Time to stock up on more tissues, fans of This Is Us, because there’s more episodes and more twists coming your way. According to E! Online, NBC has picked This Is Us up for five more episodes for its first season, giving the dramedy an 18-episode first season.
While 22 episodes are usually considered a full season, creator Dan Fogelman is happy to get the additional five episodes. “We are thrilled. This order for a complete first season of 18 episodes is exactly what we’d wanted and hoped for. We’d carefully mapped out an 18-chapter story for the first year of the show, and this allows us to follow through with our exact initial intent. And to get the order so early on is a tremendous show of confidence and a boost for our entire cast and crew,” Fogelman said.
Fogelman is right about getting the pickup so early, as there’s some new fall shows that haven’t even aired an episode, some of which include CBS drama Pure Genius and comedy The Great Indoors, which both premiere on Oct. 27.
NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke also had glowing things to say about This Is Us. “It’s a rare moment in this business when a show so instantly delivers both critical acclaim and hit ratings, but This Is Us is just such an extraordinary achievement. Creator Dan Fogelman, along with co-directors Glenn Ficcara and John Requa and the gifted producers, cast and crew, has delivered the kind of heart and depth that resonates with every segment of the audience, and we’re proud to extend its presence on our schedule,” she said.
This Is Us being the first new fall show to be picked up on all of the broadcast networks isn’t a surprise to anyone. The first episode initially scored a 2.8 rating and was watched by 10.07 million viewers, according to TV by the Numbers. That number has since then grown with DVR viewing factored in, as the show is currently sitting at 4.2 rating and a total of 13.53 million viewers, also according to TV by the Numbers.
The second episode of the show did well in the ratings. Entertainment Weekly has reported that the show received a 2.6 rating in the demographic and was watched by 8.8 million. While that seems like a big decrease, the magazine noted that it’s only a seven percent decrease, which isn’t much when compared to the 20 percent decrease in Fox’s Scream Queens viewership between last week’s season two premiere and the second episode of the season and ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which is down 18 percent from its season premiere a week ago.
This Is Us doesn’t air on Oct. 4 because of the presidential debate that’s airing on the network. The show will return the following week, on Oct. 11, in its permanent timeslot at 9 p.m.