The famous Barney catch phrases, "Have you met Ted", "What up", "Wait For it" & "Suit up" all appear in the pilot episode.
Features not only the debut of the five main characters, but also the debut of the recurring character Ranjit (Marshall Manesh) who usually works as a driver for the main characters. He has thus far appeared in every season.
Creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas wrote the pilot's script with single-camera elements, mainly for the multiple scenes and flashbacks.
Marshall's character was originally supposed to be a hypochondriac, but it was dropped, however; when Marshall startles Lily on the couch before Ted walks in and tells them about his date with Robin, Marshall was supposed to tell Lily he had dog diabetes.
This episode was debuted on the same date (September 19th) as Doogie Howser, another show staring Neil Patrick Harris.