<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Official website </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Production website </Td> </Tr> <P> How I Met Your Mother (often abbreviated to HIMYM) is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 19, 2005, to March 31, 2014 . The series follows the main character, Ted Mosby, and his group of friends in New York City's Manhattan . As a framing device, Ted, in the year 2030, recounts to his son and daughter the events that led him to meet their mother . </P> <P> The series was created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays, who also served as the show's executive producers and were frequent writers . The series was loosely inspired by their friendship when they both lived in New York City . Among the 208 episodes, there were only four directors: Pamela Fryman (196 episodes), Rob Greenberg (7 episodes), Michael Shea (4 episodes) and Neil Patrick Harris (1 episode). </P>

When did how i met your mother first air