Episodes

  • General Questions | Instagram Live 2/4/26

    General Questions | Instagram Live 2/4/26
    Apr 20 2026
    This February 4 Instagram Live episode of How We Made Your Mother brings together Josh Radnor, Craig Thomas, and producer Alek Lev for an expansive, warm, and frequently hilarious conversation that doubles as a love letter to the show, the podcast, and the community that’s grown around both. Broadcasting at a new midday time to reach international fans, the trio talk about why they started the podcast, how listener voice notes and letters have become its emotional core, and what it’s been like revisiting How I Met Your Mother nearly two decades later. Topics range from New York winters, unrealistic sitcom apartments, long-term storytelling payoffs and accidental continuity errors, to Craig’s emotional reflections on the end of The Late Show legacy after his formative years writing for Late Show with David Letterman. Josh opens up about rediscovering pride in the series after years of distance, becoming a fan of the show himself, and how the podcast has softened his relationship with Ted Mosby and the audience. The group shares behind-the-scenes stories about the origins of running jokes like the Major General salute, the ripple effects of tiny life choices, fan proposals sparked by the podcast, and the optimism behind the phrase “People Will Dance,” which may soon become merch. Along the way they shout out fans tuning in from around the world, reflect on music’s role in the show (and Josh’s late-in-life songwriting journey), and close on the idea that HIMYM now belongs to its viewers as much as its creators—something all three clearly cherish. CONNECT WITH THE SHOW: Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages) Instagram READ JOSH’S MUSELETTERS ON SUBSTACK: Subscribe HERE. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE to order your copy of THAT’S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED. SUPPORT PEDIATRIC CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE RESEARCH: Click HERE to learn more and donate today. FOLLOW THE OFFICE LADIES: Check out "Office Ladies" at https://officeladies.com/ or wherever you get your podcasts! Follow on Instagram: OfficeLadiesPodFollow on TikTok AND MORE: Josh’s Official Website Josh on Spotify Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    53 mins
  • How We Met a Listener: Jessica [SPOILER Alert!]

    How We Met a Listener: Jessica [SPOILER Alert!]
    Apr 13 2026
    Major Spoiler Warning! This episode contains major spoilers for the entire run of How I Met Your Mother, including the series finale and where the characters ultimately end up. If you haven’t finished the show yet and want to avoid spoilers, you may want to skip this one and come back later. The conversation also goes deeply into themes of grief, loss, and death, which some listeners may find emotionally heavy.  Josh and Craig share a deeply personal conversation with Jessica, a fan whose life took on unexpected parallels with the show after her husband died from a congenital heart condition shortly before the podcast launched. Jessica reflects on what the series—and especially the finale—came to mean to her after experiencing loss, while Josh and Craig talk about the show’s long-running themes of love, time, change, and the possibility of finding happiness again even after heartbreak. CONNECT WITH THE SHOW: Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages) Instagram READ JOSH’S MUSELETTERS ON SUBSTACK: Subscribe HERE. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE to order your copy of THAT’S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED. SUPPORT PEDIATRIC CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE RESEARCH: Click HERE to learn more and donate today. FOLLOW THE OFFICE LADIES: Check out "Office Ladies" at https://officeladies.com/ or wherever you get your podcasts! Follow on Instagram: OfficeLadiesPod Follow on TikTok AND MORE: Josh’s Official Website Josh on Spotify Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    59 mins
  • How We (...Wait for It...) | S2E22 "Something Blue"

    How We (...Wait for It...) | S2E22 "Something Blue"
    Apr 6 2026
    Josh and Craig wrap up Season 2 by revisiting the emotional finale where Marshall and Lily get married and Ted and Robin realize they can’t build a future together despite loving each other. They talk about the episode’s clever mystery structure, the heartbreaking couch scene, the meaning behind the title “Something Blue,” and the hopeful reset that sends Ted and Barney back out as wingmen. The episode also includes the story of a real marriage proposal that happened during filming of the café scene, reflections on how the show balances comedy with real relationship truths, and a moving – anonymous – fan letter about a couple whose relationship began over a shared love of the show. CONNECT WITH THE SHOW: Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages) Instagram READ JOSH’S MUSELETTERS ON SUBSTACK: Subscribe HERE. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE to order your copy of THAT’S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED. SUPPORT PEDIATRIC CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE RESEARCH: Click HERE to learn more and donate today. FOLLOW THE OFFICE LADIES: Check out "Office Ladies" at https://officeladies.com/ or wherever you get your podcasts! Follow on Instagram: OfficeLadiesPod Follow on TikTok AND MORE: Josh’s Official Website Josh on Spotify Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • General Questions | Instagram Live 1/28/26

    General Questions | Instagram Live 1/28/26
    Apr 2 2026
    This Instagram Live episode of How We Made Your Mother features Josh Radnor, Craig Thomas, and producer Alek Lev in a relaxed, funny, and reflective conversation about revisiting the first two seasons of How I Met Your Mother nearly 20 years later. They talk about learning to be kinder to their younger selves, favorite memories from set (including cozy breakfast scenes, hair-and-makeup miracles, and moments when the scale of the show suddenly felt magical), the grind behind the joy, and why struggle is part of meaningful creative work. Fan questions spark stories about deleted scenes, bloopers, iconic supporting characters (Ranjit, Sandy Rivers, Stuart, Brad), music’s central role in the show and their lives, tattoos inspired by HIMYM, advice for aspiring actors and writers, and Craig’s journey writing his novel That’s Not How It Happened. The trio also welcome listeners discovering the podcast for the first time, celebrate its global audience, shout out the Office Ladies Network, and invite fans to keep the conversation going through letters, voice notes, and future bonus episodes. CONNECT WITH THE SHOW: Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages) Instagram READ JOSH’S MUSELETTERS ON SUBSTACK: Subscribe HERE. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE to order your copy of THAT’S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED. SUPPORT PEDIATRIC CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE RESEARCH: Click HERE to learn more and donate today. FOLLOW THE OFFICE LADIES: Check out "Office Ladies" at https://officeladies.com/ or wherever you get your podcasts! Follow on Instagram: OfficeLadiesPod Follow on TikTok AND MORE: Josh’s Official Website Josh on Spotify Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    52 mins
  • How We Got it Toupee Off | S2E21 "Something Borrowed"

    How We Got it Toupee Off | S2E21 "Something Borrowed"
    Mar 30 2026
    Josh and Craig break down How I Met Your Mother Season 2, Episode 21, “Something Borrowed,” the chaotic first half of Marshall and Lily’s wedding finale. They revisit how the episode leans into the idea that every element of Lily’s carefully planned wedding begins to unravel—from Marshall accidentally shaving a reverse mohawk into his hair to Scooter showing up determined to stop the ceremony. The hosts talk about the technical side of filming Jason Segel’s shaving scene (and how hard it was for everyone not to break), the escalating farce that pushes the wedding off course, and the way the writers used these disasters to set up the emotional payoff of the finale. They also reflect on the show’s growing commitment to serialized storytelling, planting clues and callbacks that reward long-time viewers while still delivering big comedy moments, and how the imperfect, improvised version of the wedding ultimately reinforces one of the show’s core themes: the moments that go wrong are often the ones that reveal what really matters. CONNECT WITH THE SHOW: Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages) Instagram READ JOSH’S MUSELETTERS ON SUBSTACK: Subscribe HERE. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE to order your copy of THAT’S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED. SUPPORT PEDIATRIC CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE RESEARCH: Click HERE to learn more and donate today. FOLLOW THE OFFICE LADIES: Check out "Office Ladies" at https://officeladies.com/ or wherever you get your podcasts! Follow on Instagram: OfficeLadiesPod Follow on TikTok AND MORE: Josh’s Official Website Josh on Spotify Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    54 mins
  • Presenting: Dear Chelsea with guest Josh Radnor

    Presenting: Dear Chelsea with guest Josh Radnor
    Mar 26 2026
    Josh recently sat down with Chelsea Handler for an episode of Chelsea’s podcast “Dear Chelsea" to talk about the highs and lows of playing one character for a decade, the delights of NYC, and his sober-curious lifestyle. Need some advice from Chelsea? Email ⁠DearChelseaPodcast@gmail.com⁠. CONNECT WITH THE SHOW: Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages) Instagram READ JOSH’S MUSELETTERS ON SUBSTACK: Subscribe HERE. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE to order your copy of THAT’S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED. SUPPORT PEDIATRIC CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE RESEARCH: Click HERE to learn more and donate today. FOLLOW THE OFFICE LADIES: Check out "Office Ladies" at https://officeladies.com/ or wherever you get your podcasts! Follow on Instagram: OfficeLadiesPod Follow on TikTok AND MORE: Josh’s Official Website Josh on Spotify Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    54 mins
  • How We Met NPH Pt. 2 [with Neil Patrick Harris] | S2E20 "Showdown"

    How We Met NPH Pt. 2 [with Neil Patrick Harris] | S2E20 "Showdown"
    Mar 23 2026
    Josh and Craig continue their conversation with Neil Patrick Harris, reflecting on their working dynamic during How I Met Your Mother and how Barney and Ted’s very different roles on the show sometimes created a strange but productive tension between the actors. They talk candidly about early insecurities, the pressure of carrying different storytelling responsibilities—Josh often delivering the emotional core while Neil chased the biggest laughs—and how that contrast ultimately helped create the chemistry that defined the show. The discussion then shifts to the Season 2 episode “Showdown,” including Barney’s obsession with The Price Is Right, Ted’s struggle to write a best-man speech for Marshall, and memorable bits like Marshall’s belief in ghosts, Lily and Marshall’s intense co-dependence, and the absurd sincerity of Barney asking Bob Barker if he’s proud of him. Along the way they swap behind-the-scenes memories—from Neil’s obsessive continuity tricks for the editors to subtle moments that planted the seeds for Barney and Robin—and reflect on how, years later, they can finally look back at the experience with perspective, affection, and a deeper understanding of what each of them was bringing to the show. CONNECT WITH THE SHOW: Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages) Instagram READ JOSH’S MUSELETTERS ON SUBSTACK: Subscribe HERE. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE to order your copy of THAT’S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED. SUPPORT PEDIATRIC CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE RESEARCH: Click HERE to learn more and donate today. FOLLOW THE OFFICE LADIES: Check out "Office Ladies" at https://officeladies.com/ or wherever you get your podcasts! Follow on Instagram: OfficeLadiesPod Follow on TikTok AND MORE: Josh’s Official Website Josh on Spotify Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • How We Met NPH [with Neil Patrick Harris] | S2E20 "Showdown"

    How We Met NPH [with Neil Patrick Harris] | S2E20 "Showdown"
    Mar 16 2026
    Josh and Craig are joined by Neil Patrick Harris to revisit How I Met Your Mother Season 2’s “Showdown,” the episode where Barney appears on The Price Is Right believing that host Bob Barker might be his father. Neil reflects on the lasting cultural impact of Barney Stinson, the freedom the show’s unusual hybrid format gave actors to experiment with comedy, and the physical-comedy influences—from Buster Keaton to Cirque du Soleil—that shaped his performance. The conversation dives into Barney’s mix of bravado and vulnerability, how the writers gradually revealed the emotional core beneath the suit, and why the character’s deep loyalty to his friends often drove the story more than his playboy antics. They also share memories of filming on the real Price Is Right set, discuss how the show’s early “on the bubble” years kept everyone creatively hungry, and explore the idea that the heightened moments of the series may represent Ted’s exaggerated memories rather than literal reality. And we end on HWMYM’s first… cliffhanger! CONNECT WITH THE SHOW: Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages) Instagram READ JOSH’S MUSELETTERS ON SUBSTACK: Subscribe HERE. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE to order your copy of THAT’S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED. SUPPORT PEDIATRIC CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE RESEARCH: Click HERE to learn more and donate today. FOLLOW THE OFFICE LADIES: Check out "Office Ladies" at https://officeladies.com/ or wherever you get your podcasts! Follow on Instagram: OfficeLadiesPod Follow on TikTok AND MORE: Josh’s Official Website Josh on Spotify Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    58 mins