How I Met Your Father

How I Met Your Father is an American sitcom created by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger which premiered on Hulu on January 18, 2022. It is a spin-off to How I Met Your Mother. The series, which stars Hilary Duff, Christopher Lowell, Francia Raisa, Suraj Sharma, Tom Ainsley, Tien Tran, and Kim Cattrall, follows the main character, Sophie (Hilary Duff), and her group of friends in New York City's Manhattan. As a framing device, Sophie (Kim Cattrall), in the year 2050, recounts to her unseen son the events that followed meeting his father in January 2022, and how they ultimately had him. In February 2022, the series was renewed for a second season. The first season was met with mixed reception, with some criticism being directed at its attempts to capitalize on nostalgia without offering anything new.[1][2]

How I Met Your Father
GenreSitcom
Created byIsaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger
Inspired byHow I Met Your Mother
by Carter Bays & Craig Thomas
Starring
Opening theme"Hey Beautiful" by Lennon Stella
ComposerJeff Cardoni
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
  • Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger
  • Carter Bays & Craig Thomas
  • Pamela Fryman
  • Adam Londy
ProducerHilary Duff
CinematographyGary Baum
EditorSue Federman
Running time22–25 minutes
Production companies
DistributorDisney Platform Distribution
Release
Original networkHulu
Original releaseJanuary 18, 2022 (2022-01-18) –
present (present)

Cast and characters

Main
  • Hilary Duff as Sophie,[3] a hopelessly romantic photographer who is looking for her soulmate. Though believing in true love, she is unaware of her biological father due to her mother having slept with random men.
  • Chris Lowell as Jesse,[3] an aspiring musician who works as an Uber driver and music teacher, who has become an internet meme after being left by his ex-girlfriend Meredith after a failed marriage proposal. He lives with Sid in Ted, Marshall and Lily's old apartment.
  • Francia Raisa as Valentina,[3] an impulsive assistant-stylist who is also Sophie's best friend and roommate and Charlie's love interest
  • Suraj Sharma as Sid,[3] Jesse's best friend and roommate who owns a bar. He is engaged to his long-distance girlfriend Hannah, whom he marries at the end of season 1.
  • Tom Ainsley as Charlie,[3] a British aristocrat who abandons his inheritance to follow his love interest Valentina to New York after meeting her at London Fashion Week. He later moves in with Ellen and the two become roommates, before being hired by Sid as a bartender.
  • Tien Tran as Ellen,[3] Jesse's adoptive sister who moves to New York City to find romance after her divorce from her wife. She owns a produce farm.
  • Kim Cattrall as future Sophie, who in the year 2050 tells her son the story of how she met his father

Recurring
  • Ashley Reyes as Hannah, Sid's longtime girlfriend whom he gets engaged to in the pilot. She works as a surgeon in Los Angeles, and later elopes with Sid in the season 1 finale after learning that her fellowship has been extended.
  • Leighton Meester as Meredith, Jesse's ex-girlfriend who publicly rejected his marriage proposal
  • Josh Peck as Drew,[lower-alpha 1] the vice principal at the school where Jesse teaches music lessons and Sophie's boyfriend for most of season 1

In addition, Stony Blyden co-stars as Jasper, a bartender at Sid's bar.

Special guest stars

Notable guest stars
  • Daniel Augustin as Ian, Sophie's Tinder date. He is a marine biologist who moves to Australia in the pilot to work at sea; only to return to New York in the season 1 finale when the trip is cut short.
  • Laura Bell Bundy as Becky, the Captain's third wife. She leaves him when she discovers him cheating on her.
  • Joe Nieves as Carl, a bartender at McLaren's

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateProd.
code
1"Pilot"Pamela FrymanIsaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger and
Carter Bays & Craig Thomas & Emily Spivey		January 18, 2022 (2022-01-18)1HME01
In 2022, on her way to meet a date she believes could be her soulmate, Sophie meets Uber driver Jesse and his friend Sid, who is about to propose to his girlfriend, Hannah. Sophie's date with Ian is perfect, but he reveals he is moving to Australia. Sophie dishes to her roommate Valentina, who reveals her new British boyfriend Charlie, much to Sophie's surprise. Charlie has moved across the world to be with Valentina, which convinces Sophie to give Ian another shot, but realizes that she has swapped phones with Sid. They meet up at the bar where Sid's friends are gathered to surprise Hannah with his proposal. They meet Ellen, Jesse's recently divorced sister from Iowa. Sophie tells Jesse her plan to walk the Brooklyn Bridge with her soulmate. She has a romantic view on love but Jesse reveals his cynical one because he went viral for his public proposal rejection at the hands of his ex, Meredith. At the airport, Sophie gives Ian a heartfelt romantic speech before he leaves. Realizing she cannot wait, Sophie decides to walk the bridge with her friends. Future Sophie reveals that very night she met the love of her life. The newly formed gang decides to have drinks at Jesse and Sid's place, revealed to be Ted and Marshall's old place.
  • Note: This episode was dedicated to Bob Saget.
2"FOMO"Pamela FrymanIsaac Aptaker & Elizabeth BergerJanuary 18, 2022 (2022-01-18)1HME02
While Sophie struggles with Ian's departure, Valentina feels smothered by Charlie's constant presence. She invites the others to a brand new club named FOMO in an effort for them to befriend Charlie. Jesse, who has a crush on Sophie, asks her to join him in another room, but she is distracted by Ian's messages. Valentina breaks up with Charlie but regrets her harsh words; when the girls come by to Sid's bar where the guys are bonding, she apologizes to Charlie, who realizes they should start their relationship fresh and that he needs to get his own place. Sophie apologizes to Jesse and they agree to remain friends.
3"The Fixer"Kimberly McCulloughDan LevyJanuary 25, 2022 (2022-01-25)1HME03
Sophie visits Jesse's workplace to take some photos for his dating profile, inspiring her and Jesse to be each other's wingman at a bar. Although Jesse is successful at talking to a girl, Sophie forces the girl to leave after hearing that the girl is taking advantage of Jesse because of his viral breakup video. On the subway, Sophie confides in Jesse that she was always the fixer to her mom who had numerous failed relationships. Jesse tells Sophie that Drew, his vice principal, is hoping to get her number. Sophie calls Drew and accepts his invitation for a date. Meanwhile, Charlie has begun searching for his own apartment. Ellen turns down his offer to be roommates, but after battling over an apartment they bond and decide to move in together. Sid and Hannah try desperately to keep the romance going even though they are on opposite sides of the country.
4"Dirrty Thirty"Pamela FrymanAmelie GilletteFebruary 1, 2022 (2022-02-01)1HME04
Sophie and Drew go on a date, where they connect and she invites him to her 30th birthday party. Conscious of his maturity, she changes the theme of the party from Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty" music video to "cocktail party" to try to impress him. When Sophie admits to Drew how jealous she is of his maturity, he tells her she does not need to change for him, and admits he also sometimes feels like he missed out on being young and crazy. Jesse and Ellen try to make up for a lost time as siblings but find they do not really know each other anymore. Jesse apologizes for having missed out on being her big brother and vows to try to make it up to her. Valentina, unsure whether she is ready for commitment, allows Charlie to flirt with other women, but when she gets turned on by this, they decide they are ready for commitment. Sid wears a "man-gagement" ring to show his devotion, but it gets mixed results from the people who attend the party.
5"The Good Mom"Morenike Joela EvansChristopher EncellFebruary 8, 2022 (2022-02-08)1HME05
Sophie's mother Lori comes to town and invites Sophie out to see her new musician boyfriend Ash. Sophie accepts, backing out of a game night with Drew and his friends. When she finds nothing wrong with Ash, she thinks her mom may have found a good guy, but Valentina sees Lori kissing Ash's manager. Sophie confronts her mother, who reveals she always got bored and her boyfriends were not the problem. Sophie leaves to meet with Drew. Meanwhile, Charlie decides he wants to help people confront their problems, and tries to help Jesse and Sid get over their past traumas. Although he succeeds, he is dismayed to find out how long school is; Sid hires him as a bartender. Ellen meets Rachel, the granddaughter of a deceased neighbor, and lies about knowing her. When Charlie mistakenly tells her the deceased neighbor had no children, she confronts Rachel, who storms out.
6"Stacey"Phill LewisDonald DiegoFebruary 15, 2022 (2022-02-15)1HME06
Sid and Hannah invite Drew and Sophie on a weekend getaway to the countryside. Sophie discovers Drew has been to the same hotel with his ex-girlfriend Stacey, though he claims he has never been. Sid reveals he dropped out of medical school to buy and operate the bar, a rash decision he did not consult Hannah about. Sophie accidentally sends evidence of Drew's lie to Stacey, who tells Drew. Sid and Sophie talk about their mistakes: Sid wanted to do something for himself for once, while Sophie has never been in a real relationship. Sid apologizes to Hannah, promising to include her in all future decisions, while Drew and Sophie apologize to each other, and he reveals that his relationship with Stacey was only perfect online. The rest of the gang attend Charlie and Ellen's first dinner party. Ellen tries to hide that Mia, Jesse's date, was the first woman she slept with after her divorce. However, Mia admits it, and Jesse reveals he was just tired of being single. Charlie reveals he does not like listening to Valentina talk about her exes and that he has followed several women across the ocean before her. After Valentina leaves, Charlie goes to her apartment to apologize and explain that this time is different because he loves her, and she reciprocates.
7"Rivka Rebel"Kelly ParkKaren Joseph Adcock & Ria SardanaFebruary 22, 2022 (2022-02-22)1HME08
Sophie is asked to photograph a bat mitzvah. She brings Valentina as her assistant, but Rivka, an Instagram model, refuses to pose for any photos. She and her friends steal the drugs in Valentina's purse. Sophie and Valentina realize the drugs were fake but use it to get Rivka to pose. The photos impress Rivka's mother, who offers to look at Sophie's best photo. Meanwhile, Jesse and Sid lock themselves in their apartment to work, but procrastinate. Sid reveals he is having trouble planning his wedding because his family is in India, while Jesse laments his lack of songwriting inspiration after Meredith left him. Charlie receives a bad Yelp review, and finds out it was Ellen, who admits her jealousy of his love life and success. To cheer her up, he writes a good review for her.
8"The Perfect Shot"Lynda TarrykJeremy RothMarch 1, 2022 (2022-03-01)1HME07
Drew invites the gang to a school auction. Valentina, verbally abused by her boss, steals a purse, but he notices it missing, so Charlie steals it back. When Sophie breaks her tooth, Jesse brings her to a cheap dentist, where she meets many long-unsuccessful artists. She breaks her tooth again when his car breaks down. Jesse tells her how much he likes her photos, and she gets her perfect shot of him working on the car. Drew reveals he offered Jesse his music teacher job full time because he believes Jesse's music is a pipe dream. She asks if he believes in her photography, and he admits that he thinks she needs a stable job. Sophie confides in Jesse about her fight with Drew, and they kiss. Meanwhile, Meredith arrives at the apartment to talk to Jesse, eventually revealing to protective Ellen and Sid that she wrote a new single about Jesse.
9"Jay Street"Pamela FrymanAma Quao & Ally ThibaultMarch 8, 2022 (2022-03-08)1HME09
The Captain is shown to have cheated on his wife, Becky. Sophie and Jesse decide to go on a date. Jesse confronts Meredith. who explains she needed to figure out who she was outside of a relationship, but she regrets breaking up and offers him a position as a piano player on her tour. Sophie goes to Drew's apartment to break up with him, but his parents are there. They have been involved in a Ponzi scheme and do not want him to have both bad news at the same time. However, she still breaks up with him, telling him he deserves to be with someone who is sure about him. The gallery owner calls to tell her the show will use her photograph. In 2050, Sophie's "perfect shot" is shown hanging on her wall. At the bar, Charlie attempts to get the gang to watch soccer with him, but Ellen has an upcoming job interview while Sid and Hannah try to plan their wedding. When Sid mentions that he calls Sophie and Jesse's kiss "good cheating", Hannah becomes upset. She apologizes, revealing she was offered a year-long fellowship in California after her residency ends. After the game ends, Charlie admits he is homesick. Valentina decorates Charlie's apartment with British paraphernalia to cheer him up.
10"Timing Is Everything"Pamela FrymanIsaac Aptaker & Elizabeth BergerMarch 15, 2022 (2022-03-15)1HME10
After their first date, Sophie overhears Jesse say "I love you Sophie" in his sleep after sex. When she confronts him, he reveals he rejected Meredith's offer to go on tour with her. Sophie tells him not to give up his dream just for her as their relationship is new, angering him. She goes to MacLaren's, the bar right downstairs, and meets Robin Scherbatsky, who she confides in. Robin encourages Sophie to not make her decisions out of fear. She sees Jesse kissing Meredith. Robin tells her that with love, "timing is everything". Meanwhile, Sid encourages Hannah to take the fellowship, promising that they can visit each other more often. However, when they realize what two weddings are going to cost, they instead elope. After an apparently bad job interview, Ellen takes care of an unfriendly cat she finds in the streets. She runs into Rachel, now her neighbor and the cat's owner, who agrees to give Ellen a second chance. She also gets the job. Although Valentina wants children, Charlie reveals that he does not, as he does not want to be a bad parent like his mother. Realizing that they want different things in life, they break up. Charlie, Ellen, Valentina, Sid and Hannah arrive at the art show to support Sophie. Ian, having lost his job in Australia due to Becky demanding the Captain's boats in their divorce, arrives at the show and asks to talk to Sophie.

Production

Development

Following the production of the 2014 CBS pilot How I Met Your Dad, which did not move forward, on December 14, 2016, it was reported that Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger were set to write a new version of the previous spin-off's pilot, re-titled How I Met Your Father, with Carter Bays and Craig Thomas serving as executive producers.[5] It was later announced that, after signing new contracts with 20th Century Fox Television that would see both Aptaker and Berger being promoted to executive producers and co-showrunners on This Is Us alongside Dan Fogelman, the idea would be put on hold until further notice.

On August 8, 2017, Fox chairman Dana Walden told Deadline Hollywood that 20th Television were attempting a spin-off with different writers, for the third time. Three days following the announcement, Deadline reported that Alison Bennett would write the spin-off, with the same title as the previous attempt with Aptaker and Berger. It was also learned that Bays and Thomas were once again hired as executive producers.[6] This attempt also fell through.[7]

On April 21, 2021, the spin-off series titled How I Met Your Father was given a 10-episode series order by Hulu. Aptaker and Berger will serve as creators, writers, and executive producers while Hilary Duff will serve as a producer. 20th Television is involved with producing the series.[7] On June 24, 2021, Pamela Fryman joined the series as an executive producer and to direct the pilot.[8] On February 15, 2022, Hulu renewed the series for a 20-episode second season.[9]

Casting

Upon series order announcement, Hilary Duff was cast to star.[10] On June 16, 2021, Chris Lowell joined the cast as the male lead.[11] In August 2021, Francia Raisa, Tom Ainsley, Tien Tran, and Suraj Sharma were cast in starring roles while Brandon Micheal Hall was cast in a recurring role.[12][13] However, a few weeks later, Hall exited the role due to a scheduling conflict and Daniel Augustin was cast to replace Hall.[14] The next day, Josh Peck and Ashley Reyes joined the cast in recurring roles.[4] On November 5, 2021, Kim Cattrall was cast in a recurring role as the future version of Duff's character Sophie.[15] Upon the series premiere, it was reported that Leighton Meester is set to recur.[16] On February 3, 2022, it was announced that Paget Brewster was cast to guest star on the episode,"The Good Mom", which aired on February 8, 2022.[17]

Filming

Principal photography for the series began on August 31, 2021.[18]

Release

How I Met Your Father premiered on Hulu on January 18, 2022.[19] Internationally, the show began streaming on Star on March 9, 2022.[20]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 36% approval rating with an average rating of 5/10, based on 42 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "How I Met Your Father takes great pains to update its predecessor's formula for a modern audience, but this stilted retread only amounts to a painful slog."[21] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 48 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[22]

Notes
  1. Josh Peck is credited as "Special guest star", but is a recurring cast member.[4]

References
  1. Wardlow, Ciara (January 19, 2022). "Hulu's How I Met Your Father is Another Hollow Nostalgia Grab". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  2. Kang, Inkoo (January 17, 2022). "I never thought I'd miss 'How I Met Your Mother.' Then I saw 'How I Met Your Father.'". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  3. "How I Met Your Father - Bios". Hulu Press (Press release). Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  4. Andreeva, Nellie (August 31, 2021). "'How I Met Your Father': Josh Peck & Ashley Reyes To Recur On Hulu's 'HIMYM' Spinoff". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  5. Andreeva, Nellie (December 14, 2016). "New 'How I Met Your Mother' Dad Spinoff In Works With 'This Is Us' Writing Duo". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 26, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. Andreeva, Nellie (August 11, 2017). "'How I Met Your Father': Alison Bennett Tapped To Write New 'HIMYM' Spinoff". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 26, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. White, Peter (April 21, 2021). "'How I Met Your Father': Hulu Hands 'How I Met Your Mother' Spinoff Straight-To-Series Order With Hilary Duff To Star, Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger To Run". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  8. Grobar, Matt (June 24, 2021). "'How I Met Your Father': Pam Fryman To Exec Produce, Direct Pilot For Hulu Spinoff Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  9. Cordero, Rosy (February 15, 2022). "'How I Met Your Father' Renewed For Season 2 At Hulu". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  10. Gonzalez, Sandra (April 21, 2021). "Hilary Duff to star in 'How I Met Your Mother' sequel for Hulu". CNN. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  11. Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (June 16, 2021). "'How I Met Your Father': Chris Lowell Joins Hilary Duff In Hulu's 'How I Met Your Mother' Spinoff Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  12. Petski, Denise (August 10, 2021). "'How I Met Your Father': Francia Raisa, Tom Ainsley, Tien Tran & Suraj Sharma Join Hulu's 'How I Met Your Mother' Spinoff". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  13. Schwartz, Ryan (August 13, 2021). "HIMYF Stages God Friended Me Reunion, Adds Brandon Micheal Hall in Recurring Role — See First Cast Photo". TVLine. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  14. Petski, Denise (August 30, 2021). "'How I Met Your Father': Daniel Augustin Joins Hulu's 'How I Met Your Mother' Spinoff In Recasting". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  15. Cordero, Rosy (November 5, 2021). "'How I Met Your Father': Kim Cattrall Joins Hulu's 'HIMYM' Spinoff". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  16. Schwartz, Ryan (January 17, 2022). "How I Met Your Father: Yes, That Was Leighton Meester in the Series Premiere". TVLine. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  17. Schwartz, Ryan (February 3, 2022). "How I Met Your Father: Paget Brewster Cast as Sophie's Mom — First Look". TVLine. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  18. Schwartz, Ryan (September 1, 2021). "Does First How I Met Your Father Photo Rule Out Another Tie to HIMYM?". TVLine. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  19. Schwartz, Ryan (November 17, 2021). "How I Met Your Father Gets January Premiere Date on Hulu — Watch Video". TVLine. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  20. "Where can I watch "How I Met Your Father" in Canada?". Where Can I Watch. January 20, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  21. "How I Met Your Father: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  22. "How I Met Your Father: Season 1". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.