Dead Pilots Society

Episode 197: Carter Bays and Craig Thomas Interview

This is the After Show for New York Mythological, featuring Andrew’s conversation with Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, creators of How I Met Your Mother.

 

As part of this MaxFunDrive run, Dead Pilots Society is featuring two pilots from Carter and Craig. In a few days, the second one, Gimme Five, will be released, followed by part two of Andrew’s interview with them.

 

The conversation gets into the real origins of How I Met Your Mother, the experiences, influences, and unexpected ingredients that eventually became the show. Carter and Craig also talk about the years before that success, and the many turns a writing career can take along the way.

 

It’s a funny, candid conversation about writing, setbacks, success, and the odd resilience it takes to keep making things.

 

Here is a link to "The Future is Now”, Oliver Beene theme song by Carter and Craig’s band “The Solids” 

Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Bonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 4

 

As a special bonus for MaxFunDrive 2026, we bring you the top five funniest openings in Dead Pilots Society history, as voted by the DPS staff. It was a challenge to narrow it down to just five, but that just means you’re getting the best of the best.

The show is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. Throughout the drive, there will be more episodes and a few extra check-ins along the way. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Bonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 5

 

As a special bonus for MaxFunDrive 2026, we bring you the top five funniest openings in Dead Pilots Society history, as voted by the DPS staff. It was a challenge to narrow it down to just five, but that just means you’re getting the best of the best.

 

The show is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. Throughout the drive, there will be more episodes and a few extra check-ins along the way. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

It's MaxFunDrive. And here, for the first time, we give you an exclusive look (well, listen) at the craft of podcasting: presenting Casters on Casters.

In this episode, Ben Blacker (Dead Pilots Society), Hal Lublin (Tights and Fights & We Got This with Mark and Hal) and Alonso Duralde (Maximum Film!) take listeners behind the scenes and swap stories about the ups and downs of podcasting. Plus, why does every TV reboot have a character that's a podcaster? And how did COVID change the podcasting game? Listen to find out!

If this glamorous, in-depth journey into what makes your favorite hosts tick inspires you, support them by joining as a member at maximumfun.org/join.

Edited and Produced by Laura Swisher for Maximum Fun.

Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Episode 196: New York Mythological by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas

 

This month’s dead pilot, kicking off the 2026 MaxFunDrive, is New York Mythological, written by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas.

Best known as the co-creators and showrunners of How I Met Your Mother, Carter and Craig previously wrote for The Late Show with David Letterman and produced American Dad. Carter is the author of the novel The Mutual Friend, Craig wrote the novel That’s Not How It Happened, and together they’re also members of the band The Solids. Craig also recently launched the How We Made Your Mother rewatch podcast. To celebrate the MaxFunDrive, Dead Pilots Society is featuring not one, but two pilots from Carter and Craig this month.

 

The log line for New York Mythological - A new arrival joins the team at a museum devoted to exploring supernatural and paranormal phenomena in New York City.

With kind of a How I Met Your Mother meets Ghostbusters feel, the pilot features a fantastic cast featuring Isabella Gomez (One Day at a Time, Shrinking), Devon Bostick (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Crime 101), Alyssa Limperis (What We Do In the Shadows), Josh Fadem (The Lowdown; American Dad), Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar, Industry) Cyrina Fiallo (HIgh Potential, 911 Lonestar), Tami Sagher (Inside Amy Schumer)

 

It’s MaxFunDrive season, which means celebrating the listeners who make Dead Pilots Society possible. The show is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. Throughout the drive, there will be more episodes and a few extra check-ins along the way. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots