Development Following the production of the 2014 CBS pilot
How I Met Your Dad, which did not move forward, on December 14, 2016, it was reported that Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger were set to write a new version of the previous spin-off's pilot, re-titled
How I Met Your Father, with
Carter Bays and
Craig Thomas serving as executive producers. It was later announced that, after signing new contracts with 20th Century Fox Television that would see both Aptaker and Berger being promoted to executive producers and co-showrunners on
This Is Us alongside
Dan Fogelman, the idea would be put on hold until further notice. On August 8, 2017,
Fox chairman
Dana Walden told
Deadline Hollywood that 20th Television were attempting a spin-off with different writers, for the third time. Three days following the announcement,
Deadline reported that Alison Bennett would write the spin-off, with the same title as the previous attempt with Aptaker and Berger. It was also learned that Bays and Thomas were once again hired as executive producers. This attempt also fell through. On April 21, 2021, the spin-off series titled
How I Met Your Father was given a 10-episode series order by
Hulu. On June 24, 2021,
Pamela Fryman joined the series as an executive producer and to direct the pilot. On February 15, 2022, Hulu renewed the series for a 20-episode second season. On September 1, 2023, the series was canceled after two seasons.
Casting Upon series order announcement, Hilary Duff was cast to star. On June 16, 2021,
Chris Lowell joined the cast as the male lead. In August 2021,
Francia Raisa, Tom Ainsley, Tien Tran, and
Suraj Sharma were cast in starring roles while
Brandon Micheal Hall was cast in a recurring role. However, a few weeks later, Hall exited the role due to a scheduling conflict and Daniel Augustin was cast to replace Hall. The next day,
Josh Peck and
Ashley Reyes joined the cast in recurring roles. On November 5, 2021,
Kim Cattrall was cast in a recurring role as the future version of Duff's character Sophie. Upon the series premiere, it was reported that
Leighton Meester is set to recur. On February 3, 2022, it was announced that
Paget Brewster was cast to guest star on the episode,"The Good Mom", which aired on February 8, 2022. On January 18, 2023,
Meaghan Rath was cast in a recurring capacity for the second season.
Filming Principal photography for the series began on August 31, 2021. == Release ==