How We Made Your Mother

Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas
  • 4.9 (290)
  • AFTER SHOWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
How We Made Your Mother

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, a groundbreaking sitcom that ran for 208 episodes on CBS from 2005-2014, unfolds entirely as a flashback, using a time-bending narrative structure that spotlights the lives of five friends navigating love, friendship, dating, careers, failure, and success in New York City. The show has remained vibrantly alive in our collective pop culture memory, with fans around the world still sharing stories of how HIMYM is not just a hilarious comedy but also medicine for the soul in hard times. Now, JOSH RADNOR (who played “Ted Mosby”) has teamed up with series co-creator CRAIG THOMAS to explore, episode-by-episode, the mystery at the heart of what has made this show so durable and beloved. It’s time – much like the older, wiser narrator Ted does in the show – to look back on this adventure that occupied a pivotal decade of their lives: how the show changed them, how it changed its fans, and how it changed the culture. With plenty of special guests joining us along the way, this podcast will use HIMYM’s trenchant themes as jumping-off points for larger discussions about life, loss, and love. This is HOW WE MADE YOUR MOTHER: A flashback podcast for a flashback show.

Episodes

  1. 2D AGO

    Howwww We Met Ted | (S1E1) "Pilot"

    This week, Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas kick off the official rewatch of the PILOT episode of How I Met Your Mother! They reflect on the origin of the series, the narrative complexity of the show’s storytelling, and the way the pilot sets up the entire series—from Ted’s romantic optimism to Barney’s legendary schemes. They also revisit memories from filming, discuss the impact of the show’s themes on fans, and answer the big question: If they could rename the first episode, what would it be? CONNECT WITH THE SHOW: Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages) Substack (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig) Instagram HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Donate to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research AND MORE: Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack Josh’s Official Website Josh on Spotify Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host BetterHelp: How We Made Your Mother is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/yourmother Mint Mobile: If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at mintmobile.com/yourmother Advertising inquiries: hwmym@wearebv.com AND IN CASE IT HELPS: 03:10 Antidote to Loneliness 08:59 Character Dynamics and Relationships 15:03 The Hero's Journey of Ted Mosby 21:00 The Art of Storytelling in the Pilot 27:02 The Cinematic Quality of the Pilot 39:31 Editing and Narrative Structure 43:57 Character Development and Themes 49:22 Fan Reactions and Expectations 01:01:44 The Impact of the Show on Fans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 20m

  2. 6D AGO · BONUS

    How Craig Met Carter [AKA: "The Backpack Boys"]

    When we sat down with Carter Bays to talk about the development of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, we just couldn’t stop talking. And by the end, we found that we had two episodes on our hands: We had HOW WE GOT IT MADE, detailing the ins and outs of pitching, selling, casting, and finally making HIMYM. But we also have our first bonus episode, HOW CRAIG MET CARTER, about the legendary meeting at Wesleyan University of the HIMYM creators, their musical and comedy collaborations through their work at THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, right up until the moment they first pitched HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER to their agent. (Read more in our Substack post.) CONNECT WITH THE SHOW: Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages) Substack (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig) Instagram HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Donate to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research AND MORE: Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack Josh’s Official Website Josh on Spotify Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: hwmym@wearebv.com AND IN CASE IT HELPS: 00:00 The Unexpected Journey Begins 03:11 From College Friends to Comedy Partners 06:01 The MTV Internship Experience 12:08 The Power of Collaboration 14:59 The Suit Connection: Identity and Choice 17:49 Breaking into the Industry 20:56 The Letterman Experience 23:56 Lessons Learned from Late Night Writing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    37 min

  3. MAR 17

    How They Got it Made [with Carter Bays, Series Co-Creator]

    On this week's episode of How We Made Your Mother, we welcome the most special of guests: The co-creator, co-writer, co-showrunner and Executive Producer of How I Met Your Mother, the legendary... Carter Bays! If you’ve ever wondered how you get a show on the air, especially one that is all framed as a flashback, or one that is framed as a flashback and uses even more flashbacks (and flashforwards) in that flashback, or one that is framed as a flashback and uses flashbacks and flashforwards that also has its characters evolve and change, oh and also has maybe 65 or 70 scenes per episode and sometimes will take a few minutes break from comedy to go full drama, oh and has a really long, bizarre title, oh that is being written by two guys who look young enough to be their own kids… … well this is the podcast episode for you. This is How We Got it Made. Later this week, look out for a bonus episode, where Carter and Craig talk about how they met, played music together, were hired by Letterman, and all their stops on the road to HIMYM. Spoilers: In this ep of the pod, we don't dive into a specific HIMYM episode juuuuust yet. NEXT week, we begin our official episode rewatch, starting with the How I Met Your Mother pilot. Rewatch with us and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! CONNECT WITH THE SHOW: Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages) Substack (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig) Instagram HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Donate to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research AND MORE: Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack Josh’s Official Website Josh on Spotify Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host Nutrafol: Start your hair growth journey with Nutrafol at nutrafol.com and enter the code YOURMOTHER ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: hwmym@wearebv.com AND IN CASE IT HELPS: 00:00 The Impact of 'How I Met Your Mother' on Personal Lives 04:46 The Journey of Pitching the Show 14:54 Creating a Unique Narrative Structure 20:05 Casting Challenges and Triumphs 30:14 The Audition Experience 35:48 Creating Robin Scherbatsky 44:09 The Pressure of Network Tests 49:30 Listener Stories and Reflections Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 4m

  4. MAR 10

    How We Made This Podcast

    Welcome to How We Made Your Mother, a new weekly podcast, rewatching 208 episodes of How I Met Your Mother. In our inaugural episode, Josh Radnor (“Ted Mosby”) and Craig Thomas (co-creator) discuss the origins of this podcast, and lay out some of the questions and themes they look to explore. EPISODES MENTIONED: Return of the Shirt (Season 1, Episode 4) The Pineapple Incident (Season 1, Episode 10) Drumroll, Please (Season 1, Episode 13) CONNECT WITH THE SHOW: Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages) Substack (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig) Instagram TikTok AND MORE: Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack Josh’s Official Website Josh on Spotify Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host Betterhelp: How We Made Your Mother is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/yourmother Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/yourmother Surfshark: Go to https://surfshark.com/yourmother for 4 extra months of Surfshark. Advertising inquiries: hwmym@wearebv.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    54 min

  5. MAR 3

    Introducing How We Made Your Mother

    It’s been 20 years since How I Met Your Mother premiered, and just over 10 years since the finale. With so many round numbers in the air, it’s time to look back at this groundbreaking show. Josh Radnor, who played “Ted” for nine seasons teams up with series co-creator Craig Thomas for this episode-by-episode rewatch podcast. For the superfans, HWMYM (listen to the trailer to learn how it’s pronounced) will get into all the secrets, theories, and pineapples, but we'll also use HIMYM – and our relationship to it two decades later – to talk about life and love and art and everything in between. How We Made Your Mother… a flashback podcast for a flashback show. Connect with the Show: Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages) Substack (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig) Instagram And more: Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack Josh’s Official Website Josh on Spotify Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack Advertising inquiries: hwmym@wearebv.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    3 min

  6. FEB 3

    Wait for It…

    Follow the show today and be sure not to miss the full PROMO, dropping on MARCH 3rd, and our first FULL EPISODE just a week later on MARCH 10th. Make sure to go to www.HowWeMadeYourMother.com to join our Substack mailing list, get links to all our social media sites, learn more about the show, and send us an email or an audio message with your questions or to tell us what HIMYM means to you. Advertising Inquires: hwmym@wearebv.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1 min

Trailers

4.9
out of 5
290 Ratings

About

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, a groundbreaking sitcom that ran for 208 episodes on CBS from 2005-2014, unfolds entirely as a flashback, using a time-bending narrative structure that spotlights the lives of five friends navigating love, friendship, dating, careers, failure, and success in New York City. The show has remained vibrantly alive in our collective pop culture memory, with fans around the world still sharing stories of how HIMYM is not just a hilarious comedy but also medicine for the soul in hard times. Now, JOSH RADNOR (who played “Ted Mosby”) has teamed up with series co-creator CRAIG THOMAS to explore, episode-by-episode, the mystery at the heart of what has made this show so durable and beloved. It’s time – much like the older, wiser narrator Ted does in the show – to look back on this adventure that occupied a pivotal decade of their lives: how the show changed them, how it changed its fans, and how it changed the culture. With plenty of special guests joining us along the way, this podcast will use HIMYM’s trenchant themes as jumping-off points for larger discussions about life, loss, and love. This is HOW WE MADE YOUR MOTHER: A flashback podcast for a flashback show.

Information

  • Creator
    Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright How We Made Your Mother LLC 2025 All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    How We Made Your Mother

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