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.
All content for How We Made Your Mother is the property of Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
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.
In this General Questions bonus episode, Josh, Craig, and Alek field fan-submitted questions all about Season 1, Episode 4: “Return of the Shirt.” They dig into nostalgia, memory, and what it means to go back to a past relationship—or a past version of yourself. The conversation also covers the symbolism of “the shirt,” how wardrobe choices are made, and the deeper meaning of memory in both life and storytelling. They explore how music shapes emotional memory, revisit HIMYM’s digital side quests (RIP, Barney’s Blog), and wrestle with one line that hasn’t aged well. Plus, sock monkeys, Bell and Sebastian, and why it might be time to resurrect some very 2005-era websites.
Questions We Attempt to Answer in This Episode:
As you’re rewatching, is it strange to watch yourself interact with everyone before you actually knew them well?
How much input did you both have on clothing choices throughout the rest of the show?
How many days does the costume department have between getting the script and needing wardrobe ready to go?
Do you think nostalgia makes us see past relationships in a better light than they actually were?
What are your thoughts on how memory shapes what we remember about our lives and relationships?
Is what we’re watching the actual story Ted tells his kids, or are we seeing a more unfiltered version?
How did you choose the music for the show, and what are your musical influences?
Why were all the websites from the show taken down, and will they ever come back?
How do you feel now about the “beat up by a girl” joke at the end of the 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
Advertising inquiries:
hwmym@wearebv.com
AND IN CASE IT HELPS:
02:00 Engaging with Fan Questions
03:35 Exploring Actor Relationships
05:30 Costume Design Insights
07:58 Production Flow and Challenges
15:22 The Nostalgia Trap: Yearning for the Past
18:06 Memory and Storytelling: The Unreliable Narrator
21:57 The Role of Music in Memory and Life
28:01 The Digital Footprint: Lost Websites and Fan Engagement
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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.
