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‘This Is Us’ Creator Dan Fogelman Says Season 5 Will Include Coronavirus Plot

“We’ve decided to attack things head on,” Fogelman tweets

| August 17, 2020 @ 3:14 PM
This Is Us Season 4 finale

Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

“This Is Us” is going to “attack” the coronavirus pandemic “head on” in the plot of its upcoming fifth season, according to series creator Dan Fogelman. But because of the pandemic, we don’t actually know when production will be able to resume on the NBC family drama or when you’ll get to see new episodes.

“Some vague #ThisIsUs answers (sorry),” Fogelman tweeted Sunday, in response to a fan who laid out some questions about Season 5, including if the writers would “address Covid in present day.” “Not sure yet on production start. – Not sure when new eps will air. – Yes on Covid. We’ve decided to attack things head on. Very proud of @ThisIsUsWriters – Same planned ending. Same route to get there. Hope that’s (somewhat) useful?”

The end of “This Is Us” Season 4 took place in the spring of 2020, right before the pandemic hit and included a far off time jump to decades into the future — but also one to Aug. 31, 2020, where a small group of the Pearson family were all alone together in a cabin –which could easily be worked into a story about how the Pearsons are living through COVID-19 just like the rest of us at that point in time.

Also Read: Fall TV 2020: All the Premiere Dates for New and Returning Shows - So Far (Photos)

“This Is Us” star Sterling K. Brown told TheWrap last week that he’s read the first two episodes of Season 5 and can confirm “they are dope” and that they “definitely don’t shy away from what’s happening in the world.”

“I am so blown away time and time again by what our writers, by what Dan comes up with in terms of storyline, in terms of how the Pearsons navigate life,” Brown said. “And that we definitely don’t shy away from what’s happening in the world. The world of today is reflected in the world of our show. And I’m really, really excited to get back to work. Whenever that is. Hoping to get back to work soon. There is protocol being put in place in terms of regular testing for cast, etc. Like, I can’t confirm anything, but the hope is to be back shooting in 2020. So I’m keeping hope alive.”

No premiere date has been set for “This Is Us” Season 5 yet, though it is on NBC’s fall schedule.

Fall TV 2020: All the Premiere Dates for New and Returning Shows - So Far (Photos)

  • fall premiere dates 2020 Fox/ABC/Amazon/FX
  • Teen Mom 2 MTV
  • 16 and Recovering - MTV MTV
  • Transplant - Season 1 NBC
  • House of Payne BET
  • Assisted Living BET
  • AP Bio Season 3 Peacock
  • HBO Max
  • Away Hilary Swank Netflix
  • Noughts and Crosses Peacock
  • Stormfront Aya Cash The Boys Season 2 Amazon Prime Video
  • Viola Davis and husband OWN
  • Method Man in Power Book II: Ghost Starz
  • American Ninja Warrior - season 11 NBC
  • LA's Finest - Season 1 - Episode 101 Spectrum Originals
  • Woke Lamorne Morris Hulu
  • Madison Reyes in "Julie and the Phantoms" on Netflix Netflix
  • The Duchess Netflix
  • our cartoon president trump colbert showtime Showtime
  • Dancing With the Stars ABC
  • The Third Day Katherine Waterston HBO
  • We Are Who We Are HBO
  • Enslaved Epix
  • Comedy Central
  • Challenger_ Final Flight Netflix
  • FXX
  • Departure - Season 1 Peacock
  • The Great Pottery Throw Down HBO Max
  • Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous Hulu
  • Pen15 Hulu
  • Ratched Sarah Paulson Netflix
  • Worlds Funniest Animals The CW
  • LA's Finest Fox
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  • Nick Cannon Masked Singer Fox
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  • Rainn Wilson Utopia Amazon
  • A Wilderness of Error FX
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  • Bless the Harts Fox
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  • Showtime
  • Family Guy Fox
  • Fargo Year 4 - Chris Rock FX
  • The Weakest Link - Season 1 NBC
  • Gangs of London AMC
  • Salisbury Poisonings AMC
  • Monsterland Getty
  • Emily in Paris Netflix
  • Undercover Boss CBS
  • Warrior
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  • Pandora
  • Ethan Hawke Good Lord Bird Showtime Showtime
  • britannia Epix
  • The Walking Dead World Beyond AMC
  • Soulmates AMC
  • Swamp Thing DC Universe
  • Ellen's Game of Games - Season 2 NBC
  • NEXT Fox
  • Devils Patrick Dempsey The CW
  • Coroner The CW
  • Supernatural The CW
  • Connecting - Season 1 NBC
  • CW - The Outpost The CW
  • Disney+
  • Haunting of Bly Manor Netflix
  • fear the walking dead ftwd season 6 premiere and trailer AMC
  • CLARE CRAWLEY bachelorette ABC
  • Tell Me a Story The CW
  • The Amazing Race CBS
  • Sistas BET
  • Star Trek Discovery Season 3 CBS All Access
  • Helstrom Hulu Comic-Con at Home San Diego Comic-Con Trailer Hulu
  • Grand Army Netflix
  • Shark Tank ABC
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  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ABC
  • Card Sharks ABC
  • Unsolved Mysteries Netflix
  • The Voice NBC
  • The Goldbergs ABC
  • The Conners ABC
  • Blackish ABC
  • Queens Gambit Netflix
  • The Undoing HBO
  • NBC
  • American Housewife ABC
  • Superstore - Season 4 NBC
  • Mandalorian Disney+
  • The Good Doctor ABC
  • Young Sheldon CBS
  • B Positive CBS
  • Mom CBS
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  • NCIS New Orleans CBS
  • A Teacher Kate Mara FX on Hulu
  • Chicago Med - Season 4 NBC
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  • Chicago P.D. - Season 6 NBC
  • Station 19 ABC
  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Season 21 NBC
  • ELLEN POMPEO Greys Anatomy ABC
  • The Unicorn CBS
  • The Blacklist Red NBC
  • the crown season 3 queen elizabeth conspiracy theories harold wilson anthony blunt russian Netflix
  • The Neighborhood CBS
  • Bob Hearts Abishola CBS
  • All Rise CBS CBS
  • His Dark Materials HBO
  • Bull cbs CBS
  • NCIS CBS
  • FBI - "Emotional Rescue" CBS
  • FBI Most Wanted CBS
  • Kylie Bunbury Big Sky ABC
  • For Life ABC
  • A Million Little Things ABC
  • Animaniacs Hulu
  • Seal Team CBS
  • HBO Max
  • Virgin River Netflix
  • Shameless Showtime
  • The Stand CBS All Access
1 of 125

Here’s when 125 broadcast, cable and streaming series debut and come back

Fall is in full swing, but not much has changed since this summer with many people still staying at home as much as possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Luckily, dozens of new and returning shows are premiering this autumn to keep you company. TheWrap has rounded up all the dates we know -- so far -- for Fall TV shows' debuts. We will continue to update the list as more become available.

For the purposes of this gallery, we've designated Sept. 1 as the beginning of fall rather than the official Sept. 22 start, since "Fall TV" is sure to be more loosely defined this year.

Also Read: ‘The Masked Singer’ Pulled Off Its Pandemic Season With Animation, Fan Voting and a Baby Alien

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