Ted is played by Josh Radnor and the story is also told by the voice of Bob Saget who plays Ted Mosby in the future year 2030 . As a framing device , the main character , Ted Mosby ( Josh Radnor ) , with narration by Bob Saget , in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting their mother , which explains the title and allows for a narration in the past tense .