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How We Made Your Mother

How We Made Your Mother

By: Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas
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 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.Copyright How We Made Your Mother LLC 2025 All Rights Reserved Art
Episodes
  • Arts Educators Save the World with Guest Josh Radnor

    Arts Educators Save the World with Guest Josh Radnor
    Aug 22 2025
    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 episode of Arts Educators Save the World, this time with one Craig Thomas, in conversation with Rob Greenberg, who worked with Craig and Carter on How I Met Your Mother as — to quote Craig — the adult in the room. If you enjoy these episodes, please check out Arts Educators Save the World, where guests include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Annaleigh Ashford, Cecily Strong, Bradley Whitford, Jonathan Groff, Billy Eichner, and many, many others. Enjoy! You can find more Arts Educators Save the World episodes HERE on Apple Podcasts. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE to pre-order your copy of That’s Not How It Happened today. And if you’re a business with big orders to fulfill, Amplifier is there to help growing consumer brands and influencers create a unique experience for their customers during the fulfillment process. Visit AMPLIFIER to learn more, and name-drop How We Made Your Mother for special pricing for your emerging brand's program. 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 researchAND MORE: Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack Josh’s Official Website Josh on SpotifyCraig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    44 mins
  • How Alek Almost Killed Alyson | S1E20 "Best Prom Ever"

    How Alek Almost Killed Alyson | S1E20 "Best Prom Ever"
    Aug 18 2025
    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 thoughtful, honest discussion about how comedy evolves, the importance of inclusive language, and owning past mistakes. The team also unpacks behind-the-scenes stories from filming the prom sequence, shares how Scooter (David Burtka) was introduced, and celebrates the first appearance of the show’s unofficial house band, The 88. Read Craig’s piece “Hollywood and the R-Word” here in the Boston Globe. GET YOUR MERCH! We’ve got HWMYM merch, which is now just a FEW CLICKS AWAY. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE to pre-order your copy of That’s Not How It Happened today. And if you’re a business with big orders to fulfill, Amplifier is there to help growing consumer brands and influencers create a unique experience for their customers during the fulfillment process. Visit AMPLIFIER to learn more, and name-drop How We Made Your Mother for special pricing for your emerging brand's program. 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: Mint Mobile: If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at mintmobile.com/yourmother PrettyLitter: Save 20% on your first order and get a free cat toy at prettylitter.com/HWMYM MeUndies: Support the show by going to meundies.com/yourmother and using my code YOURMOTHER to get 20% off your first order, plus free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • General Questions | S1E19 "Mary the Paralegal"

    General Questions | S1E19 "Mary the Paralegal"
    Aug 14 2025
    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 behind-the-scenes details like how Buzz Aldrin inspired Lily’s last name. They also dive into how assumptions, pretending, and silence shaped the story of Mary the Paralegal, and how telepathy became a comedic counterpoint to all the unspoken truths. Questions Alek asks in this episode: Who came up with “Lawyered”? Was Marshall based on your friend Noah? How did you decide on the characters’ last names? What was the original idea behind “Aldrin”? What was the inspiration for the “telepathic conversation” bit? Was the “MadTV” VHS tape on purpose? How much damage do we do when we make assumptions instead of asking the hard questions? And why is pretending always easier than being vulnerable? GET YOUR MERCH! We’ve got HWMYM merch, which is now just a FEW CLICKS AWAY. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE to pre-order your copy of That’s Not How It Happened today. And if you’re a business with big orders to fulfill, Amplifier is there to help growing consumer brands and influencers create a unique experience for their customers during the fulfillment process. Visit AMPLIFIER to learn more, and name-drop How We Made Your Mother for special pricing for your emerging brand's program. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    25 mins
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