How We Made Your Mother

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

Presenting: Life in Seven Songs with Guest Josh Radnor

September 27, 2025 • 34 mins
Hello Major Fans of How We Made Your Mother and welcome to another bonus episode! We are hard at work on Season Two (which will launch soon), and we want to use this space to share some appearances of the team on other great podcasts. This week, we bring you Josh Radnor’s appearance on Life in Seven Songs. What songs tell your life story? On Life in Seven Songs, we ask this question of some of the world’s most fascinating peopl...
Mark as Played

How We Made it Rain | S1E22 "Come On"

September 1, 2025 • 94 mins
Josh and Craig close out season one revisiting “Come On,” celebrating the show’s early confidence, playful narrator tricks, and willingness to dip into magical realism—culminating in Ted’s euphoric rain dance to keep Robin from camping with Sandy Rivers as Marshall and Lily’s relationship hits a seismic crisis over her San Francisco art fellowship. They talk about cramming emotion into 22 minutes, the power of the Block Party needl...
Mark as Played

Presenting: Arts Educators Save the World with Guest Craig Thomas

August 29, 2025 • 63 mins
Welcome back to your How We Made Your Mother feed. Today, we are presenting an appearance by our own Craig Thomas on a podcast called Arts Educators Save the World, where successful artist sit in conversation with their mentors to talk about the importance of art, arts education, and mentorship. I produced this podcast with my lifelong friend, Erica. Last week we brought your our episode with Josh Randor and his teacher from NYU. T...
Mark as Played

How Lily Went AWOL | S1E21 "Milk"

August 25, 2025 • 57 mins
Josh and Craig break down S1E21 “Milk,” debating the title (they pitch better ones like “Mistakes” and “Fight or Flight”) and zeroing in on Lily’s panic about growing up: she secretly takes Marshall’s Fiero toward a San Francisco art opportunity, calls Ted from the roadside, and he chooses loyalty—ditching a matchmaker-arranged “perfect” date—to help his best friend, a Ted–Lily dynamic the guys really love. Meanwhile, Marshall sink...
Mark as Played

Presenting: Arts Educators Save the World with Guest Josh Radnor

August 22, 2025 • 44 mins
Today, we are presenting an appearance by our own Josh Radnor on a podcast called Arts Educators Save the World, where successful artists sit in conversation with their mentors to talk about the importance of art, arts education, and mentorship. Alek produced this podcast with his lifelong friend, Erica, and this is a fantastic episode with Josh and one of his teachers from NYU, Deborah Lapidus.  And next week, we’ve got another e...
Mark as Played

How Alek Almost Killed Alyson | S1E20 "Best Prom Ever"

August 18, 2025 • 72 mins
In this episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh and Craig revisit “Best Prom Ever,” which features Alek’s memorable (well, to him) cameo as Todd. They reflect on the episode’s big themes—Lily’s growing doubts, the anxiety of adult commitment, and the bittersweet grief that comes with making life choices. The conversation also includes a heartfelt listener message from Jesse, a longtime trans fan of the show, which prompts a though...
Mark as Played

General Questions | S1E19 "Mary the Paralegal"

August 14, 2025 • 25 mins
In this General Questions episode following Mary the Paralegal, Josh, Craig, and Alek explore fan-submitted questions ranging from the origins of catchphrases like “Lawyered” and the logic behind character names, to deeper themes like miscommunication and the emotional cost of avoiding vulnerability. They reflect on moments from the show that became iconic (telepathic conversations, Barney’s antics, mustache-on-TV gags), and share ...
Mark as Played

How There Was Something About Mary [with director Pam Fryman] | S1E19 "Mary the Paralegal"

August 11, 2025 • 82 mins
This episode features the long-awaited guest appearance of director Pam Fryman, who helmed nearly every episode of How I Met Your Mother. Josh and Craig share stories of how Pam shaped the show’s tone, protected its emotional core, and created a supportive, joyful set culture that lasted nine seasons. They also look back at the episode “Mary the Paralegal,” reliving Sandy Rivers’ debut, Ted’s misguided date, and the first-ever “law...
Mark as Played

General Questions | S1E18 "Nothing Good Happens After 2 AM"

August 7, 2025 • 25 mins
In this General Questions episode following Nothing Good Happens After 2 A.M., the hosts dive into the fan reactions and deeper themes behind Ted and Robin’s decisions, exploring moral ambiguity, emotional neediness, and the push-pull dynamics of late-night choices. They reflect on the enduring relevance of these situations—romantic longing, blurred boundaries, and personal regrets—and how the show’s framing device allows for layer...
Mark as Played

How Nothing Good Happened

August 4, 2025 • 64 mins
Josh and Craig dive into the season one favorite “Nothing Good Happens After 2 A.M.” and talk about ghost stories, juice excuses, and bad decisions made in the middle of the night. They break down why this episode feels more like a play than a sitcom, how Ted gets pulled in every direction (and lies to everyone), and why the moral center of the show still holds up. They celebrate Alexis Denisof’s perfect intro as Sandy Rivers, shou...
Mark as Played

How We Were Steak Sauce | S1E17 "Life Among the Gorillas"

July 28, 2025 • 58 mins
Josh and Craig dive into Season 1, Episode 17, “Life Among the Gorillas,” where Marshall starts to lose himself in a toxic corporate job, raising big questions about identity, money, and what it means to be a man. They talk about peer pressure in your 20s, the real cost of selling out, and how the show handled financial stress in a way most sitcoms didn’t. They also touch on the long-distance struggles of Ted and Victoria, the geni...
Mark as Played

General Questions | S1E16 "Cupcake"

July 24, 2025 • 28 mins
Was Victoria going to be the mother if the show was canceled early? Find out! In this General Questions episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh, Craig, and Alek dive deeper into episode 16, “Cupcake,” prompted by listener questions. They discuss how rare and satisfying it was to see Victoria choose her career over love, a choice echoed in Robin’s character arc as well. The team explores the value of fan theories—whether or not ...
Mark as Played

How We Sat on a Cake | S1E16 "Cupcake"

July 21, 2025 • 61 mins
In this episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh and Craig revisit “Cupcake” (Season 1, Episode 16), reflecting on the pivotal crossroads for Ted and Victoria as she prepares to leave for Germany. They praise Ashley Williams’s performance and discuss the episode’s unique structure—showing the same day from both characters’ perspectives. The conversation dives into how HIMYM grapples with adult issues like money, long-distance relat...
Mark as Played

General Questions | S1E15 "Game Night"

July 17, 2025 • 24 mins
In this General Questions episode, the team brings back Chris Harris (writer of the HIMYM episode “Game Night”) to answer fan questions and explore deeper elements of storytelling from the early seasons. They discuss how HIMYM balanced large, event-style episodes with character development, whether Chris was intentionally given “scope” episodes like “Subway Wars,” and how character traits (like Marshall’s love of games) were assign...
Mark as Played

How We Met Your Vader [with Chris Harris] | S1E15 "Game Night"

July 14, 2025 • 68 mins
In this episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh and Craig are joined by writer Chris Harris to reflect on the making of Season 1, Episode 15: “Game Night.” The trio breaks down the episode’s structure, the origin of Barney’s backstory, and how the writers constructed a compelling present-day story to balance the flashbacks. They talk about the decision to reveal Barney’s past as a heartbroken hippie and the challenges of maintaini...
Mark as Played

How We Met More Ashley Williams | S1E14 "Zip, Zip, Zip"

July 10, 2025 • 42 mins
In Part 2 of their conversation with Ashley Williams, the How We Made Your Mother team explores the legacy of the episode “Zip, Zip, Zip” while also reflecting on its tonal whiplash following the romantic “Drumroll, Please.” Ashley, Josh, and Craig discuss the writers’ room debate about couples’ bathroom practices, what it’s like to shift from lead storyline to comic side note, and how multi-cam shows use genre to balance intimacy ...
Mark as Played

How We Met Ashley Williams | S1E14 "Zip, Zip, Zip"

July 7, 2025 • 50 mins
In this heartfelt and often hilarious episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas welcome Ashley Williams—beloved for her role as Victoria—for an in-depth conversation that’s as much about How I Met Your Mother as it is about surviving (and thriving) in the world of multi-cam sitcoms. They reflect on the intimacy and cinematic tone of “Drumroll, Please,” the silliness of “Zip, Zip, Zip,” and the powerful creati...
Mark as Played

Presenting: The Puzzler with Guest Josh Radnor 

June 30, 2025 • 59 mins
HWMYM is just taking one week off, but we are thrilled to be able to bring you an appearance that Josh made on an incredibly fun podcast called The Puzzler, where the host, A.J. Jacobs, tested his puzzle skills with a bunch of original word games. As you might know, Josh a big crossword fan, and it sounds like he had a great time. We thought you might enjoy it, too. What you’ll hear are three short episodes they recorded, one after...
Mark as Played

How We Almost | S1E13 "Drumroll, Please"

June 23, 2025 • 74 mins
In this episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh and Craig revisit the deeply romantic Season 1 quasi-two-parter culminating in “Drumroll, Please,” where Ted meets Victoria at a wedding and chooses connection over logistics. They unpack how the structure mirrors “The Pineapple Incident,” praise the chemistry between Josh and Ashley Williams, and reflect on how the episode balances whimsical rom-com structure with emotional realism....
Mark as Played

General Questions | S1E12 "The Wedding"

June 19, 2025 • 27 mins
In this bonus “General Questions” episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh, Craig, and Alek reflect on the Season 1 episode “The Wedding,” especially the lasting impact of Ashley Williams as Victoria, even with just seconds of screen time. They explore why her character resonated so deeply, whether she was ever considered to be the mother if the show had ended early, and how the timing of her reveal was crafted to feel mythic and c...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

    Stuff You Should Know

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

    True Crime Tonight

    True Crime Tonight

    If you eat, sleep, and breathe true crime, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT is serving up your nightly fix. Five nights a week, KT STUDIOS & iHEART RADIO invite listeners to pull up a seat for an unfiltered look at the biggest cases making headlines, celebrity scandals, and the trials everyone is watching. With a mix of expert analysis, hot takes, and listener call-ins, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT goes beyond the headlines to uncover the twists, turns, and unanswered questions that keep us all obsessed—because, at TRUE CRIME TONIGHT, there’s a seat for everyone. Whether breaking down crime scene forensics, scrutinizing serial killers, or debating the most binge-worthy true crime docs, True Crime Tonight is the fresh, fast-paced, and slightly addictive home for true crime lovers.

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

Explore

iHeart

Live Radio

Podcasts

Artist Radio

Exclusives

News

Features

Events

Contests

Photos

Information

About

Advertise

Blog

Brand Guidelines

Contest Guidelines

Subscription Offers

Jobs

Get the App

Automotive

Home

Mobile

Wearables

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.