Josh Radnor’s Favorite How I Met Your Mother Running Joke Makes So Much Sense

How I Met Your Mother ran for nine seasons. Over the course of more than 200 episodes of content, the popular sitcom “Millennials” developed a unique cast of characters and eventually, painstakingly revealed how one of them, Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor), met his wife. Although the series had few compelling long-running stories, it was really there to entertain by following characters through the foibles of their daily lives, in much the same vein as “Friends,” “New Girl,” or “Seinfeld.”

This hands-off but quirky style of storytelling led to many recurring jokes that came up again and again throughout the show—including one that Radnor chose as his favorite. Years ago, when a panel of cast members was asked what their favorite running joke was, Radnor’s response made perfect sense. Here’s what he said:

“I’m a big fan of tackles. I love those tackles. I think it’s very funny that they’ve obviously got a professional sign designed for tackles, or they have a fake British accent or they wear Crocs. And they take it so seriously, and you walk in there with a sign, and everyone looks exactly like [scowling face]”.

The trope of interference is woven throughout the entire show, touching on obsessions with everything from spray tans to magic tricks. There are on-screen interventions and references to graphic addiction, Dr. Seuss hats, and Barney picking up girls dressed as an old man. At one point, there is even interference for interventions.

“How I Met Your Mother” is full of other ongoing jokes. Radnor posited telepathic speech as one of these. Characters in the show often talk to each other without moving their mouths, creating a brain-to-brain connection for more intimate or confidential exchanges.

Lily actress Alyson Hannigan brought up an example of a more fragmented joke: when the show’s main characters constantly thank bartender Linus for his prompt and time-sensitive service throughout Season 9 (the final season of the show). Accurate service leads to the familiar “Thank you, Linus.” Actress Robin Cobie Smulders’ data-driven answer to the best joke was to use a constant display of random but very specific numbers and percentages to quantify things.

Many of these gags have become more accurate over time. As the seasons progressed, it required a deeper level of understanding “because you need to be there” from the audience. That’s why, despite the random nature of much of the show’s content, it’s still best to watch this show from the beginning so you can pick it all up and build vocabulary within the show as you go.