‘Ordinary Joe,’ ‘A Million Little Things’ & More Shows to Fill Your ‘This Is Us’ Void
This Is Us viewers will have to start devising a plan for what their next drama series obsession will be as the series nears its sixth and final season at NBC.
While there’s some time to decide as the last batch of episodes waits for a midseason premiere in 2022, it’s never too early to start looking to get hooked on something new, or even old. The series created by Dan Fogelman is certainly unique, but there are a few new, upcoming, and familiar series that capture some of its essence.
Below, we’re rounding up a few titles you might want to explore as a way to fill the ongoing and eventual void that will be left behind when This Is Us does come to an end.
This Is Us, Season 6, TBA, NBC
A Million Little Things (ABC)
This family drama featuring James Roday Rodriguez, David Giuntoli, Romany Malco, Grace Park, and Allison Miller among others debuted two years after This Is Us premiered, but its focus on various individuals in an interweaving story delivers a similar tissue-worthy tone. Currently in its fourth season, now’s the perfect time to catch up with the family drama.
Succession (HBO)
If you’re looking for family drama without as much warm-hearted goodness, then HBO’s killer series might be the one for you. Backstabbing and betrayals abound within the wealthy Roy family’s house both personally and business-wise. The Emmy-winning program returns for Season 3 on October 17 and despite a different tone than the one created in This Is Us, the web this group weaves is nearly as complicated.
Promised Land (ABC)
This upcoming show about two Latinx families received a series order at ABC where the “generation-spanning” story will unfold. The families at the center of the series are vying for wealth and power in California’s Sonoma Valley. The grand scale of the show and its seemingly large ensemble among which include John Ortiz, this series could be a contender for filling the future void This Is Us is gearing up to leave behind.
Ordinary Joe (NBC)
NBC’s ambitious new series tracks James Wolk’s titular Joe Kimbreau on three very different paths his life could take following his college graduation. Not dissimilar from This Is Us in its use of various timelines, Ordinary Joe takes the concept and applies it to a single person instead of various eras. If you enjoy being an active viewer like fans of This Is Us tend to be, this is an option for filling that empty space in your TV viewing schedule.
Our Kind of People (Fox)
Lee Daniels’ new series is a little soapier than This Is Us, but if the shocking revelations made throughout the first few seasons of Dan Fogelman’s hit are your TV bread and butter, Ordinary People might be your perfect pick. The show follows Angela Vaughn (Yaya Dacosta), a single mom who finds herself mingling with the wealthy Black citizens of Oak Bluffs, where she’s looking to make a better life and uncover mysteries from her past.
Old New Binges (Parenthood and Friday Night Lights)
In case you’re looking for something more complete to satisfy, then maybe try a series from NBC’s past such as Parenthood and Friday Night Lights. Both from executive producer Jason Katims, these shows have the kind of heart and emotional poignancy that This Is Us delivers on a weekly basis when it’s on air. Currently, Parenthood is available for streaming on Hulu and Peacock while Friday Night Lights is streamable on Netflix and Peacock.
From TV Guide Magazine
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