From “Living Single” to “Friends,” the ‘90s ushered in a distinct genre of sitcom centering on the misadventures of youngish, mostly single pals in the big city. A pair of new shows, Hulu’s “How I Met Your Father” and NBC’s “Grand Crew,” are looking to revive the format for the 2020s with middling success, but there’s real potential here for each. Sometimes a comedy just needs time to find its footing; I hope both get the opportunity.
Let’s start with “How I Met Your Father,” which has a higher profile if only because it’s a spinoff of “How I Met Your Mother,” which ran for nine seasons on CBS. Instead of each episode beginning with a disembodied future voice (Bob Saget in the original) regaling his preteens about his younger days in New York City, now we actually see the main character in the future (Kim Cattrall) talking with her son via video call. I’m not sure flipping the perspective is entirely successful — this time it’s the kid who’s the disembodied voice — but I’m happy to see Cattrall show up in anything that isn’t the dreadful “Sex and the City” sequel “And Just Like That …”
Hilary Duff plays the character in her younger incarnation — aka in the present — and I think she has a terrific presence here. She’s fun screen company, which is key, and when called on to dig for a deeper emotion, Duff lets all those feelings wash across her face in a way that never feels at odds with the bouncy demands of the sitcom format.
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