The technical aspects of the show are well done. I usually don’t notice things like set design on sitcoms, but in comparison to all of the here-and-then-gone sitcoms that come and go every season, the set decoration looks like it was designed to stick around for the long term. I should mention, though, that the cast suffers from the Friends syndrome of being unanimously very, very Caucasian despite the show being set in New York City. Although I would like to ask them where they found their apartments.

Special Features:

The special features are fairly low-key. The main attraction is selected commentaries from the entire main cast and creators, which are basically the jokey, not-very-vital affairs you might imagine. It does have the requisite gag reel, though, a DVD staple which for some reason I continue to be a big fan of. And a “Video Yearbook” feature, which I assumed would be some kind of inane slideshow, actually turned out to be a pretty decent featurette that even Mr. Bob Saget weighs in on.

With all things considered, I don’t know if Season 1 would be that great of an investment, since the show is best watched as very simple entertainment whenever you happen to remember it’s on. Still, diehard Barney fans will want to pick this up, and they won’t be disappointed at all. It’s hard to imagine How I Met Your Mother would’ve survived in the era of sitcom heavyweights like Cheers, Seinfeld, and The Cosby Show, but in today’s time, it holds its own rather nicely.

Show Grade: B
DVD Grade: B
Overall Grade: B