While it doesn’t have the cajones to completely abandon the sitcom format, this show makes for an entertaining hybrid. The pitch: a father tells his two kids the story of how he met their mother.

Each episode follows the romantic travails of Ted, the female friend he thinks he’s in love with, his engaged friends (Alyson Hannigan and Jason Segel) and Neil Patrick Harris’ cad wingman. The cast is excellent, and the writing is just quirky enough help you see past the laugh track.

Grade: A-

How I Met Your Mother – Season Three is currently available.