), whiny (Girls), or nihilistic (The End of the F***ing World) tone don't really fit in with network television. The vast majority of broad television makes you feel good in a TGIF way.
And the best shows — the ones that win the ratings — make you feel really good.
That is the kind of show Ghosts is. Yes, there is the lovey-dovey nature of Sam and Jay's marriage and the way they solve problems together, but I'd argue it's more than that.
Look at the friendship and camaraderie between the eight primary ghosts. Even with the occasional sitcom-sized squabble, there is rarely a conflict that threatens the friendship of anyone in this octet.
It's a rare fight to write eight characters as comically strong as these eight, but it's even rarer to preserve a balance between characters where it feels like the camaraderie is spread so evenly.
(Bertrand Calmeau/CBS)
To the extent that shows can be relevant to our times, this is all the more curative when we consider how polarized our society is.
The show has a clear bigot in Hetty, a self-absorbed Isaac (who could be a stand-in for today's coastal elite), and a d-bag in Trevor, but these edges are significantly sanded, so they're nowhere near as bad as how they might seem on paper.
The irony of Hetty's character is that her hatred is irrationally directed at the Irish, but she coexists perfectly with a Black character.
Hetty: So, the harlot just remains?!
Molly: Well, I may have been a harlot, but what about you?! You were a cruel and vindictive boss!
From our modern perspective, she's harmless, which allows her to be loveable. Likewise, the image-conscious Trevor is seen hugging the dorky scoutmaster in the pilot episode, which immediately shows he's gentle on the inside.
Feel-good TV is about characters coming together. It's what our society needs now, and it's what the ratings have shown that viewers can't get enough of right now.
If you are finally on board, please watch Ghosts online right here via TV Fanatic!
How I Met Your Father Season 2 got underway on Hulu on Tuesday morning with quite a surprise for fans of How I Met Your Mother.
During the season premiere, Sophie (Hillary Duff) hit Barney's car while driving.
(Patrick Wymore/Hulu)
It was a true shocker because the series managed to keep it under wraps until transmission, which is practically unheard of these days.
Harris previously interviewed Duff for Wondercade and was vocal about not thing Barney's antics would work in a show in 2022.
(Patrick Wymore/Hulu)
"Barney's antics, his overt delusions of grandeur, would likely get everyone in trouble," he said.
"So, unless he's changed his ways or joined a nunnery (insert an insert joke here), not sure if it's in anyone's best interest."
"I'm not sure how you feel about this, but I'm pretty sure Barney would … be in jail in 2022," Duff told him.
"Since we're living in the world of females coming into power, I'm assuming that's why they made [Valentina, the Barney-esque character in HIMYF] a woman!"
((Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Netflix))
According to TV Line, Harris will appear in subsequent episodes of the Hulu sequel.
But, how long was the big return in the works?
HIMYF creators Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger told TV Line that it had been the works for some time.
"Thankfully, his relationship with [HIMYM and HIMYF director/executive producer] Pamela Fryman is so phenomenal that she was able to reach out to him and get a very quick, 'Let's talk about it,'" Berger said.
((Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM))
"We did a creative Zoom with him to talk about what we were thinking, and that was it."
"He was game, which was so incredible for us. It was the best way we could imagine coming back."
It's unclear at this stage how many episodes Harris will be a part of, but we have 20 episodes this season.
After a hard day working, some people prefer resting at home before the next day begins. Others go to their favorite bar for a cold drink and honest, unfiltered conversation.
On TV, bars are much more significant. They are more than the place you go to get drunk and probably make bad decisions. Essential plot points happen in bars. People meet and fall in love inside bars. Breakups also occur in them.
For some characters, bars help them put food on the table and clothes on their backs.
(Showtime/ABC/NBC)
We have rounded up seventeen iconic bars and clubs that viewers and characters adore or hate. They may even inspire the name of the bar you might open.
17. Cheers (Cheers)
(NBC(Screenshot))
Kicking us off is the bar, where an entire show is almost exclusively set in.
Cheer is owned by Sam but has had many owners before him, and he later sells it to someone else.
Cheer is the perfect setting to dive into issues such as feminism, homosexuality, and addiction.
Cheers was never afraid to discuss the seemingly undiscussable, and any stranger or regular could walk into Cheers and teach the others a little something.
16. How I Met Your Mother (McLaren's)
(CBS/Fox/Ron P. Jaffe)
This bar is essential in the show as many vital moments happen here.
It is where Ted, Barney, Lily, Robin, and Marshall hang out, as it is conveniently located under Ted, Lily, and Marshal's apartment.
The bar differs from most of this list because it offers a full kitchen service.
Fun fact: the bar is based on four bars where the show's crew used to drink and is named after its associate producer.
15. Chicago Fire (Molly's)
(Parrish Lewis/NBC)
Molly's had a few names before the owners chose to call it so.
It is owned by Christopher, Mouch, and Trudy Pratt but has had other owners.
Members of Firehouse 51, as well as other first responders, frequent the bar.
It is inspired by a real bar called Lotties Pub, where the show's exterior scenes are shot.
14. Grey's Anatomy (Emerald City Bar)
The bar is located across from Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital and is owned by Joe. It has been nicknamed Joe's after the owner.
It is where staff from the hospital go on dates and relax after their shifts.
Joe has owned it for over fifteen years, although he hasn't been seen in it in recent years, like early on.
Many first meetings of romantically inclined couples have happened here.
13. Three's a Company (The Regal Beagle)
(ABC(Screenshot))
The Regal Beagle was where the roommates would usually hang out.
Before its use lessened in later seasons, it was where they would meet each other and their dates and relax and drink beer.
At some point, the bar inspired real-life cocktails based on the show's era.
12. Revenge (Porter's Stowaway Tavern)
(ABC/Danny Feld)
The bar is located in Montauk, New Jersey, and is owned by The Porters.
The bar is the lifeline for the family when they have money problems and have to sell their house, thus moving above the tavern.
It was destroyed when Charlotte set it on fire, and Jack decided not to rebuild it.
11. Riverdale (La Bonne Nuit)
(Colin Bentley/The CW)
La Bonne Nuit is owned by Veronica Lodge and can be found under Pops.
It is a speakeasy that shelters the characters from the reaches of Riverdale's big bad, Hiram Lodge.
Over the years, despite Hiram's efforts to get it closed, it has persevered.
It has been the venue for some of the most iconic musical number performances by Veronica, Cheryl, Toni, and Kevin.
10. Animal Kingdom (The Drop)
(TNT (Screenshot))
The Drop is owned by Deran Cody, the youngest of the Cody brothers, and is found at Oceanside.
After realizing that crime won't pay for long, Deran decides to invest his money and buy the bar. It is not the best investment decision since the bar seems to cause more trouble than it returns in profit.
The bar has a back room where beer is stored, and Deran crashes sometimes.
It has seen wild sex from Deran's hookups, some brawls, and assaults, and it's even home to a murder.
Truth is a high-end club owned by James St. Patrick in New York.
Like Deran, James used Truth to escape his life of crime.
From its early days, Truth was a headache for James. From constant attacks by New York's night scene giants and the constant intrusion by his double lives when they would bleed into each other, it gave him sleepless nights.
It was almost poetic when the club was the last place James breathed despite it being his second chance at life.
The Sidestep is owned by The Walker family and is located in Texas.
It is a family-run business where anyone of age has worked, including Cordell, Liam, and Stella.
It has been the scene for rivalries, romance, and self-searching.
It offers a soft landing for the Walkers but has also faced legal problems, especially when August — a minor — has a party there. And served alcohol to other minors!
07. Queer as Folk (2000) (Babylon)
(Showtime (Screenshot))
Babylon's owner is unknown, located in Pittsburgh, where the show is set.
In a world that openly hates Queer people to the point of shooting out gay bars, Babylon offers a safe space for Queer men in Pittsburgh.
It has the signature thumpa thumpa found in many gay bars from loud pop music.
The number of sexual and romantic quests on its dance floor and bathrooms can't be quantified.
06. P-Valley (The Pynk)
(Starz/Kyle Kaplan)
The Pynk is primarily owned by Uncle Clifford and situated on one side of the Mississippi River. Uncle Clifford inherited it from their mother after she passed on.
It is the lifeline to many souls in the south and most to the strippers who grace it every evening.
It has been the venue for drama, arguments, sex, drugs, alcohol, and an occasional shootout.
It has undergone various problems, including a potential rival casino, crime, and COVID.
05. Family Guy (The Drunken Clam)
(FOX)
The Drunken Clam is owned by Jerome and is found at the fictional Quahog.
It is where the four friends come to drink after doing nothing.
Many not-so-brilliant ideas have occurred to the gang here, whether under alcohol or not.
It has also been the scene for a fight between Peter and his biggest enemy — the chicken.
04. The Sopranos (Bada Bing)
(HBO (Screenshot))
Bada Bing is owned by mob boss Tony Soprano and is located somewhere in New Jersey.
It serves as a regular strip club and a front for mob operations.
At the back, there is an office and a lounge where the mob guys hang out doing absolutely nothing before going to harass and shakedown actual business owners.
It has been a scene for drugs and murder. Despite the gentrification happening in the neighborhood, it perseveres.
03. Letterkenny (MoDean's)
MoDean's is owned by Gail and is found in Letterkenny. It is arguably the only bar in Letterkenny.
It is where the hockey players go to be roasted by Shoresy and rejected by girls.
The hicks may not fight at weddings but show muscle at MoDean's.
Someone might have a good time if they are not constantly sexually harassed by Gail.
02. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Paddy's Pub)
(FX (Screenshot))
Paddy's ownership is a murky affair like many others in Sunny. Charlie, the whole gang, or no one might own it. It is found in Philadelphia.
Many events happen here. It is impossible to single out one thing. But it can be said with absolute certainty that many horrible ideas have been born here.
The fact that the bar still stands is a miracle as it runs itself.
Many crimes and immoral things have happened here. The list is endless.
01. Shameless (The Alibi)
(Showtime (Screenshot))
Veronica and Kevin Fisher own the Alibi. It is found in Chicago.
The Alibi is as iconic as the Gallagher kitchen.
Insane stuff has happened here, including illegal business, death, robbery, and multiple sexual assaults. The bar boasts the title of the most rapey bar in the Southside.
It is where Mickey iconically came out and declared his love for Ian. Of course, it ended in a massive fight between Mickey and his dad, but a stand was made that day.
•••••
So, which one of these fictional bars would you want to mingle with its patrons if you had the chance? Which one would you not pass near its street if it saved your life? Let us know in the comments.
You have to play fair, giving the audience enough clues to figure out the truth but not so many clues that the answer is obvious.
Some TV mysteries were so well done that we kicked ourselves for not realizing the solution before it was revealed, and we're celebrating those mysteries today.
Ideally, all shows should have a bit of mystery, so some of the best ones are shows you wouldn't expect, such as cartoons or comedies.
Every genre of show can keep certain things secret, teasing viewers with clues so they think they know what's going on but have to tune in to find out if they're right.
Please scroll down to check out our top nine mysteries. Some of these we solved ourselves, while others we couldn't believe we missed.
[NOTE: This list contains spoilers, as it reveals the solutions to mysteries, so keep that in mind if you haven't watched all the shows on our list.]
(PATRICK WYMORE/HULU)
1. The Identity of the Mother – How I Met Your Mother
Although How I Met Your Mother is often associated with Neil Patrick Harris's Barney, the show's premise rested on a season-long mystery: who was the mother the main character told his kids about?
The Mother, eventually revealed to be named Tracy, was hinted at as early as the first season, with what seemed to be a joke about Ted meeting a stripper named Tracy.
Clues were sprinkled throughout the remaining seasons, most famously when Ted spent a lot of time with the Mother's roommate, Cindy, who was constantly jealous of her roommate.
After the series ended, fans were outraged by the Mother's random death, which meant that Ted and Robin could get together rather than the Mother turning out to be any of the main characters.
Nevertheless, there were enough clues that sharp-eyed viewers could have figured out this plot twist before the end.
(Cartoon Network (Screenshot))
2. Who Rose Quartz Really Was – Steven Universe
Steven Universe was a quirky Cartoon Network series about a boy who lives with the Crystal Gems, mineral aliens with magical powers, and whom he helps on various adventures.
Throughout the series, Steven learns more about the Crystal Gems and that the alien race has a questionable past. He has to solve various mysteries along the way, one of which involves the identity of Rose Quartz.
Rose Quartz is a Crystal Gem originally introduced as a leader who led a successful rebellion against the Gem Empire.
Throughout the series, Steven learns more about the war between the Crystal Gems and the Empire, including that his mother was assassinated by someone named Pink Diamond — who turns out to still be alive and, in fact, is Rose.
Rose was often depicted as a nonconformist who strongly believed in making one's fate rather than accepting the identity given to one. She often dressed in pink, which was another clue to her identity.
(Suzanne Tenner/SHOWTIME)
3. Who Killed Laura Palmer? – Twin Peaks
Thirty years before the Showtime reboot, Twin Peaks was a quirky series about a small town full of secrets. It revolved around the mystery of who killed local teenager Laura Palmer.
The series combined standard clues with supernatural and other strange happenings throughout the first season and a half.
This should have tipped viewers off that the solution to the mystery would be anything but traditional!
One early sequence had Laura's father, Leland, develop a head full of white hair overnight, suggesting something was wrong with him.
This foreshadowed the idea that Leland was possessed by BOB, an evil entity that drove him to kill his daughter in a fit of rage.
(Courtesy of Apple TV+)
4. Henry Thorpe Is the Main Antagonist – Sugar
Jason Butler Hamber's presence might have given away his character's true identity for some viewers. This actor is gifted at playing seemingly lovely guys who turn out to be evil.
Henry Thorpe was precisely that kind of character on Sugar.
He seemed incapable of hurting anyone, first appearing at Ruby's party and seeming so timid and inconsequential that almost nobody noticed him.
Throughout the season, however, Henry became increasingly consequential to the story.
By the end, the reveal that he was an alien who tortured human women as part of sinister experiments is both shocking and completely logical.
(Marni Grossman/Paramount+)
5. Crowley's True Intentions – Rabbit Hole
Jason Butler Hamber also appears on Paramount+'s Rabbit Hole, a one-season series in which Kiefer Sutherland plays an espionage agent framed for murder, but he's not the main villain.
He again plays a guy who seems to be a good guy but is helping Crowley, the main antagonist.
Crowley's evil intentions were again more apparent in retrospect than upon first viewing, especially for viewers familiar with Peter Weir, who played him.
Weir almost always plays a villain, so why should this character have been an exception, especially with a name like Crowley?
(ABC)
6. Patrick Lloyd is An Overly Obvious Villain — Designated Survivor
I know Terry Serpico as Law & Order: SVU's Chief McGrath, who recently resigned after years of being an annoying department head.
However, he also played the villain in the first season of Netflix's Designated Survivor.
Designated Survivor is, as the name implies, about the only survivor of a deadly attack on the Presidency ascending to the top position while trying to find the culprit.
Serpico's character, Patrick Lloyd, was the CEO of a now-defunct military firm who would have had access to poison gas and a strong motive to kill the President.
This was a case of classic misdirection, in which the solution to the mystery was so obvious that viewers thought it couldn't possibly be correct.
(The CW)
7. Lily Kane's Killer – Veronica Mars
The first season of Veronica Mars focused on the title character's search for answers after her best friend was murdered.
Lilly Kane's killer was played by Harry Hamlin, which was one major clue. Hamlin is best known for L.A. Law but often plays villains, and this role was no exception.
This season-long mystery included false leads and red herrings before revealing who killed Lilly and why.
Each episode contained enough clues that sharp-eyed viewers could figure out the mystery, even though it wasn't necessarily easy.
(Disney+/BBC (Screenshot))
8. Who Susan Twist Was Playing – Doctor Who
The newest season of Doctor Who involved two mysteries, and one of them was more solvable than it seemed.
Throughout the eight-episode season, actress Susan Twist appeared in bit parts in each story.
Showrunner Russell T Davies purposely led viewers to believe she was playing the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan, only for it to be revealed that she was a vessel for Sutekh, the god of death who had last appeared 50 years earlier.
This mystery was easier to solve if you were a long-time fan familiar with the original story, but there were references to Sutekh throughout the episodes.
Episode 7 also contained an anagram fakeout that also included the real answer. Susan Twist was revealed to be Susan Triad, and her company was Sue Tech, a homonym of Sutekh.
(Amazon Freevee (Screenshot))
9. The Identity of the Erinsborough Poisoner – Neighbours
The Australian soap Neighbours recently offered a compelling mystery with a solution under our noses.
Ever since Dr. Gavin Bowman came to Erinsborough, he seemed shady and was soon revealed to be a serial sexual harasser who threatened Remi when she reported him to HR.
However, Holly's theory that Bowman was poisoning people so he could play the hero at the hospital and get out of trouble seemed like yet another wild speculation on her part, especially after she was wrong twice before and nearly got arrested for attacking a podcaster she thought did it.
Yet Holly was correct, and the clues added up once she laid them out for her friends, not that anyone listened to her.
Disappointing and Downright Offensive Character Departures
When we watch TV, we tend to gravitate toward a favorite character, often due to a quirk or mannerism.
You understand what we mean if you’ve watched The Big Bang Theory or the recently canceled Young Sheldon. And it’s not just the intro song.
Characters who rock the dance floor seemed like the perfect compilation of our favorite TV shows. Some are still ongoing, while others are nostalgic memories.
([Justine Yeung/NBC/Lionsgate], [Michael Courtney/NBC/Lionsgate], [Courtesy of Netflix], [Courtesy of Netflix], [Courtesy of CBS], [David Giesbrecht/USA Network])
We’ve included characters who set a trend with their own dance moves (who hasn’t done the Carlton?) and rounded up those who just love to boogie down for a good time.
But we haven’t included everyone. So, after you’ve checked out these selections by your friends at TVF, tell us your favorite dancing character in the comments.
Max – Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
(Justine Yeung/NBC/Lionsgate)
When you’re watching a show about a woman who hears people’s thoughts in song form, you expect some dancing to occur.
The cast of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist did not disappoint. Of particular note for his belty lyrics and swag dance moves was Max, played by Pitch Perfect alum Skylar Astin. You may also recognize him as the lead of So Help Me Todd.
Zoey saw Max as the fun, opposite-gender best friend. But he saw her as his number-one love interest. A fact that he often expressed in musical form every time the two were in close proximity.
With the singing, Max also busted some serious dance moves during his declarations of love, unbeknown to him.
Luckily, Zoey overcame her hang-ups and gave the good guy a chance instead of keeping him in the friend zone.
But the show didn’t last long enough for fans to know if their relationship withstood the passing of time.
While the ’90s were all about family values and sports shows, Y2K brought the dance trend. It started with the teen classic movie Save the Last Dance, starring Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas.
By 2006, the uber-talented Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan launched a franchise when they starred in the teen cult film Step Up. What followed was a six-movie saga that inspired a series spinoff.
Step Up High Water was a three-season teen dance dramedy that followed twins Janelle and Tal as their family moved to Atlanta.
(Starz/YouTube Screenshot)
There, they enroll in High Water High, a performing arts school known for its intense competitiveness.
As is the Step Up anthology tradition, Tal (Petrice Jones) and Janelle (Lauryn Alisa McClain) are obsessed with dancing.
While others on our list just love to dance for fun, the twins live for it, often making sacrifices in their personal lives for their art.
Peter Burke – White Collar
(David Giesbrecht/USA Network)
Lately, I’ve been on a binge-watching marathon of completed series I haven’t seen, and most recently on the list was White Collar.
It was just in time, too, given that they just announced that White Collar will soon be returning for a reboot.
I dreaded how it ended after developing such a fondness for Moz and Neal. I’d hate to have been sitting with that annoyance for years if I’d watched it when it first came on.
Watching it was also a bit nostalgic for a Xennial who grew up with Tiffani Thiessen and Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack and Kelly for three decades. Especially since we can get our “Zack” fix on Found as Mister. Who knew he could be so sinister?!
Thiessen played the enchanting Elizabeth Burk, affectionately known to Moz as Mrs. Suit. Throughout six seasons, Beth was the supportive wife of FBI agent Peter Burke (Tim McKay).
(David Giesbrecht/USA Network)
Peter was tight-laced and buttoned up, always going by the book, despite the many escapades of his charge and eventual friend, Neal Caffrey, played by Matt Bomer.
While he was all work when he was on duty, he was a suave romantic outside the office who loved spoiling his wife. And who would have guessed he has some serious moves on the dance floor?
It’ll be great to see if he still has his fancy moves when the reboot airs, sadly without everyone’s favorite conman best friend, Theodore “Mozart” Winters.
Willie Garson passed away in 2021, but his legacy is said to live on.
Lucifer – Lucifer
(FOX)
When you think of Lucifer, you may picture the stereotypical red guy with horns, a pointy tail, and a trident.
But when I hear it, I think of the sinfully sexy Lucifer Morningstar, portrayed by Tom Ellis for six seasons. The voice, that accent, them eyes, those cheekbones, and OMG, that body.
We would expect the king of Hell to be charming and debonair, but we didn’t expect him to be a good guy.
Tormented by his uncontrollable ability to speak to the dead, Klaus often turned to mindless partying as an escape.
Pile on his daddy issues from being the adopted son of Sir Reginald Hargreeves. Reg viewed the seven adopted infants as future saviors of the world due to their powers.
So much so that he named them Numbers One through Seven. Klaus was Number Four.
(CHRISTOS KALOHORIDIS/NETFLIX)
With all that on your plate, plus being able to time-travel (uncontrolled) and basically not die, there’s no surprise that Klaus often lost himself in music and dance.
Dancing goes hand in hand with intoxication, which Number Four often was throughout the three seasons the show ran.
BTW, if you’re a fan like this chick, be ready in August, as we’re getting The Umbrella Academy Season 4 after two long years! Woot woot.
After battling the Guardians who were here to destroy Earth, it will be great to see Klaus’s fantastic wardrobe, snarky attitude, and anguished soul.
Urkel – Family Matters
(ABC/YouTube Screenshot)
Urkel is a signature part of growing up in the ’90s, a right of passage, and an iconic legend that paved a path for the equality of nerds after Revenge of the Nerds passed on the baton from the ’80s.
Known for his high-waisted pants, suspenders, glasses on a string, and squeaky voice, Jaleel White united the world with one trademark phrase, “Did I do that?”
It became the icebreaker we needed after an awkward or humiliating encounter. But even more, Urkel gave us the courage to be our true selves despite the opinions of those around us.
So what’s that got to do with a list of characters who rock the dance floor? If you were around in that time period, you probably did the signature Urkel dance at least once.
It wasn’t a hip, cool dance to do like the Running Man, Vogue, or the Crisscross. But it was all the more fun because it didn’t require losing your breath to hit the steps.
Really, there were no steps at all. Just a goofy shuffle of the hips and a wild waving of the arms. It was fun and foolish and easy enough for the whole family to do for a TGIF night.
He’ll forever be known to this xennial as child doc Doogie Howser (no, not the Disney Hawaiian remake, although that one is pretty cute).
RIP to the legen — wait for it — dary (IYKYK) father of Doogie, actor James Sikking, who passed July 14, 2024.
Throughout the show’s six seasons, we often admired Barney’s sharp fashion sense, over-the-top exaggerated talking style, and impressive ability to pick up chicks. But, his womanizing ways often led him to become a major prick.
But despite his pigheaded conceit and annoying nuances, Barney was known to cut a rug a time or several over the show’s run.
It’s no surprise if you know the actor behind the character. This multi-Tony and Emmy award-winning star doesn’t just work on screen. He’s also done live Broadway shows and off-Broadway musical numbers,
JD – Scrubs
(ABC via Getty Images)
Although Scrubs has been off the air for some time now, fans still have a nostalgic affection for the cast.
Scrubs revolves around the life (and often mental status) of Dr. John Dorian. JD (played by Zach Braff) is quirky and often annoying, but he’s got this dopey goodness that we can’t help but love.
JD has an abnormal obsession with his on-screen best friend and fellow doctor, Christopher Turk (Donald Faison).
It provides hilarious and awkward comedic relief in a normally tense, dramatic medical universe and situations.
It’s common for JD’s mental montages to encompass musical moments and random dance moves. But he would also get down with his white-boy awkwardness in real life.
Carlton – Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
(NBC/YouTube Screenshot)
If you were around in the ’90s, you either knew about or danced the Carlton at least once. It wasn’t the coolest dance, like The Tootsie Roll or The Butterfly, but it was pure, fun, and oh so nerdy.
Carlton was the whitest black guy on the block of Beverly Hills, a fact that his cousin the Fresh Prince, Will, loved to point out.
But when you’re raised rich, privileged, and attending a mostly white school, it’s to be expected that you’re a bit on the dry, preppy side.
While Will and his younger cousin, Ashley, were often seen boogieing it up to popular hip-hop songs from the time, Carlton preferred to throw down to a different melody.
The music legend Tom Jones is known to an entire generation, albeit an older one. But The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air made the song cool when Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) busted a move to the tune of “It’s Not Unusual.”
Alfonso made magic happen when his “that white” black character gave the most white dance possible, sparking a trend we still enjoy three decades later.
You give a little snap of the fingers and a swing of the arms. A sway of the hips and a shift of the feet.
(BBC Studios/YouTube Screenshot)
Add a big grin and a goofy head bob, and you’ve got The Carlton. Get up and give it a go! It’s tons of fun.
Ribeiro isn’t just a dancing fool on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He’s also not only starred on but totally kicked ass and won Season 19 of Dancing with the Stars in 2014.
He and partner Witney Carson stole the show with a voracious Cha Cha Cha.
Carlton must have gotten his rad dance moves from his mom, cause Aunt Vi had some funk of her own!
Mel – Virgin River
(Netflix)
Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) traded a life in the big city for the slower pace of Virgin River, California.
She became a nurse practitioner at the practice of Vernon Mullins, although it took a few seasons before he really saw her as an equal partner.
The move was a desperate effort to escape the pain of losing her fiance, Mark, and her miscarriage.
Whenever Mel needed to relax or let go of stress, she would put on music and dance her feelings away.
And if she was lucky enough to have her hunky new partner Jack around, she tried to make it a family affair. But don’t expect to see her getting funky without wanton when she has eyes on her.
Her dance therapy is a solo affair, done in the privacy of her quaint cabin in the woods rather than on the town dance floor.
Jess Day – The New Girl
(FOX)
New Girl captured the quirky platonic relationship between opposite genders: Jess Day (Zooey Deschanel) and her male roommates Winston, Schmidt, Nick, and Coach (on random).
After catching her boyfriend cheating, Jessica moves into an empty room with Nick, Winston (who just returned from Latvia as a pro basketball player), and white-collar narcissist Winston Schmidt (Max Greenfield from The Neighborhood).
Day is an eccentric elementary school teacher obsessed with crafting and color. She often has less emotional maturity than other people in her twenties, which leads to problems with romantic relationships.
Jess’s zest for life and fun often leads to embarrassing yet endearing dance moments. While we wouldn’t give her an award for her skills, we would give her a participation trophy because she makes it look so fun.
No matter the occasion, Jess isn’t scared to spontaneously throw out a goofy dance move, often inspiring those around her to join in.
Cristina Yang – Grey’s Anatomy
(ABC/Danny Feld)
Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) will forever be the smartass, conceited, brilliant-minded doctor and best gal pal of Meredith Grey.
Yang captured our hearts at the beginning of Grey’s Anatomy, along with the OG crew of first years struggling to find their place at the hospital.
While she was serious and overly confident to the point of cruelty at work, when she was off-duty, we could expect Yang and Mer to rock around the house to work off all the stresses of being a doctor.
Fans loved the impromptu dance parties — living room style — that gave us a different view of Cristina’s personality. One of the great parts of the early seasons was seeing her deep connection to her best friend as they boogie down and become carefree.
Michael Scott – The Office
(NBC (promo screenshot))
The mockumentary method of off-humor comedies like The Office fulfills a vacancy fans have available for TV niches.
Among the multiple procedurals, family dramas, and reality shows on TV, The Office gave us a unique touch. The show focused on a group of office workers throughout their daily lives.
We saw them getting along, fighting, having romantic entanglements, and lots of inappropriate behavior. None of their actions would actually last in the real world, which might be why we love it so much as fiction.
Perhaps the most inappropriate worker is the boss, Michael Scott, played by the talented Steve Carell. Scott often uses his love of dancing to lighten the mood, celebrate a milestone, or impress his staff.
(NBCUniversal (Peacock screenshot))
His awkward dance moves are full of commitment and enthusiasm, even if there’s zero skill or coordination.
Perhaps the most memorable Scott dancing event was his hilariously cringeworthy Scarn dance, part of his self-made movie, “Threat Level Midnight.”
Throughout his time on The Office, Scott struggled to connect with his colleagues. He was overly concerned about being liked and often made misguided efforts to do it.
Elaine Benes – Seinfeld
(NBC/YouTube Screenshot)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus portrays the awful dancer Elaine Benes in the family comedy Seinfeld. If white boys can’t jump, white women can’t dance. At least this white woman couldn’t.
But it was hilarious to watch her unique and horrible dancing routine of erratic arm gestures and uncontrolled kicks.
Her failed, flailing dance moves are legendary in TV history, providing endless and timeless amusement to Seinfeld fans across the generations.
The complete clusterfluck of her dance moves, fully displayed in “The Little Kicks,” is iconic. It encourages viewers to let loose and have fun.
Despite the criticisms of hearing that her dancing is a “full-bodied dry heave set to music,” Elaine unapologetically gets down with her bad self whenever the mood strikes.
Tina Belcher – Bob’s Burgers
(FOX/Michael Stack)
Tina Belcher is the eldest daughter of the Belcher family, beloved for her awkwardness and proneness to daydreaming.
Above all else, Tina (voiced by Dan Mintz) loves to dance like no one is watching, even when they are.
She never lets an opportunity pass without breaking out into her signature dance, the “butt shaker” when she’s lost in her thoughts or thinking of a crush.
Her quirky, heartfelt dance moves reflect her character’s unique personality as she struggles with the awkward adolescent transition.
She becomes a standout character on Bob’s Burgers for her unwavering confidence and dance obsession.
Poussey Washington – Orange is the New Black
(Netflix Screengrab)
Samira Wiley will forever be associated with the LBGTQ prison comedy Orange is the New Black for her role as Poussey Washington.
Poussey is known in the women’s prison for her vibrant spirit and for her deep love of dancing.
Throughout the show, we see numerous flashbacks and scenes in prison where Washington dances around joyfully.
She’s a shining light of happiness in a grim, depressing place with little color or personality. Everyone in the place is negative and miserable.
Every dance scene shows Poussey’s inner joy and strength in the face of her character’s trials, and she becomes an endearing, memorable member of the show.
The Gang from Parks and Recreation
(Ben Cohen/NBC)
Several people from the P&R show had a thing for dancing, making a comedic show that much more entertaining.
First, April Ludgate was known for her brazen sarcasm and deadpan humor. But despite her hard edges, April (Aubrey Plaza) often exhibits cutting loose with enthusiastic dancing.
Her best dance scene happened with Andy Dwyer to the tune of “Time After Time.” Fans loved seeing the pure joy from her core when her guard came down on those rare occasions.
It gave us the perfect balance of contrast to display her personality’s complexity and the warmth buried within.
Another dancing character from P&R is Tom Haverford. Aziz Ansari is the man behind the ambitious, self-proclaimed “baller” of the show with the best fashion.
Tom Haverford is a government employee with dreams of getting rich on Parks & Recreation (Justin Lubin/NBC)
He never skips an opportunity to rock the dance floor, especially at a club where he can get attention for his flashy, over-the-top dance scenes.
His enthusiasm for dance and his over-exaggerated self-confidence means he’s not scared to show up and show out with hilarious moves.
The most notable episode for Tom’s larger-than-life dance routines is best summed up with the episode “Snake Juice.”
And finally, Rob Lowe‘s character, Chris Traeger, rounds out the dancers on the Parks and Rec crew.
As a health-conscious city manager, Chris has a love of life that often encompasses his passion for dancing. We often see his energetic, upbeat dance moves at personal celebrations and city events.
(Fox (Trailer Screenshot))
Chris has relentless optimism, exuding constant positive vibes and fun, uplifting dance scenes that infect those around him with happy energy and a love of life.
The Best TV Characters Who Rock The Dance Floor
It’s common for viewers to see a fun scene where their favorite characters get funky on the dance floor. Even if that dance floor is in their bedroom. Dancing is a form of self-expression and a great way to get rid of stress.
So, some of the best dancing scenes come from characters who don’t have professional training or dance for a living.
We’ve given you our top picks for the best TV characters who rock the dance floor. Now it’s your turn to tell us who you like the best. What about their dancing makes you love it?
Feed us your thoughts in the comments. And shuffle this piece over to a dancing fanatic who loves to read!
