I’ve been watching “How I Met Your Mother” on Netflix streaming, and I really like the show. I’ve been having the feeling that the show was very familiar, even though I never watched it when it was on television (every episode is new to me). I figured it’s because it’s an ensemble sitcom, and I’ve enjoyed a number of those over the years.
I’ve watched the first and second seasons, and am currently watching the 13th episode of season three*, “Ten Sessions.” That’s when it hit me—this show is “Scrubs”.
Now, this happens all the time in film and television (in fact, it happens all the time throughout the entertainment world, see, Everything is a Remix by Kirby Ferguson). For instance, anyone who’s seen both “Wings” and “Cheers” will tell you that “Wings” is just “Cheers” in an airport. With “How I Met Your Mother” and “Scrubs” it’s a little less apparent, because they are very different shows, but they are very different shows that share an incredibly similar premise.
Consider this: the main character of HIMYM is Ted, a guy who is a bit quirky, spends too much time and effort on his hair, and is always looking for love and falling for “the one” too quickly (this is J.D. from “Scrubs”). Ted shares an apartment with his best friend and former college roommate Marshall, and Marshall’s girlfriend/fiancée/wife Lily (J.D. shares an apartment with his best friend and former college roommate Turk, and Turk’s girlfriend/fiancée/wife Carla). Marshall and Lily are an adorable couple, but they’re a little too cutesy, from time to time (Turk and Carla are an adorable couple, but they’re a little too cutesy, from time to time).
Ted meets a girl that he’s crazy about, Robin, and it looks like they might become a couple, until we learn that Robin isn’t looking for the same things Ted is, because Robin is focused on her career (J.D. meets a girl that he’s crazy about, Elliot, and it looks like they might become a couple, until we learn that Elliot isn’t looking for the same things J.D. is, because Elliot is focused on her career). Despite things not working out between Ted and Robin at the start of the series, Ted remains crazy about Robin, they have a few close calls, a few intimate moments that hint at what could be, until Ted bears his soul to Robin, they start dating, it doesn’t work out, and they struggle to remain “friends,” relapse and have sex, struggle to remain “friends” some more, and finally figure out how to be “just friends” (despite things not working out between J.D. and Elliot at the start of the series, J.D. remains crazy about Elliot, they have a few close calls, a few intimate moments that hit at what could be, until J.D. bears his soul to Elliot, they start dating, it doesn’t work out, and they struggle to remain “friends,” relapse and have sex, struggle to remain “friends” some more, and finally figure out how to be just “friends”).
They all have another close friend, Barney, who is a bit of a wild card, a loveable rogue who flouts convention, has his own way of doing things that is very different from the others in the group, and often disgusts the others right up until he does something loveable (they all have a mentor who becomes a close friend, Dr. Cox, who is a bit of a wild card, a loveable rogue who flouts convention, has his own way of doing things that is very different from the others in the group, and often disgusts the others right up until he does something loveable).
Now, obviously, there are a huge number of differences between the shows, not the least of which is that on “Scrubs” J.D. and Elliot wind up together in the end, whereas I know that Ted and Robin don’t because when talking to his kids, Ted consistently refers to Robin as “Aunt Robin”. Like I said, they are very different shows, but they are very different shows that share an incredibly similar premise.
Interesting, though.
UDATE: I almost forgot, both shows are narrated, and though the style of narration is very different, each show is narrated by the main Ted/J.D. character.