Things You Might Not Know About How I Met Your Mother

Published on August 21, 2015. Updated September 8, 2020

Fans of CBS’ How I Met Your Mother stayed glued to their TVs as they watched the romantic misadventures of Ted Mosby as he searched endlessly for eight seasons to find his wife. Along the way, he got back together with college girlfriend Karen, tried to make it work with baker girlfriend Victoria, was left at the altar by Stella, and had a dramatic relationship with Zoey. When he finally meets the one, she dies during season nine. While telling his kids the story of How I Met Your Mother, Ted has an epiphany and discovers that he is meant to be with gal pal Robin. Fans couldn’t get enough of the show and made it a hit for several years. Take a look back and find out some things you may not have known about How I Met Your Mother.

15. The Season Finale

Fans piled by their TV sets when the series finale aired on March 31, 2014, waiting to find out what happens to their favourite How I Met Your Mother characters. However, while this episode got the most views, it also had the lowest ratings. Apparently no one wanted Ted’s wife to be killed (the one they had been waiting nine years for) so that Ted (Josh Radnor) could end up with Robin (Cobie Smulders)…seriously????!!!

Ron P. Jaffe / ©CBS / courtesy Everett Collection

14. It Was All Planned

Most of the episodes feature Ted Mosby’s (Josh Radnor) future children, played by Lyndsy Fonseca and David Henrie. All these scenes were filmed during the show’s first season and featured throughout the series. This strategy was used to keep the children the same age during the running of the show. Therefore, the writers all knew how the show would end in season one.

Source: CBS

13. The Husband

Alyson Hannigan (Lily), Neil Patrick Harris (Barney), and Cobie Smulders all had their spouses make guest appearances on the show. Hannigan’s husband Alexis Denisof was Sandy Rivers; Harris’ husband David Burtka played Scooter; and Taran Killam, Smulders’ spouse appeared as Blauman.

Photo By: Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection

12. The Relics

When the show wrapped up, several of the show’s cast and crew kept their favourite props as souvenirs. Director Pamela Fryman and creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas each have a yellow umbrella. Neil Patrick Harris (Barney) has the MacLaren’s bar booth and the original playbook, and Josh Radnor (Ted) claimed the blue French horn.

Ron P. Jaffe/ CBS

11. The Proposal

Fans can’t forget the scene where Robin (Cobie Smulders) and Ted (Josh Radnor) break up after Robin finds a ring in her champagne glass that belonged to the man at the next table. This man was actually proposing to his girlfriend during the taping of the show and had arranged his unique proposal with the producers.

10. Smoker’s Breath

Ever wonder why Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segel) rarely do more than closed lip smooches? Segel is a smoker and Hannigan can’t stand his breath and avoids any French kissing while filming.

Ron P. Jaffe/©CBS/courtesy Everett Collection

9. The Child Actor

In the fourth season, the gang finds out that Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) hired actors to play his family. When dissing the actor who plays his son, he tells his friends that child actors were a lot better in the 1980s. Harris was an ‘80s child actor and started acting in 1988.

8. Baby Bumps

Alyson Hannigan (Lily) and Cobie Smulders (Robin) were both pregnant while filming How I Met Your Mother, but the show’s writers didn’t want to include their pregnancies in the show. Audiences weren’t fooled when Lily wore baggy tops, and hid her stomach with big purses and happy birthday signs.

Monty Brinton/©CBS/courtesy Everett Collection

7. Tips for Picking Up Girls

The show’s popularity led to five books being published relating to the show including, ‘The Playbook’ and ‘The Bro Code.’ The show also coined the phrase ‘the bro code.’

Source: Amazon

6. The Age Difference

Lily (Alyson Hannigan), Ted (Josh Radnor), and Marshall (Jason Segel) all met while they were freshmen in college. In real life, Hannigan and Radnor are the same age and six years Segel’s seniors. Chris Elliot, who portrays Lily’s father ,is only 14 years older than Hannigan.

Bill Inoshita / CBS

5. Samm Levine as Barney?

Freaks and Geeks star Samm Levine was originally considered for the role of Barney. He went to several auditions, but never thought he was right for the role. On Kevin Pollack’s Chat Show, Levine told Neil Patrick Harris that Harris was by far the better choice for the role.

Photo by Ryan Miller/REX Shutterstock

4. Freaks and Geeks

Jason Segel’s first TV show was Freaks and Geeks, which only ran for one season. Several of his former cast mates appeared on How I Met Your Mother, including Samm Levine, Martin Starr, and Busy Phillips.

Everett Collection

3. Celebrity Guests

Pop stars Britney Spears and Katy Perry both made guest appearances on How I Met Your Mother, but when Project Runway’s Tim Gunn showed up on set, he was asked by everyone for an autograph (and probably fashion advice).

2. The Canadian

When the role of Robin Scherbatsky was first created, the character was from Toronto. After Vancouver native Cobie Smulders was casted, Robin’s home town changed to Vancouver.

1. The Slayer’s Friends Come to Set

How I Met Your Mother was not Alyson Hannigan’s first hit TV show as many fans know. Before playing Lily, she was Buffy’s witch friend Willow on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Several of Buffy’s cast members have appeared on How I Met Your Mother, including Hannigan’s husband Alexis Denisof, Tom Lenk, Danny Strong, and Harry Groener.

Robert Voets/ CBS