As with the case with many shows, the coronavirus pandemic delayed production on season 5 of This Is Us multiple times, resulting in a fractured airing pattern and two episodes being trimmed from the usual 18-episode season order.
Created by Dan Fogelman, This Is Us was a massive hit for NBC out of the gate and revitalized the family drama genre with its unique device of unspooling the multigenerational Pearson story over several decades.
“NBC has given us this gift that’s two consecutive three-season pickups, which we asked for, which has allowed us to really kind of plan out and map out our storytelling in a big-picture way,” he said.