“You never can tell when you’re doing these things what they’ll become, but there was a great vibe on set during that period,” star Josh Radnor tells Muara Digital Team.
NEED TO KNOW
- How I Met Your MotherThe premiere episode celebrated its 20th anniversary on Friday, September 19.
- To commemorate, stars Josh Radnor, Alyson Hannigan, and Neil Patrick Harris, along with the show’s co-creator Craig Thomas, chatted with the Muara Digital Team about the “special” episode that marked the beginning.
- “You can’t predict what these actions will lead to, but there was a strong sense of positivity on set during that period,” says Radnor, who co-hosts the companion podcast,How We Created Your Mother, with Thomas
Twenty years ago on September 19, 2005, a legendary tale commenced.
A 27-year-old architect based in New York believed his life was “good,” but his college best friend (and current roommate) “ruined everything,” as the protagonist states inHow I Met Your MotherThe initial scenes involve him recounting a past event to his children from the year 2030. The major change was an impending relationship between his two best friends, which led him to have a difficult night out, fearing he would be the odd one out in their long-standing group. However, this soon shifted when he stated, even though he wasn’t fully sure of his words, “I’m not ready to settle down… But if I was, it’s like, ‘Okay, I’m ready. Where is she?'”
Boom. A woman enters, extremely attractive, with long brown hair and a brilliant smile. However, he later tells his children that she’s just their aunt, despite the fact that their initial meeting resulted in a memorable first date and a late-night drink that ended with him saying, “I think I’m in love with you” to her, which caused embarrassment for her, his friends, and the kids.
A powerful, unforgettable opening from theCraig Thomasand the series helmed by Carter Bays, primarily directed by Pamela Fryman. It would become a 208-episode, nine-season-long show, featuring a wide range of humorous and emotionally intense moments delivered through strong performances by notable actorsJosh Radnor (Ted Mosby), Cobie Smulders (Robin Scherbatsky), Jason Segel (Marshall Eriksen), Alyson Hannigan (Lily Aldrin), Neil Patrick Harris (Barney Stinson) and eventually Cristin Milioti, who portrayed the leading mother. (The lateBob Sagetalso brilliantly narrated as Future Ted Mosby.)
To me, it sometimes feels like when you watch a pilot, you can really hear the writing, or the structure seems a bit shaky. I believe this pilot is smart and clearly comes from writers with a unique perspective,” says Radnor, 51. “But I think everything the characters say sounds like it’s coming from the character themselves, rather than being forced in by a writer or a network suggestion.
“I also believe that we come across as a group of characters who are truly friends. Marshall, Lily, and Ted all appeared to have an authentic past together. This gave the show a sense of being lived-in, which I find very appealing from the start. The show became funnier and more witty as it progressed,” he continues.
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From Thomas’ point of view, “What stood out to me was the clarity and making the most of every second,” he remembers about rewatching the episode for himself and Radnor’s.How We Created Your Mom rewatch podcast, which premiered in March.
Everything in there is there for a reason. Every element is either about the character or advancing the story, or ideally both,” explains Thomas, 50. “I was impressed because this was truly the first pilot that Carter and I had ever written. I could say, ‘Hey, good job, younger versions of us. Good job, younger Carter, younger Craig,’ because there’s not much unnecessary stuff in it. It moves quickly. You’re immediately thrown into these major questions, these two big questions about love: will you marry me, and will you go out with me?
Some of the “clarity” Thomas is talking about refers to “the connection we as writers had with these characters,” he explains, “which means, I married my wife when I was young. We all attended Wesleyan—Carter, my wife Rebecca, and I all went to Wesleyan. It was like an older couple in their mid-20s and a single guy, and the pilot really stays true to that in a very straightforward manner.”
Hannigan, 51, shares with the Muara Digital Team a very specific recollection from when she was working on that first episode.
We were on the backlot at CBS Radford. I was outside with some of the crew. I don’t remember if any cast members were there. Suddenly, hundreds of butterflies came flying towards us, through us, and around us,” she remembers. “We all paused to absorb the moment. It was powerful, amazing, and we all felt it was a positive omen! I’ve never witnessed anything like it before or after.
Radnor also recalls a common “sensation” among all, aware that what they were facing was greater than they could have ever conceived.
You never can tell when you’re doing these things, what they might become, but there was a strong sense of positivity on set during that period,” the “Learning” singer says. “There was an underlying sense, it was a calm one, but a feeling that we might have something truly unique.
Radnor also mentions that “it’s difficult to reflect on the pilot of”How I Met Your Motherand not take into account everything that followed, “adding, “At the time of filming, I recall feeling that everyone was perfectly matched to their role, and I felt that we were all conveying the same story. I felt that we were all part of the same world.”
“It’s not always simple to accomplish, particularly in a pilot,” he notes.
The stellar group brought Thomas and Bays’ words to life, and the former still feels fortunate that the pair were “so lucky” in the “magical” way they selected these roles. “It was truly the casting. God just smiles. It’s just magic how it all comes together. You almost can’t believe it,” he says.
Kismet is the perfect term to capture it, particularly as Thomas points out that some of the cast members—Hannigan and Harris, along with Radnor and Harris—had prior connections before shooting the first episode. Additionally, the fact that the cast and co-creators were all roughly the same age was an extra advantage.
We were simply fortunate that everyone had this strange chemistry and connected,” Thomas says. “We all felt like this was our opportunity as a group, Carter and I along with the cast, to show what we’re capable of, and we gave it everything we had.
As the Muara Digital Team caught up with Harris, 52, on the opening night of his new Broadway show,ART, starring opposite James Corden and Bobby Cannavale, he remembers how the cast “were all having an amazing time” while filming the first season of the popular show.
For the first four seasons of the show, we didn’t expect there to be more, so each time we finished, we believed it was over,” the actor continued. “Then, it was a pleasant surprise when we returned.
Harris, whose husband David Burktalater appeared multiple times on the show as Lily’s former boyfriend Scooter, describing it as “a dynamic and somewhat unique experience.”
God bless streaming services, because now the Muara Digital Team can continue to watch it,” he concludes. “And I love that.
As enthusiasts keep watching (or, perhaps, uncovering) the series through streaming platforms, they can also listen to the podcast hosted by Radnor and Thomas,How We Created Your Mom. So far, it has examined the CBS comedy’s first season and is now preparing to take another look at season 2 of the show.
The couple even “delved deeper into the details” while discussingHow I Met Your Mother‘s 2005 pilot on the March 24 episode, Radnor notes.
“How I Met Your Mother, it rewards watching it as a series because there are small details that are introduced which later come into play. It was something I always thought they were very clever with,” Radnor says. “I think that’s why Muara Digital Teamwatch it repeatedly, because there’s something not just reassuring about the comfort of the familiarity and the world that is somewhat contained, and perhaps more secure. But there’s just something pleasing about how they built the story.”
The affection between the sitcom’s fanbase and its cast is certainly reciprocal. As Hannigan reflects on how strongly the show has connected with viewers even two decades later, the actress expresses “infinite appreciation.”
Someone came up to me yesterday and mentioned thatHow I Met Your Motherit’s their comfort show,” she concludes. “I enjoy being part of someone’s comfort show!
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How I Met Your Motheris available in its entirety on Hulu and Netflix, along with the accompanying podcast,How We Created Your Mother, can be accessed anywhere podcasts are available.
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