Afleveringen
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In this bonus General Questions episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh, Craig, and Alek respond to listener questions all about “Purple Giraffe.” They cover everything from how Josh and Cobie developed their early on-screen chemistry to the symbolism of the rooftop and the origin of the show’s callbacks. The team also weighs in on the fan-created “purple vs. yellow” theory, share behind-the-scenes wardrobe details, and talk about how real-life relationships and experiences made their way into the show’s characters.
They reflect on what it felt like filming the second episode after the pilot, how the roof became such a central location, and the challenge of balancing screen time in a packed episode. It’s a mix of thoughtful answers, personal stories, and a few very specific snack preferences.
Questions We Attempt to Answer in This Episode:
How did Josh and Cobie build their chemistry so quickly on screen?
How did you keep track of callbacks throughout the series?
What’s your favorite kind of dip?
What were you actually drinking at the bar?
Was the mood different filming episode 2 compared to the pilot?
What inspired the rooftop setting, and do you have personal connections to it?
How did you approach casting smaller roles like Carlos?
What’s the story behind John Bernthal’s early appearance on the show?
How did wardrobe choices affect your performance, especially for Ted?
Why did Marshall and Lily’s relationship start out so strong and established?
What’s the purple vs. yellow theory, and did you plan it?
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:
[email protected]
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In this episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh and Craig revisit How I Met Your Mother’s second episode, “Purple Giraffe.” They talk about the pressure of following up the pilot, the decision to structure the story around three parties, and how the show continued to play with time and storytelling. They also reflect on Ted’s optimism, his flaws, and what this episode reveals about his character.
The episode includes behind-the-scenes stories about writing, editing, and production, including how the purple giraffe came to be and why the rooftop scene was so important. Josh shares what it was like navigating early fame, and his wife Jordana offers thoughtful insight into Ted’s emotional growth.
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:
Surfshark: Go to https://surfshark.com/yourmother and use code YOURMOTHER for 4 extra months of Surfshark.
Advertising inquiries:
[email protected]
AND IN CASE IT HELPS:
03:08 Creating Episode Two: Purple Giraffe
06:13 The Challenges of Writing a Second Episode
09:03 The Great Gatsby Influence
17:57 The Essence of Ted Mosby
20:49 Balancing Humor and Heart
35:16 The Art of Cinematic Storytelling
40:39 Ted's Journey: The Tug of War Between Control and Destiny
49:00 The Evolution of Ted: From Childish Dreams to Adult Realities
59:00 Audience Engagement and Community Connection
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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In this bonus episode, Josh Radnor, Craig Thomas, and producer Alek Lev answer your General Questions—rapid-fire style! From the origin of the “major problem / general question” salute, to behind-the-scenes memories from the pilot, and how Ted’s infamous blue French horn heist was conceived, this episode dives into your burning curiosities.
They also reflect on what older Ted would say to younger Ted, how Bob Saget became the voice of future Ted, and the surprising story of how Carl the Bartender ended up on the show.
Questions Answered in This Episode:
What line from the pilot became Josh’s personal mantra and the name of his corporation?
What’s the origin of the “general question / major problem” salute joke?
What advice would older Ted give to younger Ted in the pilot?
Why did you cast Bob Saget as the voice of future Ted?
When did the cast start to realize the group chemistry was special?
Did you film all the future kids’ scenes at once?
Do you remember watching the pilot for the first time?
How much did test audience reactions and executive notes influence the show?
What did the actors know about what was coming for their characters?
What inspired the blue French horn?
Did anyone keep the blue French horn? (Hint: Yes, and it’s in Josh’s house.)
What’s the real story behind casting Carl the Bartender?
What were your biggest writing influences for the pilot?
What movies helped inspire Ted as a character?
Will the podcast be filmed? (Yes—check YouTube!)
What was the biggest challenge in transitioning Robin into the full group after the pilot?
Why would Robin, who lives in Brooklyn, be hanging out on the Upper West Side so much?
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:
[email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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:
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:
[email protected]
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
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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:
[email protected]
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
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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:
Nutrafol: Start your hair growth journey with Nutrafol at nutrafol.com and enter the code YOURMOTHER
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES:
[email protected]
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
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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:
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:
[email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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:
[email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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: [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
