Kim Cattrall Appears On-Camera as Narrator and Older Hilary Duff in First How I Met Your Father Trailer

The move is a departure from Bob Saget's voiceover-only role as the older Ted Mosby narrating the story of "How I Met Your Mother" to his disinterested children for nearly a decade.

Fans frustrated that Samantha Jones won't be appearing in the "Sex and the City" sequel series "And Just Like That..." won't have to wait long to see Kim Cattrall back on their screens.

Unlike its predecessor, the female-centered "How I Met Your Father" is switching up how its handling its narrator conceit. Like "How I Met Your Mother," the story will unfold as the older version of the lead character tells it to their kids. But unlike the parent series, this narrator won't be unseen.

Can you blame them? If you've cast Kim Cattrall as the older Sophie, played in her younger years by Hilary Duff for the series, you don't limit her to just voiceover appearances. As much fun as it was seeing Ted Mosby's kids wither for nearly a decade under Bob Saget's never-ending narrative, we like the idea that these narrations will be a little more animated.

We only get a glimpse of Cattrall in the first full trailer for the upcoming Hulu comedy, but already we're hopeful that it's just a glimpse of what's to come. And, in fact, she's talking directly to the camera.

Are we Hilary Duff's children? Is she video recording this whole story to send to her kids? How has technology advanced by her era in the future, as Duff's quest to find love is beginning in 2022.

In many ways, the trailer shows a series with a lot of familiarity for fans of "HIMYM." The characters aren't direct parallels the the "HIMYM" gang, but it's their chemistry and that sense that for one another at this point in their lives, they are family.

It's navigating the modern era and modern dating (which most everyone agrees is horrific on a good day) in New York City. Mostly slamming us with quick hits, the trailer nevertheless creates a sense of the random chaos paired with genuine heart that made up the original series.

Time will tell if it can find the same kind of staying power or hit the pop culture zeitgeist in the same way. Actually, that latter is nearly impossible as our entertainment gets more and more factured.

For those interested in getting in on the ground floor of Kim Cattrall's story of the years when she was Hilary Duff desperately seeking the right man, they can tune in to the premiere of "How I Met Your Father," set to premiere January 18, 2022 on Hulu.