How We Made Your Mother

On another very special Bonus Episode of HWMYM, we’re bringing you a table read of Gimme Five, a second pilot that Craig and Carter (wrote not long after HIMYM ended). And once again, this pilot never got made (until now!). They co-wrote this pilot with legendary writer Peter Tolan, whose credits include The Larry Sanders Show, Rescue Me, Analyze This, Analyze That, and many more.

Here's the log line: It's 1985, and Gimme Five is the number two family sitcom in America. But behind the scenes of this feel-good show is a dysfunctional workplace family on the verge of self-destruction. Showrunner Cliff McConnell must somehow keep it together and keep being funny in the midst of his newborn son's health crisis.

Sharp, outrageous, and wildly funny, Gimme Five gives a behind-the-scenes look at comedy writing that feels both absurd and strangely authentic. It may also be one of the funniest pilots ever featured on Dead Pilots Society.

 

Major Content Warning *salute* — Definitely think twice about listening to this one with small children in the room. You may hear something that offends you early on in this pilot, but please stick with it.

Our cast for the show includes Taran Killam (SNL, High Potential, Stumble), Chris Diamantopoulos (Beavis and Butthead, Silicon Valley), Scott Foley (Scandal, Scream 7), Dallas Goldtooth (Reservation Dogs), Tami Sagher (Inside Amy Schumer), Chris DiStefano (stand up), James Urbaniak (Venture Brothers), Isabella Gomez (One Day at a Time, Shrinking), Cyrina Fiallo (High Potential, 911 Lonestar), Alyssa Limperis (What We Do In the Shadows), Burl Moseley (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend).

Follow Dead Pilots Society on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

Josh and Craig kick off Season 3 of How We Made Your Mother by revisiting “Wait For It,” while also reflecting on the emotionally massive hiatus between Seasons 2 and 3 of How I Met Your Mother. Craig opens up about the birth of his son Elliot and the terrifying medical challenges their family faced, while Josh talks about traveling to Brazil and Colombia, working with ayahuasca, quitting drinking, and returning to the show feeling transformed. From there, they dive into the episode itself: Ted’s breakup beard, the “winning the breakup” dynamic with Robin, Enrique Iglesias as Gael, the infamous butterfly tramp stamp, blackout Ted behavior, and how Season 3 marked a deliberate attempt to shake up Ted’s character beyond the hopeless romantic archetype. They also discuss Jason Segel’s fearless comedy instincts, behind-the-scenes stories about wardrobe, product placement (“the Cadillac of rebound guys”), the evolution of terms like “tramp stamp” and “cougar,” and why the Ted/Robin apartment-door argument remains one of Josh’s favorite scenes in the series. The episode closes with a heartfelt message from former production coordinator Kelly about joining the show during Season 3, plus a moving fan letter from a public health nurse who explains how both HIMYM and the podcast have become a source of comfort and hope in her life.  

CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:

Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages)

Instagram

Tiktok

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

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

On this very special Bonus Episode of HWMYM, we’re bringing you a table read of New York Mythological, a pilot that Craig and Carter wrote and sold to CBS sometime around 2015. Unfortunately, this one never got made. But we’ve got the next best thing for you here.

The log line for New York Mythological - A new arrival joins the team at a museum devoted to exploring supernatural and paranormal phenomena in New York City.

With kind of a How I Met Your Mother meets Ghostbusters feel, the pilot features a fantastic cast featuring Isabella Gomez (One Day at a Time, Shrinking), Devon Bostick (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Crime 101), Alyssa Limperis (What We Do In the Shadows), Josh Fadem (The Lowdown, American Dad), Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar, Industry) Cyrina Fiallo (HIgh Potential, 911 Lonestar), Tami Sagher (Inside Amy Schumer).

Follow Dead Pilots Society on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

Josh and Craig joined Jenna and Angela on The Office Ladies podcast to talk about their favorite cold opens from How I Met Your Mother and The Office. And so, (as we smash to credits), here we go!

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

This Instagram Live bonus episode of How We Made Your Mother features Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas answering fan questions and sharing behind-the-scenes stories from How I Met Your Mother. Early in the conversation they pause to remember James Van Der Beek, reflecting on his fearless, against-type performance in “Sandcastles in the Sand” and how generous and grounded he was when guest-starring on the show. The discussion then turns to production details—like how the crew created the show’s big rain scenes on the Fox lot using massive water rigs and blackout tarps to simulate a New York storm in sunny Los Angeles. Craig also talks about how season two intentionally reshuffled the characters—Ted and Robin as a couple, Marshall newly single, and Barney without his wingman—which opened up new stories and dynamics. Along the way they field lighter questions about things like whether someone could open a real-life bar called Puzzles, and they explain how the podcast came together after Josh started rewatching the series with his wife Jordana and decided to turn the experience into a full rewatch show with producer Alek Lev. 

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