The first episode of How I Met Your Mother is titled “Pilot.”
Written by series creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas and directed by Pamela Fryman, “Pilot” originally aired on CBS on September 19, 2005. It introduces Ted Mosby in 2030 as he begins telling his children the long story of how he met their mother, then flashes back to Ted’s life in New York in 2005.
The episode establishes the show’s central group: Ted, Marshall Eriksen, Lily Aldrin, Barney Stinson, and Robin Scherbatsky. Marshall’s engagement prompts Ted to think seriously about finding a wife, while Ted’s immediate attraction to Robin launches the first major relationship thread of the series.
“Pilot” also introduces the show’s signature future-narration structure and the phrase “Aunt Robin,” which tells viewers from the beginning that Robin is not the mother. It is sometimes confused with “Purple Giraffe,” the second episode, or “The Limo,” a later first-season episode.