And the First Show to Get a Full-Season Pickup Is...

Find out which new series got a back nine order just one week into the 2016-17 TV season

By Jean Bentley Sep 27, 2016 10:44 PMTags
Watch: Sterling K. Brown and Milo Ventimiglia Tease "This Is Us"

And the first show of the 2016-17 TV season to get a full-season pickup is…not a surprise whatsoever!

This Is Us, a.k.a. NBC's tear-jerking new drama that debuted to huge numbers last week, has scored an additional five-episode order to bring the hit series' first season to a total of 18 episodes. It's both a no-brainer for NBC, considering the series had millions of viewers watching its trailer before 14.3 million people tuned in to the series premiere, and an early call, considering the fact that many of the season's new shows haven't even debuted yet.

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"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," NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke said in a press release announcing the news. "Creator Dan Fogelman, along with co-directors Glenn Ficarra 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."

Said Fogelman, "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. I'm starting to sound like a broken record but I have to thank Dana, Gary, Jonnie, Howard and my amazing partners at 20th as well as Bob and Jen and the fine folks at NBC for continuing to do absolutely everything right by me and this show. I'd gush more but I have to go back to work."