Podcast Summary: "How We Met the Office Ladies"

Podcast: Office Ladies
Hosts: Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey
Guests: Josh Radnor & Craig Thomas (How We Made Your Mother podcast)
Release Date: November 12, 2025

Episode Overview

This special crossover episode brings together Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey (The Office's Pam and Angela) with Josh Radnor (Ted Mosby) and Craig Thomas (co-creator) of How I Met Your Mother. They discuss their respective shows, the enduring appeal of workplace comedies, parallels between the series, behind-the-scenes stories, and the unique perspectives that actors and creators bring to revisiting their work. The episode also celebrates the launch of "How We Made Your Mother" on the Office Ladies Network, and features a lively breakdown of The Office’s Season 5 episode "Customer Survey."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Announcements and Podcast Network News

• NBC Monday Comedy Block: Jenna and Angela announce that "The Paper" (their new NBC comedy) is airing Mondays at 8:30/7:30c, bundled with "St. Denis Medical" (created by Office alum Justin Spitzer). [05:00]
• Rewatch Plans: Starting next year, Office Ladies will cover every episode of The Paper. Listeners can submit questions for each episode via their website. [05:40]
• Office Ladies Podcast Network: "How We Made Your Mother" is officially part of their podcast family. [06:21]

2. Health & TikTok Trends Icebreaker

• The hosts share their new morning routines: Jenna jumps 50 times each morning (for circulation/lymphatic health), Angela does self-patting for energy. [03:00-04:45]
• Their playful banter sets the BFF tone that fans love.

3. Crossover Discussion: The Office x How I Met Your Mother

First Impressions of "Customer Survey"

• Josh Radnor:
  • "Mine was positive. I had a positive reaction." [12:40]
  • Observes that The Office's characters are nuanced—none are purely heroic; everyone has flaws, a need for validation, and compelling insecurities (especially around perceived feedback). [12:47-13:37]
  • Notes both shows depict "a chosen family" in the workplace—a key to their universal appeal. [13:37]
• Craig Thomas:
  • Praises the episode's clever writing—setups and payoffs, mystery structure (who sabotaged the surveys), and emotional depth delivered through comedic devices (the earpiece plot). [14:29-15:12]
  • Highlights how technology used in storylines ("old tech") now feels quaint, but effectively serves the show’s narrative. [14:55]
  • Draws parallels to How I Met Your Mother’s mystery elements and emotional cliffhangers. [16:12]

Behind the Scenes – Emotional Resonance and Style

• The importance of moments of redemption for "struggling" characters in both shows, e.g., Michael’s heartfelt confession to Kelly about never feeling chosen. [17:47]
• Angela:
  • Reflects on Michael's honesty: "He gets really honest with her in a way that's not performative for the camera… I used to love that transition moment for Michael." [17:56]
• Both shows feature "stealthy switcheroos," where jokes evolve into profound emotional moments by episode's end – a signature of their writing.

The Art of Everyday Storytelling

• The conversation turns meta: why audiences are drawn to ordinary people (not kings/queens), the power of eavesdropping on modern life's everyday drama, and the human fascination with the private lives of strangers (the definition of "sonder"). [18:27-26:33]
• Notable Quote: Josh explains sonder:
  • "It's the feeling, the sudden realization that everyone passing you on the street… has just as robust an interior life as you do and just as fascinating a story." [24:30-25:29]
• Jenna shares her fascination with the idea that every passing stranger is a story in progress, echoing the theme of both series—a celebration of the mundane made meaningful.

Shared DNA: Music and Technical Innovations

• Both shows’ theme songs are “bangers” that instantly evoke a mood of joy and nostalgia.
  • Craig reveals The Solids (his band with Carter Bays) wrote How I Met Your Mother’s theme.
  • “I wrote down one of my notes was, God, this theme song kicks ass.” – Craig Thomas [17:18]
• Discussion of each show's pioneering style:
  • Office’s documentary realism and soundtrack of “no music” vs. How I Met’s cinematic editing, non-linear storytelling, and strategic use of a laugh track and music for emotional manipulation.
  • “The soundtrack is the sounds of an office... It’s breathing, it’s papers moving, it’s keyboards clacking. There’s something so hypnotic.” – Craig Thomas [22:28-23:22]
• Both shows created new comedy formats by ignoring or reinterpreting sitcom norms, sometimes out of necessity or “naiveté” (per Brian Eno's theory about new forms from 'happy accidents'). [33:57]

Sitcom Careers and Creative Lives

• The actors discuss how they watched (or didn’t watch) other sitcoms while filming; Angela did improv alongside the show; Craig could only enjoy The Office, not other comedies, because of the rivalry/comparison trap. [36:35]
• Josh and Jenna reminisce about first meeting at a reading of Josh’s screenplay, highlighting the interconnectedness of the creative community. [37:39-39:04]

Parallels Between Iconic Characters

• Noting internet articles mapping The Office characters onto HIMYM counterparts (e.g., Barney = Dwight, Ted = Jim)—both pairs have unique codes, over-the-top personalities, and provide comedic and dramatic foils. [41:16]
  • “Barney and Dwight are so similar because they are so deeply living in their own delusional narrative…” – Craig Thomas [41:56]
• Writers' craft: planting long-term story seeds and callbacks, like the “standing in graves” wedding at Schrute Farms, echoing classic sitcom conventions like Chekhov’s gun—but over years, not acts. [49:28-50:41]

Writers' Room Magic: Collaboration and Payoff

• Both casts praise the detail-oriented, collaborative writers’ rooms, and the joy of creating moments that pay off years later. [50:52]
• Angela and Jenna delight in the final scene of "Customer Survey"—the subtle camera work, Andy's slow intruding into frame, and the callback to Schrute wedding traditions. [48:36-49:40]

Creative Freedom and Alt Lines

• Actors had some leeway to suggest or tweak lines (Josh’s "mailed it" callback is cited), but HIMYM tended to be tightly scripted for timing. [45:09-45:42]

4. Creative Projects and Recommendations

• Craig Thomas's Book: “That's Not How It Happened” is inspired by his own family and explores the subjective experience of storytelling, told from multiple family members’ perspectives. Both Jenna and Angela praise it as touching, funny, and thought-provoking. Josh and Cobie Smulders voice the audiobook’s parent characters. [53:30-54:21]
• Closing encouragement: Listeners are urged to check out “How We Made Your Mother” and Craig’s new book.

5. Fan Questions and More to Come

• Jenna and Angela promise an upcoming deep-dive into the superfan “Customer Survey” episode, with trivia and hidden gems they couldn’t discuss in this crossover format. [57:05]
• Bonus: Office Ladies will guest on "How We Made Your Mother" (dropping tomorrow), where they’ll rewatch HIMYM’s pilot. [57:25]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Everyone is obsessed on some level with their perception, like, how they're being perceived... It's Mindy's book: Is everyone hanging out without me?"
  — Josh Radnor [13:22]

• "The Office is a family... it’s a chosen family. So I think both shows are family shows. And you see, especially in this episode, the way the characters in the Office fight, it's very sibling-like."
  — Josh Radnor [13:37]

• "When something's really, really funny and yet has this incredible emotional depth and pathos to it...that's the overlap between these two shows."
  — Craig Thomas [16:44]

• On “sonder”:
  "It's the feeling, the sudden realization that everyone passing you on the street...has just as robust an interior life as you do."
  — Josh Radnor [25:15]

• "We got to do one thing in one year, another thing to keep it alive three years later or whatever. And then four years later...you get to pay it off in this completely different way."
  — Craig Thomas [50:06]

• "Juke the stats, cupcake."
  — Dwight (highlighted by Josh as a favorite line) [51:33]

Important Timestamps

• Introducing crossover & announcements: 05:00–07:06
• Customer Survey: Recap and reactions: 12:34–14:29
• Show style and music discussion: 17:04–23:22
• Interpersonal dynamics, 'sonder' discussion: 24:05–26:26
• Technical and creative approach—comedy styles: 31:24–36:35
• Parallels: Characters (Dwight/Barney, Jim/Ted): 41:14–43:55
• Long-term story payoffs and callbacks: 49:28–50:41
• Craig Thomas's book plug: 53:30–55:33
• Plans for next Office Ladies episode: 57:05–57:31

Conclusion

This engaging crossover is a feast for comedy fans and TV rewatch connoisseurs, full of personal warmth, mutual admiration, and sharp insights about what makes beloved workplace sitcoms tick. Jenna, Angela, Josh, and Craig offer behind-the-scenes details, celebrate the craft of sitcom storytelling, and draw emotional connections across two iconic TV universes.

Don't miss:

• Upcoming Office Ladies deep dive on "Customer Survey" (superfan cut)
• Office Ladies appearing on "How We Made Your Mother" rewatch podcast
• Craig Thomas’s new novel, “That’s Not How It Happened”

Listen to this episode for a masterclass in sitcom legacy, storytelling craft, and found-family joy!