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

How We Met Robin Sparkles [with Cobie Smulders] | S2E9 "Slap Bet"

December 22, 2025 • 61 mins
In this episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas revisit one of the most iconic episodes of How I Met Your Mother: Season 2, Episode 9, “Slap Bet,” with special guest Cobie Smulders. The conversation dives deep into the origin and impact of Robin Sparkles, from the wild writers’ room pitch to the massive, risky production of the full “Let’s Go to the Mall” music video—shot on an extra day, with choreograph...
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How To Play Xing Hai Shi Bu Xing | S2E8 “Atlantic City”

December 15, 2025 • 64 mins
In this episode, Josh and Craig revisit Season 2, Episode 8: “Atlantic City,” written by Maria Ferrari, who started as a writer’s assistant before becoming a staff writer. They discuss the unusual challenge of writing a road-trip episode that takes the whole gang out of their usual sets and how that led to one of the longest rewrite nights of the early seasons. The conversation covers how the story’s emotional center—Lily trying to...
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Preview: Dinner’s On Me with Guest Josh Radnor

December 11, 2025 • 5 mins
Josh recently sat down with his friend Jesse Tyler Ferguson for an episode of Jesse's podcast "Dinner's On Me." Both Josh and Jesse were on hit sitcoms during a very particular moment in TV's metamorphosis, and they've both had on-going, evolving relationships with the characters they played on those shows. Here's a preview of their conversation... To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.a...
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How We Met Ol' Swarley | S2E7 "Swarley"

December 8, 2025 • 65 mins
Josh and Craig are joined by writer Greg Malins, who co-ran Friends before joining How I Met Your Mother for Season 2. They revisit the episode “Swarley” (aired December 8 2006), talking about how Greg helped shape the show’s tone, the accidental (or maybe subconscious) Friends dig in the coffee-shop cold open, and how the “Swarley” name was coined by Rob Greenberg. Greg reveals a never-before-revealed admission about a joke he… bo...
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How We Broke Bad [with Bryan Cranston] | S2E6 "Aldrin Justice"

December 1, 2025 • 70 mins
Season two, episode six of How We Made Your Mother features a special guest: the legendary Bryan Cranston, who joins Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas to revisit his first appearance as Hammond Druthers in “Aldrin Justice.” Cranston reflects on taking the role right after Malcolm in the Middle ended, how he almost didn’t get Breaking Bad if Fox had ordered another Malcolm season, and how one X-Files episode led Vince Gilligan to cast hi...
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Flashback: How We Birthed a Turkey | S1E9 "Belly Full of Turkey"

November 24, 2025 • 55 mins
To celebrate Thanksgiving, we are flashing back to our Season 1 rewatch of “Belly Full of Turkey.” Josh and Craig reflect on Lily’s hilarious but heartfelt journey into Marshall’s giant Minnesota family, while Ted, Robin, and Barney navigate their own offbeat holiday at a food shelter (and later, a strip club). They discuss Alyson Hannigan’s standout performance, the visual comedy of a Brooklyn girl in a land of giants, and the dee...
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How We Got Ridonk [with Joe Manganiello] | S2E5 "World's Greatest Couple" 

November 17, 2025 • 67 mins
Season two, episode five of How We Made Your Mother dives into “World’s Greatest Couple,” where Lily moves in with Barney, and Marshall finds unexpected companionship with Brad—played by guest star Joe Manganiello, who joins Josh and Craig for the episode. The hosts break down how this fan-favorite storyline came together: Lily’s disastrous apartment, the debut of Barney’s Fortress of Barnitude, and the surprisingly sweet “odd coup...
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How We Met the Office Ladies [with Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey]

November 13, 2025 • 70 mins
Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas welcome Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey of Office Ladies for an “extra-extra-special” crossover episode that celebrates the shared DNA between The Office and How I Met Your Mother. The four trade stories about auditioning, early career struggles, and the naïve confidence it took to chase a dream to Los Angeles. Jenna and Angela recall the pressure of remaking the British Office and the moment they knew ...
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How that Wasn't Ted | S2E4 "Ted Mosby: Architect"

November 10, 2025 • 68 mins
In this episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas revisit Season 2, Episode 4, “Ted Mosby: Architect,” which aired October 9, 2006. They reflect on the show’s use of music—like the Decemberists’ “Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect”—and how songs became part of Ted’s emotional language. They discuss the episode’s mystery structure, Robin and Ted’s first fight, and the episode’s emotional ending, where Ted shares...
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How We Met Marshall's Calves | S2E3 "Brunch"

November 3, 2025 • 68 mins
Season two, episode three of How We Made Your Mother takes on “Brunch,” the HIMYM episode that juggles family chaos, secrets, and spicy breakfast rolls. Josh and Craig reminisce about casting Michael Gross—yes, the dad from Family Ties—as Ted’s father, and how surreal that was for Josh, who grew up watching him on TV in Columbus, Ohio. They unpack the episode’s Pulp Fiction-style structure, Ted’s awkward family brunch with his divo...
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How Marshall Met the Apocalyptic Wasteland | S2E2 "The Scorpion and the Toad"

October 27, 2025 • 54 mins
Season two, episode two of How We Made Your Mother opens with a message from Brazil, and a story about growing up with HIMYM that sets the tone for a conversation about comfort, change, and creative courage. Josh and Craig discuss “The Scorpion and the Toad,” where Marshall tries to reenter the dating world with Barney as his wingman—only to be repeatedly sabotaged by him. They unpack the Aesop fable behind the title, Barney’s comp...
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How We Spent the Summer | S2E1 "Where Were We?"

October 20, 2025 • 65 mins
Season two of How We Made Your Mother kicks off with a big announcement: the show has officially joined the Office Ladies Network, thanks to a friendship between Josh Radnor and Jenna Fischer. Josh and Craig reminisce about filming “Where Were We,” the How I Met Your Mother season two premiere, breaking down the challenge of picking up right after Ted and Robin’s rain-soaked kiss and Marshall’s heartbreak. They dig into the emoti...
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Season 2 Trailer

October 13, 2025 • 4 mins
We're back! How We Made Your Mother returns for another season of rewatching the hit TV series How I Made Your Mother! Josh Radnor and series co-creator Craig Thomas will discuss all 22 episodes of Season 2, including classic episodes like “Ted Mosby: Architect,” “Swarley,” “Slap Bet,” and “Something Blue.” You like guests? We’ve got guests, including Joe Manganiello and that man who finally proved to the world that he had dramatic...
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Presenting: The Craft of Being with Guest Alek Lev

October 3, 2025 • 43 mins
Welcome again to another bonus episode of How We Made Your Mother! It’s our final bonus episode before we launch Season 2 towards the end of October.  In this upcoming season we’ve already got a bunch of special guests lined up and a VERY special announcement about our podcast which we’re just not quite allowed to announce right now. So stay tuned. This week we bring you an interview that Alek did on the new podcast The Craft o...
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Presenting: Hyperfocus with Guest Craig Thomas

September 30, 2025 • 54 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 Craig Thomas’s appearance on Hyperfocus. Hyperfocus is a show that zeroes in on what fascinates us about ADHD, mental health, and learning. From hacking your dopamine to bust...
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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...
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How We Made it Rain | S1E22 "Come On"

September 1, 2025 • 87 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...
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Presenting: Arts Educators Save the World with Guest Craig Thomas

August 29, 2025 • 62 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...
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How Lily Went AWOL | S1E21 "Milk"

August 25, 2025 • 55 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...
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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...
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