Looks like we’ve all got plenty more time to pick up pearls of wisdom from the Pearson family. On Sunday, NBC undoubtedly delighted viewers by announcing it has finally renewed This Is Us. But it didn’t just extend the flagship drama through next season — NBC renewed This Is Us through season six. As in, yes, there will be at least three more seasons of soaking up the love, lessons and laughter that come courtesy of the entire Pearson clan. Not to mention tears, right? With three more seasons on the way, it’s probably best to start stockpiling Kleenex now.
While a renewal isn’t terribly surprising considering the massive popularity of This Is Us, NBC seemed to wait late into the typical cancel-renew announcement timeframe to give fans the good news. And no one expected that the series would score a multi-season renewal deal before all was said and done. However, network execs clearly have both faith and pride in the series.
“In a television landscape with nearly 500 original scripted series, there are very few, if any, that have the critical and cultural impact of This Is Us and we couldn’t be more proud to bring fans three more seasons of a show that so well represents the NBC brand,” Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, presidents of NBC Entertainment’s scripted programming, said in a statement, also thanking the cast and crew for reaching “new heights every week with the show’s inventive and compelling storytelling.”
That storytelling will be on display for 18 episodes per season, totaling at least 54 new episodes of This Is Us. After that point, it’s anyone’s best guess. We’d be remiss not to mention, though, that executive producer Isaac Aptaker has alluded to the show ending after the sixth season. In February, he told Deadline that the team behind the Pearson family drama had “multiple seasons mapped out.” Yet, he went on to note that he envisioned the grand finale being “about three seasons in the future.” If you’re doing the math, that means the creatives have the drama planned through season six.
But, hey — that’s still years away. Right now, fans have a lot to celebrate, including the three future seasons that are now guaranteed. We don’t know about you, but we’re looking forward to all of the warm and fuzzy feel-goods coming our way. And, you know what? We’re not even mad about the inevitable sofa-bawling.
