How I Met Your Mother: Every Season Ranked Worst To Best
4. Season One
How I Met Your Mother's debut was something really special. With gooey romance at its centre and an instant relatability with the characters, it ran the risk of becoming quite melodramatic and cringeworthy. But, thanks to the performances of the main cast (particularly Josh Radnor, who makes the cheesy aspects of the season a joy to watch) and its clever narrative structure, it proved right from the get-go to be the next big thing.
The season sees Ted have his epiphany about wanting to find The One; sees Marshall and Lily get engaged only to tragically break-up in the finale; and of course introduces audiences to the bonkers exploits of TV's most infamous womaniser, Barney.
It's clear it's still trying to find its footing in the early episodes, as all shows do in their first season, but the emotion and themes of love, friendship and fate are all there and as strong as they would be in later seasons. And lets not forget such classics as "The Pineapple Incident" and "Game Night," both of which proved HIMYM as not just a story about 20-somethings navigating life, but a sitcom able to hash it out with the best of them.
Best Episodes: Game Night, Pilot, The Pineapple Incident