I got hooked on “How I Met Your Mother” as a sophomore in high school, after being forced to watch a couple episodes with one of my friends. And by hooked, I mean hooked. I am not really proud to admit, but I’ve seen the entire series at least 23 times since the first run-through. I loved it: the characters, the plot, and the humor. Ted was whiney and occasionally annoying but I always felt for him. Barney was my instant favorite, and I rooted for his romance with Robin the entire series (they’re just meant to be, it’s science). Lily and Marshal were typical relationship goals. They are college sweethearts that you can’t help but swoon over. I thought the whole storyline was genius, hilarious, and one-of-a-kind.

That was until my freshman year of college when I was forced to watch “Friends”. And being the biased How I Met Your Mother fan that I was, I figured Friends copied How I Met Your Mother. So I looked up the airing dates only to have my entire world shattered. I realized that How I Met Your Mother was a replica show of Friends that was only dated a few years later, just aimed at a more modern fan base. Over the years, I’ve collected observational comparisons between the two series taking note of their immense similarities.

The Plotline:

A group of friends in their 20's live in New York City and together face the everyday struggles that come with growing up. They encounter career mishaps, big decisions, heart-versus-mind, lust, love, past ghosts, loyalty, and family darknesses. Mainly focusing on the nerdy romantic character, the storyline primarily portrays a quest for undeniable love, and achievements in the male character's dream-albeit boring-career, also showing the struggles and success of his closest friends, the individuals most important to his own journey in life, stationed almost primarily in a “hang out” spot within the city- or the “main” apartment in the story.

The Characters

The Nerdy Romantic- Ross (David Schwimmer) vs. Ted (Josh Radnor)

Our “main” character. The show mainly focuses on his quest for love and career achievement. Ross Geller and Ted Mosby similarities; they both:

• are awkward and geeky in high school with few friends
• meet their best friend in college (Chandler/Marshal)
• have seemingly boring aspirations (Paleontology/Architecture)
• date a woman who later becomes a lesbian (Carol/Cindy)
• have children before marriage (Emma/Luke)
• have odd collections (fossils & stamps/pennies & Renaissance merch)
• have annoying habits of correcting everyone (grammar/language)
• find their doppelganger (Russ/Mexican Ted)
• give off random facts no one really cares about
• hold self-proclaimed nicknames (Ross-A-Tron/T-Mose)
• had geeky hobbies in college (keyboard/Doctor X)
• buy unnecessary cars they later get rid of
• end up professors in their career fields
• date students (Lizzie/Cindy)
• have multiple girlfriends before getting with their dream girl
• are madly in love with “career woman” (Rachel/Robin)
• have girlfriends who give ultimatums- not being friends with “Career woman” (Emily/Victoria).
• end up with “career woman” in a cheesy series ending where we never actually see them get together.

• have the goofy best friend- Chandler (Matthew Perry) vs. Marshal (Jason Segal)

This goofy character is significant in our story and they meet our nerdy romantic in college. Chandler Bing and Marshal Erikson:

• Neither man can take a decent photo (Engagement pics/Lily’s scrapbook)

The “mom”- Monica (Courteney Cox) vs. Lily (Alyson Hannigan)

• Struggle at beginning with career (loses job/leaves for internship and fails)
• Only has one serious relationship before marriage (Richard/Scooter)
• Marries “goofball” (Chander/Marshal)
• Gourmet chefs (career/fun)
• Peril in conceiving (have to adopt/do conceive)
• Have fake allergies (chicken&duck/barrel resin)
• Have wedding mishaps (Chandler runs/everything goes wrong)
• Seen as the nurturer, love control

The “Womaniser” Joey (Matt Leblanc) vs. Barney (Neil Patrick Harris)

This character is stumbled upon “by accident” by the main character.

• Enter group by “accident” (Heckles scares away Chandler’s roommate/Meets Ted in restroom)
• Have odd-jobs (actor/”PLEASE”)
• Appear on a game-show (Pyramid/Price is Right)
• Outwardly act uninterested in love, but support their friends’ relationships (saves Monica&Chandler/Saves Lily&Marshal)
• Officionates wedding (Phoebe&Mike, Monica&Chandler/Lily&Marshal)
• Love “career woman” but doesn’t end up with her (can’t hurt Ross/get married and divorced)
• Have list of women's names (black book/booty call phone)
• Catchphrases (How You Doin’?/Suit Up!)

Guest Stars:

• Christine Rose: Mike Hannigan’s Mom & Ted Mosby’s Mom
• Christine Pickles: Mrs. Geller & Lily Aldrin’s grandmother
• Anne Dudek: Princess (Mike’s girlfriend) & Natalie (Ted’s girlfriend)

**This character gets dumped on both shows on her birthday**

• Thomas Lennon: Hand Twin & Klaus

Random Similarities:

• Monica & Chandler/ Lily & Marshal: Monica seeks out Joey, stumbles on Chandler; Lily seeks out “too much tongue guy” and finds Marshal.

**although Lily’s story fluctuates; as in “P.S. I Love You,” Lily admits to ripping out her stereo cord & knocking on Marshal’s door because she “could not stand the idea of not meeting him.”**

• Characters’ sports team obsession: Joey with the New York Knicks, Marshal with the Minnesota Vikings.
• Episodes “The One With the Flashback” & “How I Met Everyone Else:” show how the characters met each other
• Have Thanksgiving mishaps: “The One Where Ross Got High,” “The One With Rachel’s Other Sister,” “The One Where Underdog Gets Away,” (and more) & “Belly Full of Turkey,” “Slapsgiving,” “Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slaps.”
• Couples’ baby genders discovered on accident: Neither Rachel and Ross nor Lily and Marshal wanted to know their baby’s genders; both couples stumbled upon it on accident (Ross peeked and blurted it; Ted picked up a sticky note with his shoe).
• Mysterious Jobs: Chandler’s remains a mystery (no one can remember he’s a data reconfiguration and statistical analysis IT guy) and Barney’s job is secret for legal reasons.
• Characters use babies to attract women: Chandler and Joey use Ben (and leave him on the bus); Ted and Barney use Marvin and also consider adopting during a life crisis.
• Hidden relationships: Chandler and Monica stay a secret for five entire months from their friends; Barney and Robin keep themselves hidden for the “entire summer.”
• Love trumps career success: Rachel skips out on Louis Vuitton job in Paris for Ross; Ted turns down Chicago job with Hammond Druthers for Tracy.
• “Parents” episode: both series’ have episodes that highlight the fear of becoming like your parent-- “The One With Princess Leia,” and “Noretta.”
• “Cheers” theme song: “Swarley” and “The One with Ross’ Wedding.”
• Initials: RG & RG (Ross Geller and Rachel Greene), T M and T M (Ted Mosby and Tracy McConnell)
• Speeding Tickets: Rachel and Robin avoid them; Ross and Barney do not.
• Location: “Central Perk,” a coffee shop; “McLaren’s,” a bar.

** How I Met Your Mother has an episode in which the boys- Ted, Marshal, Barney- go to a coffee shop and deem it “not as fn as a bar” (“Swarley”).

• Bob Saget: referenced in Ross’ appearance often; narrates How I Met Your Mother, as “older Ted.”

Both Television Series focus on q group of friends as they experience the normal struggles of growth; life and love, career, and finance. They share extreme similarities---and the ones listed aren’t even all of the similarities I’ve stumbled upon thus far. After much consideration and deliberation, I have over the years, become more of a Friends fan than How I Met Your Mother fan; however, both series’ are “Steak Sauce,” and deserve all the love they get. How I Met Your Mother simply seems to be a more modern version of Friends; more accepting-openly- of gay marriage, single life, and independent woman (not to say Friends doesn’t support these things). The biggest difference, in retrospect, is the outlier character Phoebe: who shares a few similarities with each How I Met Your Mother character but does not fit in the HIMYM plotline.

Despite the seemingly copied series, I still suggest indulging in the humor found in either show; whether you choose Bays’ & Thomas’ “How I Met Your Mother” on TBS or Kauffman & Crane’s “Friends” on NBC.