Both How I Met Your Mother's spinoff How I Met Your Father and That '70s Show's reboot That '90s Show dodged the same sitcom spinoff problem, but the two shows achieved this in very different ways. It is always tricky for a spinoff to establish an identity of its own, particularly in the world of sitcoms. Sitcom spinoffs need to feel familiar enough for the show to be a fun comfort watch but fresh and original enough to justify their existence.
It is a tricky balance to nail while attempting to follow up on a successful series.
While both How I Met Your Father and That '90s Show share a laugh track, the two sitcom spinoffs also have something else in common. That '90s Show and How I Met Your Father managed the admirable achievement of following up a beloved series without overshadowing the earlier show's influence. While both How I Met Your Father and That '90s Show draw inspiration from How I Met Your Mother and That '70s Show, respectively, the two spinoffs used very different approaches to distinguish themselves from their predecessors.
Both How I Met Your Father and That '90s Show are spinoffs of comedy shows with big casts, meaning the shows had to bring back these familiar stars while also establishing their original characters.
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