The sitcom genre is a dying breed. I think we can all agree on this. From their mid-90's heyday to now, the drop in classic sitcoms on the air is staggering. At this point, there are more single camera comedies on TV than there are multi-camera sitcoms. There is a reason for this: most sitcoms are bad. I don't mean this to be derogatory. I love a good sitcom, but the simple truth remains that a vast majority are, and have always been, terrible. How I Met Your Mother, in my estimation, is the only good sitcom on TV. Fans of Two and a Half Men or George Lopez may disagree. So be it. But, even though How I Met Your Mother is good (often very good), it's ceiling is lower than the single camera comedies. As much as How I Met Your Mother strives to break common sitcom conventions, it still gets bogged down occasionally by the sitcom formula.
Last night, while a solid episode, had a number of lame jokes, but I fear this is inevitable. In the sitcom world, much of the "laughs" are of the setup-punchline variety. I find the best parts of How I Met Your Mother are the story-based jokes or the quick cutaways/flashbacks that make the show unique. However, if the show was only comprised of these moments it'd be too much; it could become seizure-inducing. Sitcom jokes are by the book. Writers often fall back on something called the "rule of three", where it goes setup, setup, punchline. Pay attention to this next time you watch Nick at Nite or a rerun of any 80's sitcom. A character will say something normal, say something normal again, and then say something that is, in theory, funny. Single camera comedies, like The Office and Scrubs, don't have to rely on such tactics. They can have one-liners or subtle physical comedy. They can have quiet, personal moments. Scenes last longer in sitcoms because of the lack of sets and, therefore, are given a lack of flexibility. It's the nature of the beast. How I Met Your Mother does its very best to break away from these conventions. And, usually, they are successful. Last night's episode had a number of laughs, but I can't help but think that How I Met Your Mother could succeed as a single camera show, and that it might even be better. Who knows? At least we have one good sitcom on the air, which is something that couldn't be said two years ago, before How I Met Your Mother premiered. -Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer