The spinoff may share the same framing device as its predecessor, but executive producers on How I Met Your Father, alongside principal director Pamela Fryman, who also directs the spinoff's pilot.
How I Met Your Father sees Sophie (Hillary Duff) tell her son the story of how she eventually met his father, with the main plot taking place in New York in 2021. Sophie and her close group of friends will navigate the modern world of dating apps and social media. The comedy's premise is an updated role reversal of How I Met Your Mother and its lead Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor), as he recounts the story of how he met the mother of his children. The original was narrated by Bob Saget, voicing Ted in the year 2030, and the reboot will continue this tradition.
Although Saget was a welcome addition to HIMYM’s ensemble, the spinoff has already beat the original with its perfect casting of Kim Cattrall as Future Sophie. Cattrall is best known for playing Samantha Jones in the Emmy-winning series Sex and the City, another show about dating in New York. How I Met Your Father’s narrator casting improves on the original due to its meta-approach, utilizing a stronger connection between narrator and show, and Cattrall’s involvement might boost the spinoff’s viewership.
Saget voiced Future Ted in almost every episode of HIMYM, except for when Josh Radnor narrated the finale's final scene. The Full House star lent a comforting, wise tone to Ted’s story, and the different actors helped separate the timelines to illustrate how the character has changed over the years. However, How I Met Your Father’s narrator casting boasts a stronger link between both versions of Sophie. Considering the spinoff is about Sophie’s dating life in New York, casting an actor from another show that looked at sex and friendships in the same city makes perfect sense. Kim Cattrall was consistently praised for her portrayal of Samantha on Sex and the City and will surely bring a similar level of confidence and humor when narrating younger Sophie's exploits.
While Bob Saget was a fun choice to play Future Ted, this didn’t provide the same comedic edge teased with Cattrall ing How I Met Your Father. She can provide a new spin on HIMYM's framing device, lending fresh insight to modern dating through a female lens. Cattrall's association with Sex and the City can also attract more viewers, likely appealing to those disappointed by the actor choosing not to return for HBO Max's revival And Just Like That... The How I Met Your Mother spinoff has significant star power with Hillary Duff but it will struggle to match the original's excellent cast, whose group dynamic was brilliantly depicted in HIMYM's perfect pilot.
Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan, and Jason Segel already starred in beloved shows before HIMYM. Casting Kim Cattrall adds another recognizable name to How I Met Your Father and may help sway skeptical viewers after several previous failed spinoff attempts and How I Met Your Mother's controversial finale. Cattrall's perfect narrator casting could also suggest how Sophie's personality will differ from Ted's, providing a refreshing new angle.