How I Met Your Mother

How I Met Your Mother is quickly moving up our list of favorite TV shows of the decade. Ted Mosby is one of the greatest tragic heroes in the history of television. . . perhaps in the history of the world. (Take that, Shakespeare.) The writing is witty and intelligent; watching actually expands my vocabulary. I'll bet you didn't know this word:

anhedonic (an•hee•don•ik), adj.: incapable of experiencing pleasure.

Marshall uses that word to describe Ted, a hopeless romantic if ever there was one, in one of the very first episodes. The word ineffable also plays a significant role in an early plot element. The banter between characters is fantastic; as with all sitcoms, they are a little too quick on the draw, but it's forgivable because the quips and conversations are just so good. And Neil Patrick Harris really is outstanding as the suave, libertine Barney Stinson, who serves as Ted's foil.

Right now we're crunching through the DVDs one by one, courtesy of Netflix, and when we put one in the mailbox, the next can't come soon enough.