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{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2013}}
{{Infobox television
| show_name = How I Met Your Mother
| image = [[File:Howimetyourmother.jpg|250px]]
| genre = [[Sitcom]]<br />[[Comedy-drama]]
| format = [[Narrative]] in [[past tense]]
| creator = [[Carter Bays]]<br />[[Craig Thomas (screenwriter)|Craig Thomas]]
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Josh Radnor]]
* [[Jason Segel]]
* [[Cobie Smulders]]
* [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
* [[Alyson Hannigan]]
* [[Cristin Milioti]]<ref name="hollywoodreporter1">{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/how-i-met-your-mother-524654 | title='How I Met Your Mother' Makes Cristin Milioti a Series Regular | publisher=Hollywood Reporter | date=May 17, 2013 | accessdate=May 18, 2013}}</ref><ref name=TVLine20130517>{{cite web |url=http://tvline.com/2013/05/17/how-i-met-your-mother-season-9-spoilers-cristin-milioti-series-regular/ | title=Exclusive: How I Met Your Mother Makes Cristin 'Mom' Milioti a Full-Fledged Series Regular | publisher=TVLine.com | date=May 17, 2013 | accessdate=May 25, 2013 | quote=Cristin Milioti, who was unmasked as the titular mom in this week’s season finale, will take the title of series regular during the comedy’s upcoming ninth and final season. This marks the first time HIMYM will have expanded its core group of regulars beyond stars Josh Radnor, Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris, Cobie Smulders and Jason Segel.}}</ref>
}}
| narrated = [[Bob Saget]]
| theme_music_composer =
| opentheme = "Hey, Beautiful" by [[The Solids]]
| country = {{TVUS}}
| language = English
| num_seasons = 8 <!-- This is the number of seasons that have aired, NOT the current amount the networks plans to create -->
| num_episodes = 184
| list_episodes = List of How I Met Your Mother episodes
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
* Carter Bays
* [[Pamela Fryman]]
* [[Rob Greenberg]]
* Craig Thomas
}}
| camera = [[Multi-camera]]
| runtime = 22 minutes
| company = Bays & Thomas Productions<br />[[20th Century Fox Television]]
| distributor = [[20th Television]]
| network = [[CBS]]
| picture_format = [[1080i]] [[16:9]] ([[HDTV]])
| audio_format = [[Dolby Digital|Dolby Digital 5.1]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|2005|09|19}}
| last_aired = {{End date|present}}
| website = http://www.cbs.com/shows/how_i_met_your_mother
| website_title = Official website
| production_website =
}}
'''''How I Met Your Mother''''' is an American [[sitcom]] that premiered on [[CBS]] on September 19, 2005. The 2013–14 season will be the show's ninth and final season.<ref name="season9renewal">{{cite news|last=Seat42f|title=How I Met Your Mother Renewed For Final Seasl|url=http://www.seat42f.com/cbs-renews-how-i-met-your-mother-for-a-ninth-and-final-season.html|accessdate=January 30, 2013}}</ref> The series follows the main character, [[Ted Mosby]], and his group of friends in [[Manhattan]]. As a [[framing device]], Ted, in the year 2030, recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to him meeting their [[List of How I Met Your Mother characters#The Mother (The Girl with the Yellow Umbrella)|mother]].

The show was created by [[Craig Thomas (screenwriter)|Craig Thomas]] and [[Carter Bays]], who also serve as the show's executive producers and frequent writers. The series was loosely inspired by their friendship when they both lived in [[New York City]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/print/index.jsp?uuid=ae969501-d9e3-4679-900e-28fd88bbe95d&contentType=watchWithKristin |title=TV Summer School: How to Create and Run a Successful Sitcom|publisher=E!Online|date=August 6, 2007|accessdate=November 11, 2009|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110629050959/http://www.eonline.com/print/index.jsp?uuid=ae969501-d9e3-4679-900e-28fd88bbe95d&contentType=watchWithKristin | archivedate= June 29, 2011}}</ref> All but 12 episodes (out of over 180) have been directed by [[Pamela Fryman]].

Known for its unique structure and eccentric humor, ''How I Met Your Mother'' has been a critical success, having received positive reviews throughout most of its run and gaining a cult status over the years. The show has been nominated for 24 [[Emmy Award]]s, winning seven. In 2010, [[Alyson Hannigan]] won the [[People's Choice Awards|People's Choice Award]] for Favorite TV Comedy Actress. In 2012, seven years after its premiere, the series won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Network TV Comedy, and [[Neil Patrick Harris]] won the award for Favorite TV Comedy Actor.<ref name="cbspressexpress1">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbspressexpress.com/div.php/cbs_entertainment/release?id=28633|title=CBS announces 2011–2012 premiere dates |publisher=CBS Express |date=June 29, 2011 |accessdate=August 6, 2011}}</ref>

==Production==
''How I Met Your Mother'' was inspired by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas' idea to "write about our friends and the stupid stuff we did in New York," where they previously worked as writers for ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'', among others.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/print/index.jsp?uuid=ae969501-d9e3-4679-900e-28fd88bbe95d&contentType=watchWithKristin |title=TV Summer School: How to Create and Run a Successful Sitcom|publisher=E!Online|date=August 6, 2007|quote=let's write about our friends and the stupid stuff we did in New York.|accessdate=November 11, 2009|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110629050959/http://www.eonline.com/print/index.jsp?uuid=ae969501-d9e3-4679-900e-28fd88bbe95d&contentType=watchWithKristin | archivedate= June 29, 2011}}</ref> The two drew from their friendship in creating the characters. Ted is based loosely on Bays, and Marshall and Lily are based loosely on Thomas and his wife.<ref name="casting">{{cite web|url=http://www.whedon.info/Alyson-Hannigan-How-I-Met-Your,14745.html|title= Alyson Hannigan&nbsp;– "How I Met Your Mother" Sitcom&nbsp;– William S. Paley TV Fest |publisher=Whedon |date=March 28, 2006|accessdate=February 13, 2010}}</ref><ref name="craig_thomas">{{cite news|date=April 27, 2006| first =Maureen | last = Ryan|title=Craig Thomas: 'Sitcoms used to be about something'|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2006/04/craig_thomas.html#more |quote= I’m like the Marshall character, I’ve been with my wife since freshman year of college.|work= Chicago Tribune}}</ref> Thomas' wife Rebecca was initially reluctant to have a character based on her, but agreed if they could get [[Alyson Hannigan]] to play her. Hannigan was looking to do more comedy work, and was available.<ref name="casting"/> [[Josh Radnor]] and [[Jason Segel]], who were cast as Ted and Marshall, respectively, were unknowns. The role of Barney was initially envisioned as a "[[John Belushi]]-type character"<ref name="sullivan20100108">{{cite news |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/interviews/2010/01/08/live-at-the-paley-center-for-media-how-i-met-your-mother-34073/20100108_howimetyourmother/ | title=Live at the Paley Center for Media: "How I Met Your Mother" | work=The Futon Critic | date=January 8, 2010 | accessdate=June 10, 2012 | author=Sullivan, Brian Ford}}</ref> before [[Neil Patrick Harris]] won the role after being invited to an audition by the show's casting director Megan Branman.<ref>{{cite news| date = April 26, 2008| last = Dransfeldt | first = Jeffrey| title = Harris is enjoying Barney's adventures in ''How I Met Your Mother''|url=http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/apr/26/well-dressed-womanizer/| newspaper = Ventura County Star| accessdate = May 2, 2008}}</ref> Pamela Fryman invited [[Bob Saget]] to be the voiceover narrator, Future Ted, explaining to him that the show would be like ''[[The Wonder Years]]'' but "kind of into the future".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buffalo.com/arts-entertainment/blog/a-chat-with-bob-saget-interview | title=A Chat with Bob Saget | date=April 30, 2012 | accessdate=May 25, 2013 | publisher=Buffalo News}}</ref>

After what Bays and Thomas described as "a pretty famous actress" turned down the role of Robin, they cast [[Cobie Smulders]], also an unknown. Bays and Thomas later said, "Thank God we did for a million reasons... when Ted’s seeing her for the first time, America’s seeing her for the first time — the intriguingness of that propelled the show going forward and kept the show alive".<ref name="stransky20130513">{{cite news |url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/05/13/how-i-met-your-mother-cristin-milioti/ | title='HIMYM' unveils the mother! The creators answer your burning questions | work=Entertainment Weekly | date=May 13, 2013 | accessdate=May 13, 2013 | last =Stransky | first = Tanner}}</ref> Although Ted is initially smitten by Robin in the [[Pilot (How I Met Your Mother)|pilot]], it is quickly established at the end of the episode that she is not the mother, which according to Thomas was done so that the show would be different from the "will they or won't they" Ross and Rachel storyline on ''[[Friends]]''.<ref>{{cite news | date = April 27, 2006 | author = Maureen Ryan as a person | title = Craig Thomas: 'Sitcoms used to be about something' |url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2006/04/craig_thomas.html#more| work=Chicago Tribune}} </ref>

MacLaren's, a bar in the middle of New York, in which some of the show is set, is loosely based on four favorite bars of Bays, Thomas and others from the ''Late Show'' staff. They include: McGee's, a Midtown tavern near the [[Ed Sullivan Theatre]]; McHale's, a legendary Hell's Kitchen bar which closed in 2006; [[Chumley's]], a since-closed historic Greenwich Village pub; and Fez, another closed bar on the Upper West Side.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jimcolucci.com/files/CBS_Watch_Apr_08_How_They_Created_Mother.pdf|title=How They Created Brother|publisher=CBS Watch Magazine| format = PDF | accessdate=April 1, 2008}}</ref> McGee's had a [[mural]] that Bays and Thomas both liked and wanted to incorporate into the show.<ref>How I Met Your Mother 1st Season DVD Commentary</ref> The name for the bar is from Carter Bays' assistant, Carl MacLaren; the bartender in the show is also named Carl.<ref>{{cite web|first=Joel|last=Keller|date=May 11, 2007|title=Carter Bays of How I Met Your Mother: The TV Squad Interview|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/05/11/carter-bays-of-how-i-met-your-mother-the-tv-squad-interview/ |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070513030858/http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/05/11/carter-bays-of-how-i-met-your-mother-the-tv-squad-interview/|archivedate=May 13, 2007|accessdate=November 11, 2009}}</ref>

Each episode is usually shot over three days in the [[Los Angeles]]-based Soundstage Studio 22<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbs.com/shows/how_i_met_your_mother/photos/62453/season-7-behind-the-scenes/62450|title=We Call this the Cave of Magic! ...Or Soundstage 22 | publisher =CBS|date=August 13, 2011|accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> and features upwards of 50 scenes with quick transitions and [[Flashback (narrative)|flashbacks]]. However, the [[Pilot (How I Met Your Mother)|"Pilot" episode]] was filmed at [[CBS Radford]].<ref>''Audio commentary'' at 00:58 min. of the HIMYM – Season 1 DVD</ref> The [[laugh track]] is later created by recording an audience being shown the final edited episode. Thomas claims that shooting before a live audience would be impossible because of the structure of the show and the numerous [[flashforward]]s in each episode and because doing so "would blur the line between 'audience' and 'hostage situation'."<ref>{{cite news|last=Ryan|first= Maureen|title= The Watcher: How 'How I Met Your Mother' is not a traditional sitcom |url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/01/how_i_met_your_.html|publisher=Chicago Tribune|work=The Watcher|accessdate=December 22, 2009|date=January 15, 2007}}</ref> Later seasons started filming in front of an audience on occasion when smaller sets are used.

The theme song is a portion of "Hey Beautiful" by [[The Solids]], of which Bays and Thomas are members. Episodes from Season 1 generally started with the opening credits. A [[cold open]]ing has been used since Season 2. Viewers then occasionally see Ted's children on a couch and hear him talking to them, telling the story of how he met their mother. Alternatively, scenes from previous episodes or shots of New York City with Ted narrating over the top are shown. Thomas has explicitly said Future Ted is an [[unreliable narrator]] since he is trying to tell a story that happened over 20 years earlier;<ref>{{cite web|title='How I Met Your Mother's' Craig Thomas on Ted & Barney's Breakup, Eriksen Babies and The Future of Robarn|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/korbitv/2008/05/how-i-met-your-mothers-craig-thomas-on-ted-barneys-breakup-eriksen-babies-and-the-future-of-robarn.html|publisher=Zap2it.com| accessdate=July 21, 2008|quote=[He is] a guy who is telling the story so many years in the future, and he jumbles it up in his memory a little bit. He can be an unreliable narrator.}}</ref> this has been a plot point in several episodes such as "[[The Goat (How I Met Your Mother)|The Goat]]", "[[Oh Honey]]", "[[How I Met Everyone Else]]" and "[[The Mermaid Theory]]". Nevertheless, Thomas has also emphasized maintaining a coherent and consistent universe, and trying to avoid continuity errors, based on his experiences of being a fan of other shows.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/how_i_met_your_mother/the_craig_thomas_interview.php|title=Suit Up for How I Met Your Mother Scoops|publisher=[[Television Without Pity]]|date=October 3, 2008|accessdate=October 7, 2011|quote=It's nice to go [online] and see how much continuity matters to people within the universe of a show. That's absolutely true for me, too. Whenever there's the slightest inconsistency in a ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)|Buffy]]'' episode or ''[[Friends]]'' or something, my wife and I would sit on the couch and throw stuff at the TV ... When we're doing stuff in the writers room, I really try and remember that.}}</ref>

A scene directly relating to the identity of the mother, involving Ted's future children, was filmed near the beginning of Season 2 for the show's eventual [[series finale]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Barney writes a book, Barney + Robin, Ted + Stella and other 'How I Met Your Mother' news|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2008/07/barney-writes-a.html|publisher=Chicago Tribune|quote=He did reveal that more than two years ago ... With only the two kids who play Ted's future children ... they shot a scene that directly relates to the identity of the mother. That scene will be included in the show's series finale, which Thomas said he hopes "people will see in 2012."|date=July 19, 2008|accessdate=July 21, 2008}}</ref> This was primarily done because the teenage actors portraying them will be adults by the time the final season is shot.<ref>{{cite web|title='How I Met Your Mother's' Craig Thomas on Ted & Barney's Breakup, Eriksen Babies and The Future of Robarn|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/korbitv/2008/05/how-i-met-your-mothers-craig-thomas-on-ted-barneys-breakup-eriksen-babies-and-the-future-of-robarn.html|publisher=Zap2it.com|accessdate=April 10, 2010}}</ref>

During the [[2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike]], ''How I Met Your Mother'' shut down production; but, when the strike ended, the show returned on March 17, 2008, with nine new episodes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-cbsreturndates,0,7656374.story|title=CBS Sets Series Return Dates|accessdate=February 13, 2008}}</ref> A change in [[2008–09 United States network television schedule#Monday|timeslot]] was also announced, to 8:30 pm ET/7:30 pm CT, flip-flopping from the summer schedule with ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20080220cbs01|title=Breaking News&nbsp;– "The Big Bang Theory" And "How I Met Your Mother" To Swap Time Periods|publisher=TheFutonCritic.com|accessdate=March 22, 2010}}</ref> CBS renewed the show for a fourth season on May 14, 2008,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6560732.html?industryid=47172|title=Upfront: CBS Releases Full Schedule|accessdate=May 14, 2008}}</ref> which premiered on September 22, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://futoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20080626cbs01|publisher=CBS|title=CBS Announces 2008–2009 Premiere Dates|accessdate=July 26, 2008}}</ref>

In September 2008, it was announced that [[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime Television]] had purchased the right to [[Broadcast syndication|rerun]] ''How I Met Your Mother'' at a rate of about $725,000 per episode.<ref name="lifetimes ">{{cite news|date=September 24, 2008|first=Kimberly|last=Nordyke|title='Mother' reruns nest at Lifetime|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i6981db61c01d2a4deec48edaedd4cde9|work=Hollywood Reporter|quote=Lifetime's four-year licensing deal includes up to eight seasons of "Mother", should the CBS comedy run that long. "Mother" had a big fourth-season premiere Monday, jumping 21% in the ratings over last season.}}</ref> The four-year syndication contract stipulated that the studio deliver at least 110 half-hour episodes by the year 2010, and allowed for up to eight seasons of the show. At the end of the fourth season only 88 episodes had been produced, and a further 22 episodes were required, ensuring that there would be a fifth season.<ref>{{cite web|date=September 17, 2008|title=How I Met Your Mother: Syndication Deal Ensures Season Five for Sitcom|url=http://tvseriesfinale.com/articles/how-i-met-your-mother-syndication-deal-ensures-season-five-for-sitcom}}</ref> On May 19, 2009, the fifth-season renewal was announced.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/05/exclusive-witho.html|title=Exclusive: 'Without a Trace,' 'Privileged,' canceled, 'Gossip' spin-off DOA|date=May 19, 2009}}</ref> On May 20, 2009, CBS announced that ''How I Met Your Mother'' would again be aired at 8 pm, leading into the new comedy [[Accidentally on Purpose (TV series)|''Accidentally on Purpose'']]. On January 12, 2010, the show hit the milestone of its 100th episode. It was also announced that the series would return for a sixth season on CBS.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3iab98e96f89cc5a36341b1e5e5ec23dbc|title='How I Met Your Mother' meets Season 6|date=January 25, 2010|work=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva}}{{registration required}}</ref>
In response to being syndicated, Thomas said, "We're thrilled that it will live on in other forms," and they were proud of the show and it was great to see the strong demand.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cohn|first=Angel|url=http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/how_i_met_your_mother/the_craig_thomas_interview.php?page=10|title=How I Met Your Mother TV Show|publisher=TWoP|date=October 3, 2008|accessdate=December 18, 2010}}</ref>

On September 13, 2010, reruns of the series began airing on local U.S. broadcast television stations and on [[Chicago]]-based cable [[superstation]] [[WGN America]]. Featured in these airings are [[vanity card]]s previously unseen in the CBS and Lifetime airings due to [[Marginalized closing credits|marginalized credit sequences]] used by the two networks. Shown in between the closing credits and the production company credits, these vanity cards show portions of "The Bro Code", a list of rules frequently referenced by Harris' character, Barney Stinson, on how men should interact with each other, with an emphasis on activities involving pursuing members of the opposite sex. The opening theme song for the syndicated reruns is also slightly edited, running shorter and not using all the pictures seen in the opening montage that runs on DVD and the original CBS broadcasts. The episodes are also slightly edited, leaving out a few details.

One of the series' ongoing traditions involves giving guest roles to actors from various [[Joss Whedon]] productions, many of whom co-starred with Hannigan on ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''. Bays attributes this to their being "huge fans" and to those casts representing "a big talent pool".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/12/how-i-met-your-mother-buffys-danny-strong-alexis-denisof-to-guest.html|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|title='How I Met Your Mother': 'Buffy's' Danny Strong, Alexis Denisof to guest|first=Vlada|last=Gelman|accessdate=January 4, 2011|date=December 16, 2010}}</ref>

Another tradition involves the use of euphemisms for culturally sensitive issues. These include "eating a sandwich" for smoking marijuana, "thumbs up" for giving the middle finger, as well as "playing the bagpipes" for loud, raucous sex acts. These euphemisms, among others, have been used extensively throughout the show and have even been used as central plot themes, such as the episode "[[Benefits (How I Met Your Mother)|Benefits]]" in Season 4.

On March 4, 2011, CBS announced that the show had been renewed for two more seasons,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/03/04/how-i-met-your-mother-renewed/|title='How I met Your Mother' renewed for two more seasons|date=March 4, 2011}}</ref> with the seventh season premiering with back-to-back episodes on September 19, 2011.<ref name="cbspressexpress1"/>

On July 27, 2011, it was announced that the [[FX (TV channel)|FX channel]] had picked up the show for syndication. FX began airing the show on September 5, 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2011/07/fx-fall-2011-schedule-has-how-i-met.html |title=FX Fall 2011 Schedule Has How I Met Your Mother; The Nanny Reunion on Happily Divorced|publisher=Sitcoms Online|date=July 27, 2011|accessdate=August 6, 2011}}</ref>

Although cast members had previously stated that the show would not run longer than eight seasons,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/how-i-met-your-mother-continue-cancelled-jason-segel/|title=How I Met Your Mother to end after 8 seasons?|publisher=TV Series Finale|date=July 7, 2010|accessdate=December 18, 2010}}</ref> a ninth season was secured in December 2012 amidst tense negotiations with the studios and the actors – especially Jason Segel, who had wanted to move on to other ventures after the eighth season.<ref name="Chitwood">{{cite web|url=http://collider.com/how-i-met-your-mother-season-9/219625|title=HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER Renewed for Ninth and Final Season; Entire Cast Will Return|first=Adam|last=Chitwood|work=collider.com|date=December 22, 2012|accessdate=December 23, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Mitovich">{{cite web|url=http://tvline.com/2012/12/21/how-i-met-your-mother-renewed-season-9|title=Report: ''How I Met Your Mother'' Renewed for 9th Season After Jason Segel's 11th-Hour Reversal|first=Matt|last=Mitovich|work=tvline.com|date=December 21, 2012|accessdate=December 22, 2012}}</ref> During these negotiations, Bays and Thomas originally approached the eighth season as if it was the show's last year, but also had a "Plan B" if the show was renewed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/09/24/how-i-met-your-mother-season-8-premiere/ | title='How I Met Your Mother': Showrunners talk about the (possible) beginning of the end | date=September 24, 2012 | accessdate=May 18, 2013}}</ref> After a ninth and final season was secured, plans went ahead to secretly cast the titular future mother, with [[Cristin Milioti]] eventually winning the role, beating out at least two other contenders.<ref name="stransky20130513"/> Milioti first appeared in the last scene in the season eight finale "[[Something New (How I Met Your Mother)|Something New]]", and will be a regular cast member in the show's final season.<ref name=TVLine20130517/>

==Cast==
{{Main|List of How I Met Your Mother characters}}
[[File:How I Met Your Mother cast.jpg|thumb|right|The main cast at a celebration of the 100th episode of the series. From left: [[Neil Patrick Harris]], [[Cobie Smulders]], [[Jason Segel]], [[Alyson Hannigan]] and [[Josh Radnor]].]]
* '''[[Josh Radnor]] as [[Ted Mosby]]''', an architecture teacher and the central character of the series. Ted moved to [[New York City]] with his friends Marshall and Lily after graduating from [[Wesleyan University]]. In New York he met Barney (who he met at the urinal of MacLaren's) and Robin, who became part of the group. Ted is on a quest for happiness and "The One", the woman he will marry. Ted is the more mature of the group, preferring more elegant and high class interests than the ones his friends possess. He goes to great lengths to profess his love to the women in his life, but they all falter after awhile. Despite these qualities, Ted often acts immature, such as partaking in wild activities with Barney. He is a big ''[[Star Wars]]'' fan and is often heard quoting the films. Ted is from [[Shaker Heights, Ohio]], but considers himself a true New-Yorker, showing a massive hatred for the neighbouring [[New Jersey]]. He does eventually meet the love of his life who is first seen in the season finale of season 8.
* '''[[Jason Segel]] as [[Marshall Eriksen]]''', Ted's best (often disputed by Barney) friend. Marshall is married to Lily, whom he has been in love with since his freshman year of college, and they serve as an inspiration for Ted to find his true love. Marshall, like Ted, was born outside of New York ([[St. Cloud, Minnesota]]), but considers the city his home. His dream to be an environmental lawyer was halted when he did not have enough cash to pay for his wedding to Lily, so he worked with Barney at GNB, and regretted every moment of it.
* '''[[Alyson Hannigan]] as [[Lily Aldrin]]''', a kindergarten teacher and Marshall's wife. Lily is the group's moderator, always there to resolve a conflict or to offer a shoulder to cry on. Barney goes to her as a confidante, though she is terrible at keeping secrets. She has also been revealed to be very manipulative, often coaxing her friends behind the scenes to get her desired results. She met Marshall in college and they have been together ever since, breaking up only once. Though coming off as sweet and cute, Lily is quite fierce and sexually ravenous, and has desires similar to those of Barney. During Season 7, she becomes pregnant and has Marshall's and her first child, Marvin Waitforit Eriksen. Like Barney, she is a true New Yorker.
* '''[[Neil Patrick Harris]] as [[Barney Stinson]]''', the holder of an unknown position at Goliath National Bank (which is a constant theme throughout the show) and Ted's "bro". Due to his father leaving him as a young child, Barney has abandonment issues and clings to his friends. He is a serial playboy, using his wealth to seduce women for sex with no intentions of engaging in a relationship. Barney is one of two of the group who was actually from New York (Lily being the second). He falls for Robin and the pair are engaged and despite the story getting up to about 56 hours before the wedding the audience is still unsure as to whether the marriage will happen.
* '''[[Cobie Smulders]] as [[Robin Scherbatsky]]''', a news anchor and Ted's ex-girlfriend. Robin emigrated from [[Canada]] to take a job in a news station and met Ted at MacLaren's, setting him on his journey to find "The One". Though her relationship with Ted did not work out, they continue to remain close friends. Her Canadian background is a source of many jokes from her friends, particularly from Barney. She smokes cigars and drinks scotch, causing Barney to fall for her. They later embark on a relationship that eventually sees them marry. In season two it is revealed that, as a teenager, she was a pop star under the stage name Robin Sparkles and had a hit song named "Let's Go to the Mall". Later she went grunge under the name Robin Daggers. Her full name, Robin Charles Sherbatsky, Jr. is revealed in the season four episode "Happily Ever After", explained by the fact that her father was disappointed that he did not have a son.
* '''[[Cristin Milioti]] as [[List of How I Met Your Mother characters#The Mother (The Girl with the Yellow Umbrella)|The Girl With The Yellow Umbrella / The Mother]]''' ({{small|season 9}}),<ref name=TVLine20130517/> the future wife of Ted Mosby.
* '''[[Bob Saget]] (voice only) as Future Ted Mosby''' ({{small|uncredited}}), Ted's future self telling his children the story in the year 2030 of how he met their mother.

==Season synopsis==
{{Main|List of How I Met Your Mother episodes}}
{{Anchor|Plot}}

===Season 1===
{{Main|How I Met Your Mother (season 1)}}
In the year 2030, [[Ted Mosby]] (voiced by [[Bob Saget]]) sits his daughter and son down to tell them the story of how he met their mother.

The series begins in 2005 with Ted ([[Josh Radnor]]) as a single, 27-year-old architect living with his two best friends from his college years; [[Marshall Eriksen]] ([[Jason Segel]]), a law student, and [[Lily Aldrin]] ([[Alyson Hannigan]]), a [[kindergarten]] teacher and aspiring artist. Lily and Marshall have been dating for almost nine years when Marshall finally proposes. Their engagement causes Ted to think about marriage and finding his soul mate, much to the disgust of his self-appointed best friend [[Barney Stinson]] ([[Neil Patrick Harris]]), whom he met in the restroom at a bar four years earlier. Barney is a serial [[womanizing|womanizer]] who concocts elaborate con games, usually involving costumes and fake identities, designed to bed women, only to lose interest in them immediately afterward.

Ted begins his search for his perfect soul mate and meets an ambitious young reporter from Canada, [[Robin Scherbatsky]] ([[Cobie Smulders]]), with whom he quickly falls in love. Robin, however, does not want to rush into a relationship and the two decide to be friends. Future Ted reveals that Robin is not the mother after referring to her as "[[Fictive kinship|Aunt]] Robin".

Ted begins dating a baker, Victoria ([[Ashley Williams (actress)|Ashley Williams]]), whom he meets at a friend's wedding, causing Robin to become jealous, and realize she does have feelings for Ted. Victoria, having been offered a fellowship in pastry-making, moves to [[Germany]] and she and Ted try a [[long-distance relationship]]. Once Ted learns Robin has feelings for him, he tells her he broke up with Victoria, even though he has not. They almost have sex when Victoria calls and Robin answers, mistaking Ted's phone for her own. Ted and Victoria then break up and an angry Robin distances herself from Ted, but they eventually make up and decide to date.

Meanwhile, Lily begins to wonder if she's missed any opportunities because of her relationship with Marshall, and decides to pursue an art fellowship in [[San Francisco]], breaking up with Marshall in the process. The season ends with Ted coming back to the apartment, the morning after spending the night with Robin for the first time, to find Marshall sitting in the rain with Lily's engagement ring, devastated by their sudden break up.

===Season 2===
{{Main|How I Met Your Mother (season 2)}}
Ted and Robin are now a couple; meanwhile, a heartbroken Marshall tries to continue his life without Lily. After enduring numerous emotional breakdowns, Marshall's friends step in, and Barney, using sly catch phrases and pick up lines, tries to get Marshall back in the dating game. Later, Lily, after finally realizing she is not meant to be an artist, returns to [[New York]]. She is reunited with Marshall, and their engagement is reinstated. When Robin refuses to go to the mall or explain why, Marshall suspects she is married, and Barney suspects she has performed in adult films. They bet on it, appointing Lily as "Slap Bet Commissioner." Lily oversees the search for the truth, as they discover that Robin was a teenage pop star named "Robin Sparkles", and Marshall eventually earns the right to slap Barney five times whenever he wants to. It is revealed that Barney has a gay half-brother named James ([[Wayne Brady]]) and, unaware that his mother lied to him, believes that [[Bob Barker]] is his father. As a result of this he takes a trip to California to be a contestant on ''[[The Price is Right]]'' to meet his "father". While on the show, Barney wins all of the prizes and gives them to Lily and Marshall as a 'happy early wedding' present.

In the season finale, Ted reveals to Barney that he and Robin have been broken up for some time due to their conflicting views on marriage and children. They did not tell anyone, in order to avoid taking attention away from Lily and Marshall's wedding. The season ends with Barney being excited at the prospect of he and Ted being single guys on the town again. Barney's final words are "this is going to be legen- wait for it...".

===Season 3===
{{Main|How I Met Your Mother (season 3)}}
Barney begins the season with the word, "-dary!" Robin returns from a trip to [[Argentina]] with her new boyfriend, Gael ([[Enrique Iglesias]]), and Ted must adjust to life as just her friend, while watching Robin and Gael fawning over each other. Marshall and Lily decide to move out on their own, falling in love with a place they cannot afford. Robin learns of Lily's bad credit rating due to her compulsive shopping for designer brands, and forces Lily to tell Marshall. Despite this, they are able to finally secure their dream apartment, only to discover it's in a bad location and more poorly constructed than they thought (the floor is tilted). Barney is slapped for the third time on Thanksgiving, which Marshall dubs "[[Slapsgiving]]."

Ted tells his children he met their mother through a story concerning her yellow umbrella. He finds the umbrella at a club and takes it home after attending a St. Patrick's Day party where his future wife was, although they did not meet. Ted attempts to woo Stella ([[Sarah Chalke]]), a dermatologist he sees to remove an embarrassing butterfly tattoo. This culminates in a memorable "two-minute date," which incorporates small talk, dinner, a movie, coffee, two cab rides, and a goodnight kiss, all within two minutes. Robin sleeps with Barney after he comforts her following a break-up with a past Canadian love; Ted is infuriated, and decides to stop being friends with Barney. Meanwhile, an unknown woman begins to sabotage Barney's attempts to [[wikt:hook up|hook up]]. His [[saboteur]] is revealed to be Abby ([[Britney Spears]]), Stella's receptionist, with a vendetta against him for not calling her after they had sex.

In the season finale, Ted gets into a car accident and ends up in hospital, Subsequently Barney gets hit by a bus on the way to visit him and ends up receiving treatment in the same hospital. Ted realizes Barney really cares about him and they renew their friendship. It is revealed Barney has true feelings for Robin, while Ted proposes to Stella in an arcade.

===Season 4===
{{Main|How I Met Your Mother (season 4)}}

Stella says yes to Ted's proposal. Robin takes a new job in [[Japan]], but quickly resigns and returns to New York to attend Ted's wedding, after realizing how much she misses her friends. Stella leaves Ted at the altar to get back together with Tony ([[Jason Jones (actor)|Jason Jones]]), the father of her daughter. Barney struggles with his feelings for Robin as his company shifts him to the management team of a new acquisition, Goliath National Bank (GNB), where Marshall has accepted a position.

Marshall and Lily move to their new apartment and debate over whether or not they're ready to have children. Robin becomes roommates with Ted and gets a job as an anchor for a 4 AM news show after Barney sends out her video resume. Ted and Robin decide to sleep together constantly so they will not fight over each other's bad co-living habits. Barney attempts to make them stop fighting to prevent this, revealing to Ted his love for Robin.

Ted finds out Lily has sabotaged all of his relationships with anyone she does not approve of and indirectly may have inspired his breakup with Robin. Robin and Ted end up talking about it, causing their friendship to begin moving toward a positive note. After Barney finally sleeps with his 200th woman (and rubs it in the face of the childhood bully who taunted him into pursuing it), he begins to question the purpose of the remainder of his life, leaving him more certain of his feelings for Robin.

Ted, while carrying the yellow umbrella, bumps into Stella and Tony. Tony later decides to visit him, sympathizing with Ted over his loss of Stella. Tony offers him a job as a professor of architecture, which Ted initially turns down.

In the season finale Robin finds out that Barney loves her, and initially refuses to commit to anything but a sex-only relationship; they seemingly end up together anyway. Ted decides that being an architect is leading nowhere, and finally decides instead to become a college professor. The finale ends with Ted preparing to teach his first class and Future Ted revealing to his children that one of the women in the class is their mother.

===Season 5===
{{Main|How I Met Your Mother (season 5)}}
Ted begins his job as a professor of architecture, standing in the middle of a classroom&nbsp;– although the mother was present, it turns out to be an economics class as he's in the wrong lecture hall. Barney and Robin have had a sexual relationship throughout the summer and Lily locks them in a room, forcing them to come to terms with their relationship. After a rough patch they decide to break up. Robin describes it instead as "two friends getting back together." Barney immediately goes back to his old ways, using [[The Playbook (How I Met Your Mother)|the playbook]] to score with women. Throughout the season Barney and Robin show feelings of regret over their break-up.

Ted dates a graduate student named Cindy ([[Rachel Bilson]]) and it is revealed her roommate is his future wife. Robin meets Don Frank, her new co-anchor on her 4 AM TV show. Though she initially dislikes him, the two start dating and eventually she moves in with him. At the end of the season they break up when Don takes a job in [[Chicago]] — a job which Robin had previously turned down to stay in New York with Don. Marshall uses his fourth slap on Barney, once again at Thanksgiving. Ted [[Home Wreckers|buys a house]], which needs to be fixed up badly, but is later revealed to be the future home for Ted and his children.

Lily and Marshall are still unsure about having children. After watching four [[Doppelgänger|doppelgangers]] of their group ([[Lesbian]] Robin, [[Moustache]] Marshall, [[Stripper]] Lily and [[Luchador|Mexican Wrestler]] Ted) they decide to leave the big decision to the universe's "infinite wisdom" and start trying when they have seen Barney's Doppelganger. In the season finale, Barney disguises himself to have sex with a girl from every country in the world, and Lily and Marshall mistake him for the final doppelganger. When Marshall finds out, he decides not to tell Lily, fearing she will want to wait even longer to have children. Lily eventually finds out and decides to wait. In the season finale, Lily thinks she sees Barney's doppelganger as a hot dog vendor, which causes the group to realize she is seeing what she wants to see, and play along. Eventually Barney agrees having babies is not a stupid idea and Lily and Marshall should go forth. The season ends with Lily asking Marshall to "put a baby in my belly".

===Season 6===
{{Main|How I Met Your Mother (season 6)}}
In the season opening, Ted sees Cindy again with a girl who he thinks to be her roommate, but she turns out to be Cindy's girlfriend whom she later marries. After prodding by Barney, Ted is eventually hired by GNB once more as the architect of the bank's new headquarters, which was originally scrapped in Season 4. However, he encounters opposition when he meets Zoey Pierson ([[Jennifer Morrison]]), a woman who is protesting against GNB for selecting a decrepit hotel, the Arcadian, to be torn down for the headquarters. Over the season, Ted's encounters with Zoey eventually blossom into a relationship after she divorces her rich husband, but they break up as he puts his career and friends over love, leading to the Arcadian's demolition. Ted also resolves not to get back with Zoey.

Having agreed to conceive a baby at the end of the previous season, Lily and Marshall keep having sex, hoping she will get pregnant. Around Christmas, they have a false alarm and later seek fertility testing. The fertility specialist, Dr. Stangel, turns out to be Barney's doppelgänger, fulfilling their promise with the universe in regard to their decision to have a child. However, tragedy strikes when Marshall's father passes away, leaving him devastated and the gang comforting him. Marshall tries to get over his father's death and live again. Despite a pledge to Lily to work harder for their future, Marshall resigns from GNB and follows his dream of being an environmental lawyer. Zoey also hires him as her lawyer in what became a futile battle to save the Arcadian. At the end of the season, Lily reveals that she is pregnant.

Barney finally admits to the gang that Bob Barker is not his real father, especially when his mother decides to sell the house he grew up in and his brother, James, meets his own father. Loretta offers the identity of Barney's father on a sheet of paper, but Barney tears this up after realizing her efforts as a single mother. At the funeral of Marshall's father, Barney tells Loretta that he wants to see his father at last. The man, Jerry Whittaker, is eventually revealed to be someone whom Barney thought was his guardian. Barney, who remembers Jerry as a fun-loving man, is disappointed after learning how Jerry has grown out of his free-wheeling ways. Although he tries to bring back Jerry's old behaviors, Barney admits that he wants to settle down someday. He is also introduced to Nora ([[Nazanin Boniadi]]), a co-worker of Robin, for whom he develops feelings. After an initial falling out, the two reconcile at the end of the season after Barney asks her for coffee.

Robin continues to work at her talk show, ''Come On, Get Up, New York!'', but the presence of a new hyperactive co-host forces her to leave. She is accepted as a researcher in another network, ''World Wide News''. The gang also discovers more of her past as the Canadian pop star Robin Sparkles. Robin also encounters a man ([[Michael Trucco]]) she has had a secret crush on since first seeing him when she and Ted were dating, and Future Ted hints that they will see more of him later.

Short scenes during the season premiere and finale feature a wedding set sometime in the future, where Ted will meet his future wife. In the final scene of the season, the groom is revealed to be Barney.

===Season 7===
{{Main|How I Met Your Mother (season 7)}}
Season seven opens with another flash forward, in which Ted is helping Barney get ready for his wedding to a still unknown bride. In the present, Marshall gets a job in environmental law while Lily progresses with her pregnancy. Barney proves to Nora that he can be a good boyfriend to her, while Robin is revealed to still have feelings for Barney. Robin takes court-mandated therapy, until her therapist Kevin ([[Kal Penn]]) becomes attracted to her, and is tempted to break his ethical code. He quits being her therapist and they start to date. Meanwhile, after a period of unemployment since leaving GNB, Marshall finally manages to land his dream job at a top environmental law firm.

After losing a bet with Marshall and Lily, Barney is forced to wear a tie with a duck pattern on it (nicknamed the 'Ducky Tie') which he hates for an entire year. After some weeks, he begs Marshall to allow him to take him off when he is due to meet Nora's parents and Marshall agrees on the condition that Barney has three slaps added to the one still remaining from the Slap Bet. Barney agrees, and Marshall uses two slaps immediately, leaving him with two remaining.

While reminiscing about [[Hurricane Irene (2011)|Hurricane Irene]], it is revealed that Lily and Marshall had conceived their baby in Barney's apartment, and Barney and Robin end up sleeping together. Barney and Robin both realize what they've done and decide to break up with their partners. However, Robin reneges on the deal, returning to Kevin and leaving Barney alone and heartbroken. Marshall and Lily decide they want to move to Long Island, after Lily's paternal grandparents offer them their house there. Eventually, they move back to the old apartment in New York City after realizing suburban life is not for them.

Robin gets a pregnancy scare at Thanksgiving and tells Barney the child is his, since she and Kevin had not slept with each other at that point. However, Robin's doctor informs her she cannot have children, which devastates her however she slowly comes to terms with the news. Kevin proposes to Robin; while she loves him and is ready for the commitment, she reveals she cannot have children and that she does not want children at all, so they break up. Soon after, Robin tells Ted everything that happened, only for him to profess his love for her, revealed to be the final time he declares his love for someone other than his future wife. Robin soon admits that she does not love Ted, and Marshall asks her to move out of Ted's apartment so Ted can finally move on with his love life. Ted gives his apartment to Lily and Marshall because he believes he cannot move on from Robin while living there, while he and Robin become estranged and do not speak for several weeks.

Barney starts dating Quinn, a stripper who performs under the name "Karma". When the gang finds out through Ted, who broke a "broath" from Barney to not tell anyone about her profession, they begin to meddle in their relationship. This is revealed to be a set-up, with Quinn acting like a crazy girlfriend and Barney being spineless toward her. Quinn ends up moving in with Barney, and Ted buys Quinn's old apartment. Robin is eventually offered the news anchor job she wanted (allowing her to move into another apartment) and subsequently achieves recognition after preventing a helicopter she is flying in from crashing.

Lily, worried that Marshall is too stressed with the birth close at hand, arranges for Barney to "kidnap" Marshall to a casino, where Marshall proceeds to get very drunk. Meanwhile, Ted decides to patch up his differences with Robin. Lily goes into labor and frantically calls Barney and Marshall. Marshall is still in the casino, drunk and has turned off his phone. When Barney learns Lily is in labor, he promises to help Marshall get to the hospital provided that Barney can choose the baby's middle name. After many attempts to escape the casino, Marshall arrives in time for Lily's delivery. Because of his promise to Barney, Marshall and Lily name their son Marvin Waitforit Eriksen. Ted and Robin's friendship also recovers as a result of Marvin's birth.

Marshall and Lily begin their new family with their baby. Barney proposes to Quinn through an airport fiasco after she tells him that she quit her job, and she accepts. Ted, after his conversation with Robin about his love life, calls Victoria to see if he still has a chance with her, even though she is getting married. She leaves her fiancé for Ted and wants to go off into the sunset with him. After some thinking, Ted eventually decides to go with her.

The season concludes with a flash forward to Barney's wedding that the season opened with, where Robin is revealed as Barney's bride.

===Season 8===
{{main|How I Met Your Mother (season 8)}}
Season 8 opens with Ted visiting Robin on the day of her wedding to Barney, causing him to remember how he and Victoria ran away from her wedding to be together. The summer is spent with everyone enjoying their relationships (Ted and Victoria, Barney and Quinn, Lily and Marshall and Robin and Nick) however this leads into what is dubbed by Future Ted as "The Autumn of Break-Ups" as he and Victoria split up over his friendship with Robin, Barney and Quinn break up due to their inability to trust each other and Robin breaks up with Nick when she realizes how stupid he truly is.

Marshall and Lily attempt to get used to being parents, and this causes a brief estrangement from the gang as Baby Marvin takes up the majority of their time. However when Lily's father Mickey becomes Marvin's nanny, this frees the two up and they start spending more time with everyone. The Captain (the ex-husband of Ted's old girlfriend Zoey) contacts Ted, and although he worries about seeing him again it's revealed he actually wanted to offer Lily a job as an art consultant due to her pointing out a painting to him that made a huge profit for him. Lily accepts, happy to finally achieve her dream of having a job in the art industry while Marshall decides to apply to become a judge.

After their break-ups, Barney and Robin kiss during a visit to a strip club but she regrets it and later turns him down when he declares his feelings for her. She soon realizes Barney is the one for her, only for him to start dating her hated co-worker Patrice. Robin is upset when she learns Barney plans to ask Patrice to marry him – then finds out the "relationship" with Patrice was concocted by Barney to get Robin to realize her true feelings. Barney proposes and Robin says yes.

Marshall gets the case of a lifetime, defending the polluted Frog Lake. His ex-friend and opponent, Brad, pretends to be down and out so Marshall will offer him an interview at his firm. Brad, while in the firm's building, gets a look at all their strategies for the case. Brad was only pretending to be a bum and is actually on the opposing side to Marshall. Marshall ends up winning the case, and it is revealed that sometime in the future, Marshall applies to be a judge. However, despite winning the case, the bad publicity causes Marshall's firm to lose all their business and Marshall is reduced to sitting around the office doing nothing. When the Captain decides to move to Rome, he offers Lily the chance to come with him for a year. After some hesitation, she accepts with Marshall's blessing. However, just before Barney and Robin's wedding, Marshall is informed that his application to become a judge has been granted, leaving him to tell Lily he can no longer move to Italy.

Ted (despite misgivings) briefly dates Jeannette, a girl who stalked him after he appeared on the cover of ''New York Magazine'' due to his design of GNB headquarters. He quickly realizes he's made a mistake and breaks up with her. Ted's feelings of loneliness grow, especially as he is now the only single member of the group, and he decides he is truly ready to settle down.

During the wedding preparations, Ted and Lily argue over if they should hire a DJ (Ted's choice) or a band (Lily's choice). In the end, Ted relents, and this turns out be a decision that changes his life, as Ted runs into Cindy (the mother's former roommate who briefly dated Ted) and she recommends her former roommate's band for Robin & Barney's wedding reception after the original band Robin chose cancels. It's revealed that the mother will play bass guitar in the band and Ted will encounter her again later that night at Farhampton train station.

As the wedding approaches, Robin feels doubts about marrying Barney leading her to share an emotional moment with Ted. This makes him realize he can't be around Barney and Robin after they're married (especially with Marshall and Lily leaving anyway) and decides to move to Chicago the day after the wedding.

The season concludes with everyone heading to Barney and Robin's wedding, while the mother of Ted's children (portrayed by [[Cristin Milioti]]) is revealed when she buys a ticket to Farhampton (where she will eventually meet Ted) while holding her yellow umbrella.

===Season 9===
<!-- {{main|How I Met Your Mother (season 9)}} -->
The show has been renewed for a ninth and final season.<ref name="season9renewal" /> On May 16, 2013, CBS president [[Nina Tassler]] and show co-creator Carter Bays confirmed that the entire season will take place only during the weekend of Barney and Robin's wedding, and that every other main character will meet the mother before Ted does.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/how-i-met-your-mothers-final-season-will-take-plac,97833/|title=How I Met Your Mother’s final season will take place across one weekend|last=Adams|first=Adams|date=May 16, 2013|publisher=The A. V. Club|accessdate=May 16, 2013}}</ref> One day later, producers confirmed that Milioti will be a series regular throughout the final season. As first reported by TV Line, Milioti's ascension marks the first time HIMYM has expanded its core roster.<ref name=TVLine20130517/><ref name="hollywoodreporter1"/> Bays also stated to ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' that season nine "will feature some of the most non-linear episodes we've ever done".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/05/16/ncis-downton-abbey-scandal-spoiler-room/2/|title='NCIS,' 'Downton Abbey,' 'Scandal,' 'Grey's Anatomy': Find out what's next in the Spoiler Room|date=May 16, 2013|publisher=Entertainment Weekly|accessdate=May 20, 2013}}</ref>

==Tie-ins==
===Books===
* ''The Bro Code'', cited by Barney many times throughout the series, is a set of written rules for bros to follow, and has been published as a [[tie-in novel]], an [[audiobook]],<ref name="brocode">{{cite book|last=Stinson|first=Barney|authorlink=Barney Stinson|title=The Bro Code|year=2008|publisher=Fireside|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4391-1000-3}}</ref> and an [[iPhone]] Application. Barney alleges it was written by Barnabus Stinson, a contemporary of [[George Washington]] and [[Benjamin Franklin]]. Many of the rules listed in this book also appear in the show's closing [[vanity card]]s, similar to what [[Chuck Lorre]] uses to end episodes of several of his shows, ''[[Dharma and Greg]]'', ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'', ''[[Two and a Half Men]]'', and ''[[Mike and Molly]]''.
* ''Bro on the Go'', a companion to ''The Bro Code'', released in 2009.<ref name="brogo">{{cite book|last=Stinson|first=Barney|authorlink=Barney Stinson|title=Bro on the Go|year=2009|publisher=Fireside|isbn = 978-1-4391-7313-8}}</ref>
* ''Bro Code for Parents: What to Expect When You're Awesome'', released in 2012.<ref name="broexpect">{{cite book|last=Stinson|first=Barney|authorlink=Barney Stinson|title=Bro Code for Parents: What to Expect When You're Awesome|year=2012|publisher=Touchstone|isbn = 978-1-4516-9058-3}}</ref>
* ''The Playbook,'' based on the fifth season [[The Playbook (How I Met Your Mother)|episode of the same name]], by Barney Stinson and Matt Kuhn.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/dp/1439196834|title=The Playbook|publisher=Amazon.com|accessdate=May 1, 2010}}</ref>
* ''How I Met Your Mother and Philosophy'', under contract with Open Court, to be released in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opencourtbooks.com/categories/pcp.htm |title=Popular Culture and Philosophy |publisher=Opencourtbooks.com |date= |accessdate=January 30, 2013}}</ref>

===Phone numbers===
* 1-877-987-6401 — During the [[Super Bowl XLIV]] telecast, a clip of Neil Patrick Harris was shown holding up a sign, ostensibly in the stadium's stands, with the words "Call Barney Stinson (CBS)" and this phone number.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/02/super-bowl-call-barney-stinson-at-1-877-987-6401.html|title=Super Bowl: Call Barney Stinson at 1-877-987-6401&nbsp;– From Inside the Box&nbsp;– Zap2it|publisher=Blog.zap2it.com|accessdate=March 22, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/02/08/call-barney-stinson/|title=Call Barney Stinson!|publisher=TV Squad|date=February 8, 2010|accessdate=March 22, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/how-i-met-your-mother/how-i-met-your-mother-barney-s-34340.aspx|title=How I Met Your Mother: Barney Stinson Reveals Number on Super Bowl Ad|publisher=Buddytv.com|date=February 7, 2010|accessdate=March 22, 2010}}</ref> In the episode "[[Rabbit or Duck]]", which aired the week after the Super Bowl, the same clip from the Super Bowl with Harris was shown with the number on the sign changed to a [[555 (telephone number)|555 number]].<ref name="zap2it1">{{cite web|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/ithappenedlastnight/2010/02/how-i-met-your-mother-rabbit-or-duck.html|title='How I Met Your Mother': Rabbit or duck?&nbsp;– It Happened Last Night&nbsp;– Zap2it|publisher=Blog.zap2it.com|date=February 9, 2010|accessdate=March 22, 2010}}</ref> This occurrence became a plot point within the episode.<ref name="zap2it1"/> When the number is dialed, a message recorded by Harris in character as Barney is played. This number is no longer in service.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://himym.fan-sites.org/?p=1718|title="Super Bowl: Call for Barney" at How I Met Your Mother Source}}</ref>

===Soundtrack===
* A [[soundtrack]] album entitled ''How I Met Your Music: Original Songs from the Hit Series'' was released digitally to [[iTunes Store|iTunes]] on September 24, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/09/18/himym-soundtrack-full-listings/|title='How I Met Your Mother' soundtrack: See the full listings! – EXCLUSIVE |first=Sandra |last=Gonzalez |date=September 18, 2012 |work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|accessdate=February 5, 2013}}</ref>

==Nielsen ratings==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Season
! Timeslot (ET)
! Season premiere
! Season finale
! TV season
! Rank
! Avg. viewers<br />(in millions)
|-
! [[List of How I Met Your Mother episodes#Season 1 (2005/06)|1]]
| style="background:#F9F9F9;font-size:11px;font-weight:normal;text-align:left;line-height:110%" | Monday 8:30 P.M. <small>(September 19, 2005 – May 15, 2006)</small>
| September 19, 2005
| May 15, 2006
| <small>[[2005-06 United States network television schedule|2005–2006]]</small>
| #54<ref name="2005-2006 television ratings">{{cite news|title=How I Met Your Mother ratings|url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=053106_05|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070310210300/http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=053106_05|archivedate=March 10, 2007|work=ABCmedianet|accessdate=December 24, 2009}}</ref>
| 9.47<ref name="2005-2006 television ratings"/>
|-
! [[List of How I Met Your Mother episodes#Season 2 (2006/07)|2]]
| style="background:#F9F9F9;font-size:11px;font-weight:normal;text-align:left;line-height:110%" | Monday 8:30 P.M. <small>(September 18, 2006 – October 2, 2006)</small><br />Monday 8:00 P.M. <small>(October 9, 2006 – May 14, 2007)
| September 18, 2006
| May 14, 2007
| <small>[[2006-07 United States network television schedule|2006–2007]]</small>
| #61<ref name="2007-2007 primetime wrap">{{cite news|title=How I Met Your Mother ratings|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/features/e3ifbfdd1bcb53266ad8d9a71cad261604f|work=ABCmedianet|accessdate=December 24, 2009|deadurl=yes}}{{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>
|8.94<ref name="2007-2007 primetime wrap"/>
|-
! [[List of How I Met Your Mother episodes#Season 3 (2007/08)|3]]
| style="background:#F9F9F9;font-size:11px;font-weight:normal;text-align:left;line-height:110%" | Monday 8:00 P.M. <small>(September 24, 2007 – March 10, 2008)</small><br />Monday 8:30 P.M. <small>(March 17, 2008 – May 19, 2008)</small>
| September 24, 2007
| May 19, 2008
| <small>[[2007-08 United States network television schedule|2007–2008]]</small>
| #70<ref name="season3"/>
| 8.21<ref name="season3">{{cite web|publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] Medianet|date=May 28, 2008|url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=052808_06|title=Season Program Rankings from 09/24/07 through 05/25/08|accessdate=July 3, 2009}}</ref>
|-
! [[List of How I Met Your Mother episodes#Season 4 (2008/09)|4]]
| style="background:#F9F9F9;font-size:11px;font-weight:normal;text-align:left;line-height:110%" | Monday 8:30 P.M. <small>(September 22, 2008 – May 18, 2009)<br /></small>
| September 22, 2008
| May 18, 2009
| <small>[[2008-09 United States network television schedule|2008–2009]]</small>
| #49<ref name="season4"/>
| 9.42<ref name="season4">{{cite web|publisher=ABC Medianet|date=May 19, 2009|url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=051909_05|title=Season Program Rankings from 09/22/08 through 05/17/09|accessdate=July 3, 2009}}</ref>
|-
! [[List of How I Met Your Mother episodes#Season 5 (2009/10)|5]]
| style="background:#F9F9F9;font-size:11px;font-weight:normal;text-align:left;line-height:110%" | Monday 8:00 P.M. <small>(September 21, 2009 – May 24, 2010)</small>
| September 21, 2009
| May 24, 2010
| <small>[[2009-10 United States network television schedule|2009–2010]]</small>
| #42<ref name="deadline.com">{{cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|url=http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/full-series-rankings-for-the-2009-10-broadcast-season|title=Full Series Rankings For The 2009–10 Broadcast Season|publisher=Deadline.com|date=May 27, 2010|accessdate=December 18, 2010}}</ref>
|8.60<ref name="deadline.com"/>
|-
! [[List of How I Met Your Mother episodes#Season 6 (2010/11)|6]]
| style="background:#F9F9F9;font-size:11px;font-weight:normal;text-align:left;line-height:110%" | Monday 8:00 P.M. <small>(September 20, 2010 – May 16, 2011)</small>
| September 20, 2010
| May 16, 2011
| <small>[[2010-11 United States network television schedule|2010–2011]]</small>
| #48
|8.79<ref>{{cite web|last=Gorman|first=Bill|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/06/01/2010-11-season-broadcast-primetime-show-viewership-averages/94407/|title=2010–11 Season Broadcast Primetime Show Viewership Averages|publisher=TV by Numbers|date=June 1, 2011|accessdate=August 6, 2011}}</ref>
|-
! [[List of How I Met Your Mother episodes#Season 7 (2011/12)|7]]
| style="background:#F9F9F9;font-size:11px;font-weight:normal;text-align:left;line-height:110%" | Monday 8:00 P.M. <small>(September 19, 2011 – May 14, 2012)</small>
| September 19, 2011
| May 14, 2012
| <small>[[2011-12 United States network television schedule|2011–2012]]</small>
|#45<ref name="zap2it2">{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/05/24/complete-list-of-2011-12-season-tv-show-viewership-sunday-night-football-tops-followed-by-american-idol-ncis-dancing-with-the-stars/135785/ |title=Complete List Of 2011–12 Season TV Show Viewership: ‘Sunday Night Football’ Tops, Followed By ‘American Idol,’ ‘NCIS’ & ‘Dancing With The Stars’ – Ratings &#124; TVbytheNumbers |publisher=Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com |date= |accessdate=July 13, 2012}}</ref>
|9.67<ref name="zap2it2"/>
|-
! [[List of How I Met Your Mother episodes#Season 8 (2012/13)|8]]
| style="background:#F9F9F9;font-size:11px;font-weight:normal;text-align:left;line-height:110%" | Monday 8:00 P.M. <small>(September 24, 2012 – May 13, 2013)</small>
| September 24, 2012
| May 13, 2013
| <small>[[2012-13 United States network television schedule|2012–2013]]</small>
| #42
| 9.02<ref>{{cite web|last=Patten |first=Dominic |url=http://www.deadline.com/2013/05/tv-season-series-rankings-2013-full-list/ |title=Full 2012-2013 TV Season Series Rankings |publisher=Deadline.com |date= |accessdate=2013-05-27}}</ref>
|}
[[File:Himym viewers.png|thumb|right|Viewership represented in a line graph]]

The highest viewed episode was the season 1 episode "[[The Pineapple Incident]]", watched by 12.3 million viewers. The lowest-viewed episode was the season 6 episode "[[Landmarks (How I Met Your Mother)|Landmarks]]", watched by 6.4 million viewers, approximately 52% of the show's series high.

Season seven was the highest watched season overall and among the 18–49 adults, scoring a 4.1 rating in that sector<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/05/24/final-list-of-2011-12-season-tv-show-ratings-sunday-night-footb,all-tops-followed-by-american-idol-the-voice-modern-family/135747/ |title=Complete List Of 2011–12 Season TV Show Ratings: ‘Sunday Night Football’ Tops, Followed By ‘American Idol,’ ‘The Voice’ & ‘Modern Family’ – Ratings &#124; TVbytheNumbers |publisher=Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com |date=May 24, 2012 |accessdate=July 13, 2012}}</ref> up from the 3.4 rating it had for season six.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spottedratings.com/2010/07/war-of-18-49-how-i-met-your-mother.html |title=The War of 18–49, How I Met Your Mother – Next-level TV ratings and scheduling analysis at |publisher=Spottedratings.com |date=July 19, 2010 |accessdate=July 13, 2012}}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==
The show has been nominated for numerous awards, including an Emmy nod for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series|Outstanding Comedy Series]], beaten by ''[[30 Rock]]''. Stars [[Alyson Hannigan]] and [[Neil Patrick Harris]] have each received acting accolades, with both receiving [[People's Choice Awards]], and Harris receiving Emmy and [[Golden Globe]] nominations. The show's art direction, editing and cinematography have also been awarded.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Recipient(s)
! Result
|-
| rowspan="6"| 2006
| rowspan="2"| [[Emmy Awards]]
| Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series
| rowspan="3"| ''How I Met Your Mother''
| {{won}}
|-
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series
| {{won}}
|-
| [[People's Choice Awards]]
| Favorite New Television Comedy
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[ALMA Award]]
| Outstanding Script for a Television Drama or Comedy
| Gloria Calderon Kellett
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Art Directors Guild]]
| Multi-Camera Television Series
| rowspan="4"|''How I Met Your Mother''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Artios|Casting Society of America, USA]]
| Best Comedy Pilot Casting
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="6"| 2007
| rowspan="3"|[[Emmy Awards]]
| Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series
| {{won}}
|-
| Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Series
| {{nom}}
|-
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
| rowspan="2"| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Teen Choice Awards]]
| Choice TV Actor: Comedy
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Art Directors Guild]]
| Episode of a Multi-Camera Television Series
| rowspan="3"| ''How I Met Your Mother''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[GLAAD Media Awards]]
| Outstanding Individual Episode
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="7"| 2008
| rowspan="2"|[[Emmy Awards]]
| Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series
| {{won}}
|-
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
| rowspan="2"| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[People's Choice Awards]]
| Favorite Scene Stealing Star
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[Teen Choice Awards]]
| Choice TV Show: Comedy
| ''How I Met Your Mother''
| {{nom}}
|-
| Choice TV Actor: Comedy
| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[ALMA Awards]]
| Outstanding Writing for a Television Series
| Gloria Calderon Kellett
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Art Directors Guild]]
| Episode of a Multi-Camera Television Series
| rowspan="2"| ''How I Met Your Mother''
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="11"| 2009
| rowspan="4"|[[Emmy Awards]]
| Outstanding Comedy Series
| {{nom}}
|-
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series
| rowspan="2"| ''How I Met Your Mother''
| {{won}}
|-
| Outstanding Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Awards]]
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[35th People's Choice Awards|People's Choice Awards]]
| Favorite Scene Stealing Guest Star
| [[Britney Spears]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[TCA Awards]]
| Outstanding Achievement in Comedy
| ''How I Met Your Mother''
| {{nom}}
|-
| Individual Achievement in Comedy
| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Art Directors Guild]]
| Episode of a Multi-Camera Television Series
| rowspan="2"| ''How I Met Your Mother''
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Satellite Awards]]
| Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
| rowspan="2"| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="9"| 2010
| [[Golden Globe Awards]]
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[36th People's Choice Awards|People's Choice Awards]]
| Favorite TV Comedy Actress
| [[Alyson Hannigan]]
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[Emmy Awards]]
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics
| ''[[Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| Outstanding Art Direction For A Multi-Camera Series
| rowspan="3"| ''How I Met Your Mother''
| {{nom}}
|-
| Outstanding Hairstyling For A Multi-Camera Series Or Special
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Art Directors Guild]]
| Episode of a Multi-Camera, Variety or Unscripted Series
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Prism Awards]]
| Performance in a Comedy Series
| rowspan="2"| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Awards]]
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="12"| 2011
| rowspan="3" | [[37th People's Choice Awards|People's Choice Awards]]
| Favorite TV Comedy Actress
| [[Alyson Hannigan]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Favorite TV Comedy Actor
| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{won}}
|-
| Favorite TV Comedy
| ''How I Met Your Mother''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Critics' Choice Television Award]]
| Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="5" | [[Emmy Awards]]
| Outstanding Picture Editing For A Comedy Series (Single Or Multi-Camera)
| rowspan="6"| ''How I Met Your Mother''
| {{won}}
|-
| Outstanding Art Direction For A Multi-Camera Series
| {{nom}}
|-
| Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
| {{nom}}
|-
| Outstanding Makeup For A Multi-Camera Series Or Special (Non-Prosthetic)
| {{nom}}
|-
| Outstanding Cinematography For A Multi-camera Series
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Art Directors Guild]]
| Episode of a Multi-Camera, Variety or Unscripted Series
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Awards]]
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Young Artist Awards]]
| Best Performance in a TV Series – Guest Starring Young Actor Ten and Under
| Riley Thomas Stewart
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="10"| 2012
| rowspan="3"| [[38th People's Choice Awards|People's Choice Awards]]
| Favorite TV Comedy
| ''How I Met Your Mother''
| {{won}}
|-
| Favorite TV Comedy Actor
| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{won}}
|-
| Favorite TV Guest Star
| [[Katy Perry]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[2012 Teen Choice Awards|Teen Choice Awards]]
| Choice TV Actor Comedy
| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{nom}}
|-
|[[People's Choice Award]]
|[[2012 People's Choice Award|Favorite TV Actress: Comedy]]
|''[[Alyson Hannigan]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Art Directors Guild]]
| Episode of a Multi-Camera, Variety or Unscripted Series
| rowspan="5"| ''How I Met Your Mother''
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[64th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|Emmy Awards]]
| Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
| {{won}}
|-
| Outstanding Makeup for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic)
| {{nom}}
|-
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series
| {{nom}}
|-
| Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2013
| rowspan="2"| Favorite TV Comedy
| ''How I Met Your Mother''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[39th People's Choice Awards|People's Choice Awards]]
| [[Neil Patrick Harris]]
| {{nom}}
|}

==DVD releases==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! DVD season !! Region 1 Release date !! Region 2 Release date !! Region 4 Release date !! Episode # !! Additional information
|-
| [[Milk(HIMYM)|Season 1]]|| November 21, 2006 || May 7, 2007 || January 10, 2007 || style="text-align:center;"| 22 || This three-disc box set includes all 22 episodes of Season 1. Bonus features include commentaries on six episodes, Video Yearbook (20:29), two music videos: "First Round" (1:13) and "Last Call" (1:45), and Gag Reel (9:00). The episodes on the DVD have been cropped from the originally broadcast widescreen to a full frame 4:3 format. At present there is no widescreen version available.
|-
|[[List of How I Met Your Mother episodes#Season 2: 2006–2007|Season 2]] || October 2, 2007 || February 8, 2010 || April 8, 2008 || style="text-align:center;"| 22 || This three-disc box set includes all 22 episodes of Season 2. Bonus features include commentaries on seven episodes, How We Make Your Mother (17:10), two music videos: Robin Sparkles' "Let's Go To The Mall" (3:17) and The Solids' "Hey Beautiful" (3:51), three "How It Really Happened" scenes (5:28), Gag Reel (7:10), and an Easter Egg.
|-
|[[List of How I Met Your Mother episodes#Season 3: 2007–2008|Season 3]] || October 7, 2008 || May 10, 2010 || February 11, 2009 || style="text-align:center;"| 20 || This three-disc box set includes all 20 episodes of Season 3. Bonus features include commentaries on seven episodes, Series Retrospective (2:42), Lily & Marshall's Honeymoon Videos (10:37), Cast Favorites (4:59), Behind the Scenes of "We're Not From Here" (5:43), six "How It Really Happened" scenes (8:33), two music videos: Marshall Eriksen's "You Just Got Slapped" (1:52) and Robin Sparkles' "Sandcastles in the Sand" (3:39), "Ted Mosby Is A Jerk" Audio Track for "The Bracket", and Gag Reel (11:12).
|-
|[[List of How I Met Your Mother episodes#Season 4: 2008–2009|Season 4]] || September 29, 2009 || July 19, 2010 || October 27, 2009 || style="text-align:center;"| 24 ||This three-disc box set includes all 24 episodes of Season 4. Bonus features include commentaries on four episodes, A Night With Your Mother: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Panel Discussion, Season 3 Recap, Eriksen's Fight Club, music video for Barney Stinson's "That Guy's Awesome", and Gag Reel. Also available on [[Blu-Ray]], and is the only season to have a subsequent Blu Ray release.
|-
|[[List of How I Met Your Mother episodes#Season 5: 2009–2010|Season 5]] || September 21, 2010 || November 8, 2010 || October 27, 2010 || style="text-align:center;"| 24 ||This three-disc box set includes all 24 episodes of season 5. Bonus features include a blooper reel, the music videos Super Date, Nothing Suits Me Like A Suit, and Best Night Ever, two behind the scenes features; Making of Super Date and Behind the Scenes of the 100th Episode, an extended version of the Wedding Bride Trailer, and a musical Series Recap.
|-
|[[List of How I Met Your Mother episodes#Season 6: 2010–2011|Season 6]] || September 27, 2011 || October 3, 2011 || October 5, 2011 || style="text-align:center;"| 24 ||This three-disc box set includes all 24 episodes of season 6. Bonus features include a blooper reel, two behind-the-scenes features; Making of Subway Wars and Behind the Scenes of Glitter, commentaries on three episodes, an extended performance of "Stand By Me" by Neil Patrick Harris and Wayne Brady, and a Season 5 Recap.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Met-Mother-Season-6/15586|title=How I Met Your Mother DVD news: Announcement for How I Met Your Mother – Season 6|publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com|accessdate=August 6, 2011}}</ref>
|-
|[[List of How I Met Your Mother episodes#Season 7: 2011–2012|Season 7]] || October 2, 2012 || October 15, 2012 || October 10, 2012 || style="text-align:center;"| 24 ||This box set includes all 24 episodes of season 7. Bonus features include a gag reel, two behind the scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, audio commentaries on three episodes and a feature on Neil Patrick Harris' [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] star.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Met-Mother-Season-7/17250 |title=How I Met Your Mother DVD news: Announcement for How I Met Your Mother – Season 7 |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com |date= |accessdate=September 2, 2012}}</ref>
|}
{{As of|2013|5|27|df=US}} seasons 1 through 7 are available to stream on [[Netflix]] in the [[USA]] and [[Canada]] and 1 through 6 in [[Mexico]].

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
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* {{Official website|http://www.cbs.com/primetime/how_i_met_your_mother/}}
* {{IMDb title|0460649}}
* {{tv.com show|how-i-met-your-mother|How I Met Your Mother}}
* [http://www.cbs.com/shows/how_i_met_your_mother/barneys_blog Barney's blog]
{{How I Met Your Mother}}
{{How I Met Your Mother episodes}}
{{CBSNetwork Shows (current and upcoming)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:How I Met Your Mother}}
[[Category:2005 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:2000s American comedy television series]]
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[[Category:American television sitcoms]]
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Revision as of 13:33, 9 June 2013

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