Claim: How I Met Your Mother's first season reviewed positively.

How I Met Your Mother -LRB- often abbreviated to HIMYM -RRB- 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 Manhattan . As a framing device , Ted , in the year 2030 , recounts to his son and daughter the events that led him to meeting their mother .   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 -LRB- 196 episodes -RRB- , Rob Greenberg -LRB- 7 episodes -RRB- , Michael Shea -LRB- 4 episodes -RRB- , and Neil Patrick Harris -LRB- 1 episode -RRB- .   Known for its unique structure and eccentric humor , How I Met Your Mother has gained a cult following over the years . The show initially received positive reviews , while the later seasons received more mixed reviews . The show was nominated for 28 Emmy Awards , winning nine . In 2010 , Alyson Hannigan won the People 's Choice Award for Favorite TV Comedy Actress . In 2012 , seven years after its premiere , the series won the People 's Choice Award for Favorite Network TV Comedy , and Neil Patrick Harris won the award for Favorite TV Comedy Actor .   The ninth and final season began airing on September 23 , 2013 , and concluded on March 31 , 2014 , with a double-length finale episode , which received polarized reviews from critics and fans alike for its controversial twist ending , as many critics and fans believed it contradicted many of the previous episodes .   How I Met Your Mother is often compared to Friends , for its setting and characters . Both shows take place in New York and both casts have similar character archetypes .