I just can't get into this sitcom

Don't get me wrong, I do love sitcoms. I love Frasier, I love Friends, I love Cheers, I love Black Adder, I love Last of the Summer Wine(mostly) and I love Fawlty Towers. But I just can't get into How I Met your Mother. At first it was alright, there were some good ideas, some of the situations were at least fun. But as the show has progressed, in my personal opinion it is running out of ideas and it feels more dull and laboured by the minute. I do like the production values, and there is one good character Barney, wonderfully played by Neil Patrick Harris. The other characters I don't care for, in general I find them stupid and unlikeable, while the writing and jokes are forced and predictable now that the show lacks a good pace and freshness and some of the situations are not at all funny, more inane if anything. The acting also feels forced and over-compensated, as if the actors know their characters and writing are lacking and they're trying to make it work. Harris in my opinion is the one exception who doesn't suffer, that's because he's that good an actor, he has had some bad material but he always gives his all to elevate it. All in all, I do like sitcoms and comedies when they're good, but How I Met Your Mother is an example of one I can't get into. 2/10 Bethany Cox

2/10