NBC’s “Big Three” are reuniting – sort of. Deadline reports Emmy-winning drama series, This Is Us, is launching rewatch podcast next month. That Was Us will bring series stars Mandy Moore (Dr. Death, Saved!), Chris Sullivan (The Knick, Presence), and Sterling K. Brown (Atlas, Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.) together to reexamine the beloved show.
“It all started during a simple coffee meet-up with Sterling. We realized there was so much more to explore and share. ‘Let the journey continue,’ we thought, and here we are,” Sullivan said via Deadline.
From the mind of Dan Fogelman (Pitch, Crazy, Stupid, Love), This Is Us tells the story of the Pearsons through three main timelines: the past – where we focus on parents Jack and Rebecca Pearsons’ early lives and growing family; the present, following their adult children – twins Kevin and Kate and adopted brother, Randall; and the future, where the Pearson three have grown children of their own.
Moore portrayed Rebecca, the mother of the Pearson children and wife to Milo Ventimiglia’s (Heroes, Gilmore Girls) Jack. Sullivan portrayed Kate’s husband, Toby, a loveable single she meets at a weight loss retreat. And Brown played Randall, the adopted Pearson son, whose journey anchored the show. Brown would win the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the role. The series ran for six seasons from 2016-2022.
The series was a tapestry of life’s brightest and darkest moments, exploring themes of relationships, love, loss, racism, adoption, substance misuse, body image, and mental health. According to Deadline, each podcast episode will discuss these topics with special guests including fellow castmates, creators, and fans.
“It was the quickest ‘yes’,” Brown told Deadline. “To be able to once again join forces and work with the fam again? Easy.”
“These guys told me what they were up to and I jumped in. The Pearsons’ stories may have ended after six seasons, but ours continue on so why not keep doing life together?” Moore stated to Deadline. “There’s much to connect over and lots of healing to be done.”
According to Deadline, That Was Us is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions’ Rob Holysz (Armchair Expert with Dax Shepherd, Unqualified) and Jeph Porter (SHE MD Podcast, Stairs) along with Hearsay’s Sara Wehrheim. Ossa Collective joins as the exclusive sales partner. The podcast joins an array of other rewatch series including USA’s Suits, HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and Veep, NBC’s Friday Night Lights, and FOX’s Prison Break.
That Was Us launches on May 14. All six seasons of This Is Us are available to stream on Hulu and Netflix.